“Away from the lamp lie truths which are uncomfortable it seems not only to Zionists but also to those who fear a direct confrontation with the Jewish state. There in the darkness one can find the only relevant framing of the conflict in Palestine: as a struggle between a settler-colonialist movement and a native indigenous population that has raged since the late nineteenth century until today”. — Ilan Pappé in On Palestine
As we post this, Israel is conducting a genocidal bombardment on Gaza. Given our platform, small in comparison to many as it may be, we feel we must preface this post thus. We do, and always will, stand with Palestine and its people, with their right to self-determination and freedom from colonisation.
If you’re sat, wondering where to start in educating yourself, or how best to help, we offer a list of a few nonfiction books to start with for the former, and for the latter, some resources for writing to your local MP (or other representative) and organising your own protest locally, if there isn’t one near you. To find out about protests near you, we’d recommend following groups local to you fighting for Palestinian freedom such as the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Nonfiction books we recommend: The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine, Ten Myths About Israel, Voices from the Camps, Lawrence in Arabia, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History, Nakba, The Palestine Nakba, Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions.
And what actually prompted this particular rec list, is a tweet we saw. On October 18 at 8 pm ET, there’s going to be a virtual gathering/poem-sharing/call to action/fundraiser for Medical Aid for Palestinians. So first of all, here’s a link to RSVP, and second of all, here’s some poetry for you.
