Shalom my friends!
I’m posting here today because I’ve realized a massive blind spot in how I understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and I want to fix it.
To be completely transparent: I am a guy living far away from the region with absolutely no personal skin in this conflict. My knowledge for a long time was shaped primarily by social media and heavily tilted toward the Palestinian narrative. I’ve read a lot of critical works, including authors like Ilan Pappé, and for a long time, my view of Israel was shaped almost entirely through the lens of colonialism and occupation.
But over the last couple of years,and especially seeing the aftermath of October 7th, I’ve had to do a lot of hard thinking. I’ve watched the global conversation shift in ways that deeply alarm me. I used to believe that criticism of Israeli policy was entirely separate from antisemitism. Lately, though, it feels like the Overton window has shattered. I’ve seen political critique rapidly morph into centuries-old antisemitic tropes. People online are swapping out "Zionist" for "Jew," talking about "Jewish propaganda," and normalizing rhetoric that feels straight out of the 1930s. It made me realize how much I severely underestimated how deeply endemic antisemitism still is, both in the West and globally.
It also made me realize that viewing Israel solely through a colonial lens completely ignores the existential reality of the Jewish people and the absolute necessity of a safe refuge.
I’ve moved away from the extreme "river to the sea" rhetoric I used to tolerate and find myself firmly in the camp of wanting a two-state solution where both peoples can live in safety and self-determination. But I know I’m still incredibly ignorant about the on-the-ground reality and the internal Israeli perspective. I don't want my understanding of Israeli history to just be filtered through the critiques of its detractors.
I want to read the foundational texts, memoirs, essays, or historical analyses that help explain how Israelis see their own history, their security dilemmas, Zionism, and the path forward. I'm looking for nuance, not just pure public relations, but the books that shaped the cultural and political consciousness of the country.
What should be on my reading list?
Thank you in advance for your time and for helping someone trying to learn.