About Palestine

Author's name: Noam Chomsky

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The importance of translating this book lies not only in its offering of solutions and treatments for the Palestinian issue, but also in its analysis of the reality of the conflict within Israeli society and its class struggles. Its importance also lies in its presentation of a comparison between the two cases, South Africa and Palestine, as issues of struggle against imperialism and apartheid regimes. Both Chomsky and Pappe share their experiences within and outside Israeli society, and the most significant shifts that have occurred in public opinion—especially American—in recent years, including in academic circles, which appear more receptive to anti-apartheid discourse than before. For me, the motivation to translate this work was not because of the solutions it offers, but rather the questions it raises and attempts to answer, as well as the concepts it attempts to address, such as what it means to be an activist, and the reality of anti-Zionist activism and movement today and its developments. I also find that the quality of the discussions and questions he raises about the moral stances on the issue, and his attempts to make it more effective in order to win public opinion and create channels of pressure on decision-makers, are more closely linked to the events of the Arab world today than ever before.