At this session of our counter-narratives circle we will discuss "The Hundred years' war on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917–2017" by Rashid Khalidi. Everyone attending needs to read the book beforehand, but it's OK if you haven't managed to finish it.

This landmark history and deep analysis of the hundred years of war waged against the Palestinian people weaves together pivotal historical events with the author's own family history.

Described as riveting, original, authoritative and important, it is the first true people's history of the hundred-year struggle of the Palestinians, told on the basis of deep immersion in the struggle. Drawing on a wealth of untapped archival materials and the reports of generations of family members—mayors, judges, scholars, diplomats, and journalists—it upends the dominant narrative on the conflict. Since its publication in 2020 it has swiftly become a reference point for the study of settler colonialism in general. Coming from a top scholar, it pulls no punches; it is not a chronicle of victimisation, nor does it whitewash the mistakes of Palestinian leaders. In this reading we deepen our knowledge of the conflict, necessary for contextualising more recent events, which we might look at more closely in subsequent readings.

Please send a message to spxx@kpnmail.nl if you're interested in coming!

About the author: Rashid Khalidi is a Palestinian-American historian, currently Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University. Prior to this he was professor and director of the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies and the Centre for International Studies at the University of Chicago. He is generally considered to be the foremost US historian on the Middle-East.

NOTE: There will be a donation jar and some refreshments available (cash or pin).
Please think about donating something if you are able; a place like NieuwLand can only exist through the contributions of volunteers and friends, who know of the importance of places like this, which exist alternative to an individualistic society, capitalist economy and gentrifying neighbourhoods.

(Flyer design: Ingeborg Kraft Fermin)