also viewable on Substack:
https://open.substack.com/pub/palestinebookshelf/p/the-hundred-years-war-on-palestine
Copy of the summary below:
Summary of The Hundred Years' War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi
The video is a book review of The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance from 1917 to 2017 by Professor Rashid Khalidi. The presenter describes it as an "express version" of a longer two-part review previously done on his main channel, totaling about an hour. He praises the book as one of the best single-volume works providing the Palestinian perspective, ideal for someone new to the topic wanting a shorter overview.
The video breaks the book's content into six historical eras (or "declarations of war") from 1917 to 2017, reading one or two excerpts per era.
The purpose of the video is to educate viewers on the Palestinian side of the conflict, highlight the book's unflinching analysis of mistakes made, and encourage grassroots support for Palestinian narratives.
The book's main thesis frames the history from 1917 to 2017 as a "hundred years' war" of settler colonialism against the Palestinian people and their resistance. It argues that Zionism, backed by British and later international powers, aimed to establish a Jewish state through displacement and control, but failed to fully supplant the indigenous Arab population.
Settler colonial confrontations end in one of three ways: elimination or subjugation of natives (as in North America), defeat and expulsion of the colonizer (rare, as in Algeria), or abandonment of colonial supremacy through compromise (as in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Ireland). Today, with the Arab population in Palestine/Israel roughly equal to or larger than the Jewish population from the Jordan River to the sea, this demographic reality poses a central moral question to Zionism's legitimacy.
The thesis critiques Zionist ideology as rooted in "blood and soil" nationalism, emphasizing the need for grassroots political work by Palestinians in the US, recognizing the US's bias against Palestinian aspirations, and rejecting flawed PLO strategies since the 1980s.
The book covers 1917 to 2017, divided into six eras of conflict.
The first (1917-1939) begins with the Balfour Declaration and ends with the Arab Revolt (1936-1939). Britain sought geopolitical control over Palestine, sponsoring Zionism for strategic reasons while making contradictory promises to Arabs (e.g., Hussein-McMahon correspondence, Sykes-Picot agreement). The Zionist movement was officially recognized via the Mandate for Palestine, granting privileges to the Jewish Agency while denying them to the Arab majority unless they accepted the Balfour Declaration.
The second era (1947-1948) involves the UN Partition Plan (Resolution 181) and the ethnic cleansing of Palestine leading to Israel's establishment.
The third (1967) covers the Six-Day War, debunking myths of Israeli vulnerability.
The fourth (1982) focuses on the Lebanon invasion and Sabra-Shatila massacres.
The fifth (1987-1995) addresses the First Intifada.
The sixth (2000-2014) extends to events like the 2014 Gaza assault, with the presenter noting it could apply to 2025.
The video ties these to ongoing Israel-Palestine issues, referencing related works like Ghassan Kanafani's on the 1936-1939 revolt and Benny Morris's on 1948.
The book conceptualizes the conflict as successive "declarations of war" by colonial powers and Israel against Palestine. Key ideas include British imperialism's role in enabling Zionism for control, not altruism; the UN partition as a violation of self-determination, necessitating Palestinian expulsion for a Jewish majority; the 1967 war as unprovoked aggression, not defensive, perpetuating a myth of existential threat to justify policies; the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty restricting Palestinian negotiations to "self-rule" without sovereignty; the 1982 Lebanon invasion as an attempt to destroy Palestinian nationalism, culminating in massacres; the First Intifada as spontaneous grassroots resistance impossible to suppress; and post-2000 escalations as continued colonization.
Excerpts highlight: Britain's "central" strategic interest in Palestine (2:08; expulsion of 300,000 Palestinians before May 15, 1948 (4:24); UN 181 as a "declaration of war" ignoring Palestinian rights (5:28); 1967 as non-existential threat (7:43); Begin's policies ceiling Palestinian demands (8:41; author's personal account of 1982 Beirut siege and building demolition killing refugees (11:15); Intifada's 1,422 Palestinian deaths vs. 175 Israeli (14:25); 2014 Shuja'iyya bombardment as disproportionate (17:45); Zionism's failure to eliminate natives, with demographic inequality as moral core (19:37).
Evidence includes historical documents like the Balfour Declaration, Hussein-McMahon correspondence, Sykes-Picot agreement, and Mandate for Palestine (articles favoring Zionists). UN Resolution 181 is cited as favoring a Jewish state despite the Arab majority.
Casualty figures: 300,000 Palestinians expelled pre-1948; 1,422 Palestinians killed in Intifada (294 minors); 175 Israelis killed. US and Israeli sources debunk 1967 myths, e.g., US predictions of Israeli victory, five Israeli generals affirming no annihilation threat.
Military details: 2014 Gaza shelling involved 7,000+ shells in 24 hours, deemed disproportionate by US officers. Author's personal involvement: 1982 Beirut experiences, including near-miss with airstrike and car bombs. Research draws on government documents, media coverage biases, and shifts in US public opinion. The presenter references related books/videos for deeper context, like Benny Morris on 1948 and B'Tselem on prisons.
The book is controversial for its Palestinian perspective, challenging Zionist narratives (e.g., debunking 1967 "second Holocaust" myth, criticizing Oslo as flawed). Reception includes praise as an "important book in our time" (comment by @GregorianDarma) and thorough analysis, but pain in confronting "obvious evil" (comment by @aamiranauthor).
Controversies involve accusations of bias, with the presenter noting Zionists' ignorance of history (e.g., expelled 300,000). Khalidi's personal insertions (rare for him) in 1982 add subjectivity. Modern relevance to Israel-Palestine: Extends to 2025, linking 1982 massacres to current killings of women/children, critiquing US mediation bias, and calling for recognition of Palestinian self-determination rights.
The book provides a comprehensive Palestinian counter-narrative, influencing education on the conflict (presenter recommends it for newcomers). It highlights resistance successes (e.g., Intifada networks) and failures (PLO miscalculations like Gulf War support). Legacy includes inspiring grassroots work in the US, as Khalidi suggests building on opinion shifts.
The video amplifies this by linking to related resources, donating proceeds to PCRF, and noting demographic challenges undermining Zionism. Comments reflect engagement, with viewers appreciating organization and importance.
To summarize and promote the book as an educational tool, offering an abbreviated review with excerpts to highlight key eras. It aims to counter mainstream narratives, encourage book purchases (via Amazon/Bookshop links), and support Palestinian causes (PCRF donations, channel subscriptions). The presenter invites nominations via Amazon wish list and stresses free support through views/likes to aid monetization for further donations.
Find other summaries like this at Palestine Bookshelf: www.palestinebookshelf.org
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