A Land with a peoplE
A Land With A People elevates rarely heard Palestinian and Jewish voices and visions. Eloquently framed with a foreword by the dynamic Palestinian legal scholar and activist, Noura Erakat, this book began as a storytelling project of Jewish Voice for Peace-New York City and subsequently transformed into a theater project performed throughout the New York City area.
Stories touch hearts, open minds, and transform our understanding of the “other”—as well as our comprehension of own roles and responsibilities— and A Land With A People emerges from this reckoning. It brings us the narratives of secular, Muslim, Christian, and LGBTQ Palestinians who endure the particular brand of settler colonialism known as Zionism. It relays the transformational journeys of Ashkenazi, Mizrahi, Palestinian and LGBTQ Jews who have come to reject the received Zionist narrative. Unflinching in their confrontation of the power dynamics that underlie their transformation process, these writers find the courage to face what has happened to historic Palestine, and to their own families as a result. Contextualized by a detailed historical introduction and timeline charting 150 years of Palestinian and Jewish resistance to Zionism, this collection will stir emotions, provoke fresh thinking, and point to a more hopeful, loving future—one in which Palestine/Israel is seen for what it is in its entirety, as well as for what it can be.
+ PRAISE FOR 'A LAND WITH A PEOPLE'
"By seamlessly and passionately weaving history with heartfelt life experiences, and intensely symbolic stories with candid reflections, this collection reveals the real wreck Zionism has created, shattering the mythical story Zionism has always hidden behind. In doing so, it courageously interrogates the crucial, yet often ignored, relationship between Palestinian liberation from Israeli settler-colonialism and apartheid and Jewish emancipation from the suffocating, racist chains of Zionism. It leaves me with more hope."
- Omar Barghouti, Palestinian human rights defender and co-founder of the BDS movement
"A Land with a People is a singular contribution to the decades-long effort to forge global solidarities against Israeli settler colonialism. In giving us everyday narratives of Palestinian courage and resilience, alongside accounts of a growing Jewish resistance to Zionism, the book offers a collective story of fierce struggles against racism and apartheid. It is a story that holds important lessons to all who have dedicated their lives to justice, equality and freedom."
- Professor Angela Y. Davis, Distinguished Professor Emerita, History of Consciousness and Feminist Studies, UC Santa Cruz
"Regardless of one’s perspective on Palestine, it is impossible to read this book and not be transformed. After all, these are powerful, indelible, deeply personal stories of what happens when lies are exposed, truths are revealed, and the founding myths of Zionism crumble like a house of sand. The essays and poems collected here break the cycle of “conflict,” demand an exit from a century of settler colonial war, and offer a path to repair, return, and rebuild. It is impossible to read this book and not fight for a free Palestine."
- Robin D. G. Kelley, Author of Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination
"A community of Palestinians and Jews committed to a future without Jewish Supremacy Ideology, and with Palestinian autonomy. This is a volume of Palestinian voices towards movement building and creation of a joyous future, and Jews listening and then doing the work of changing their self-perceptions and living our responsibilities. A call to Repair through Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions, through collective actions to end Israeli occupation, Jewish nationalism and apartheid. This book expressed the dynamic relationship necessary to a fair, humane and productive life."
- Sarah Schulman, Author of Let The Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP 1987-1993
"A must-read, timely critique of political Zionism conveyed through searing, personal writings of Jews who refuse to accept Zionism’s ethno-religious indoctrination and its violent manifestations, intertwined with reflections from Zionism’s greatest, yet oft-silenced Palestinian victims. This book is an invaluable resource in the effort to challenge the deliberate and dangerous conflation of anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism to silence criticism of Israel, and in understanding that the “Israel/Palestine conflict” is not a religious or ethnic one; it is not even a conflict, but rather an existential struggle against racist, settler-colonial system. It is a struggle that can and must be undertaken by Palestinians and Jews together."
- Huwaida Arraf, Human rights attorney & activist
"This moving and reflective anthology weaves together poetry, art, history and memoir about the impact of Zionism on the lives and communities of Palestinians and Jews of all backgrounds. It offers a path forward rooted in an understanding of a painful shared history that leads to a commitment to solidarity and justice for all people. Reading it is both illuminating and healing."
- Rebecca Vilkomerson, Former Executive Director, Jewish Voice for Peace
Conversations about Israel/Palestine are often charged and challenging. Many families and friends avoid the subject to keep the peace and worry that even a slight criticism of Israel can result in being labelled anti-Semitic. At JVP-NYC we want to create a space where we can discuss this subject, with respect and active listening, with the aim to build relationships and understanding. Wrestling With Zionism is a collection of stories of people from a range of backgrounds who share their evolving relationships to Zionism.
Secretary of State John Kerry: "Nearly every country in the world, other than Israel, opposes settlements." But what are Israeli settlements, who are Israeli settlers, and how do they impact Palestinian lives? Video by Institute for Middle East Understanding
By the Numbers: Refugees in Gaza
70% of Palestinians living in Gaza are refugees due to Israeli policies of mass expulsion. As they face debilitating conditions under Israeli occupation and siege, Israel denies them their internationally recognized right to return to their homes and land. Video by Institute for Middle East Understanding.
How Israel Trains U.S. Police
Thousands of U.S. law enforcement officials have traveled to Israel on police exchange trips over the past two decades. There, they’ve learned and brought home tactics like racial profiling, crowd control, and surveillance that Israel employs against the millions of Palestinians it controls under its illegal military occupation.
By the Numbers: The Nakba
From 1947-1949, Zionist paramilitaries and Israeli forces dispossessed more than 750,000 Palestinians, destroyed or depopulated more than 400 villages, and committed at least 24 massacres. Today, there are more than 7 million Palestinian refugees globally. Video by Institute for Middle East Understanding.
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Facing the Nakba curriculum
"Facing the Nakba offers educational resources to U.S. Jews and a general U.S. audience about the history of the Nakba (“Catastrophe” in Arabic) and its present implications in Palestine/Israel. The Nakba refers to the forced displacement of approximately 750,000 Palestinians that began with Israel’s establishment, and that continues to this day."
