The Biggest Prison On Earth (a History Of Gaza And The Occupied Territories)

A powerful, groundbreaking history of the Occupied Territories from one of Israel''s most influential historians

Shortlisted for the Palestine Book Awards 2017

A powerful, groundbreaking history of the Occupied Territories from one of Israel''s most influential historians

From the author of the bestselling study of the 1948 War of Independence comes an incisive look at the Occupied Territories, picking up the story where The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine left off.

In this comprehensive exploration of one of the world’s most prolonged and tragic conflicts, Pappe uses recently declassified archival material to analyse the motivations and strategies of the generals and politicians – and the decision-making process itself – that laid the foundation of the occupation. From a survey of the legal and bureaucratic infrastructures that were put in place to control the population of over one million Palestinians, to the security mechanisms that vigorously enforced that control, Pappe paints a picture of what is to all intents and purposes the world’s largest ‘open prison’.

In this comprehensive survey of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, renowned Israeli historian Ilan Pappe exposes the history of one of the world''s most prolonged and tragic conflicts.

Locating the occupation within a wider historical context that stretches back to 1948, Pappe dismisses the conventional view that the 1967 war emerged out of the blue, ''forcing'' Israel to occupy the contentious territories. Using recently declassified archival material, Pappe analyzes the establishment of legal and security infrastructures that were put in place to control the population, revealing harsh oppression that was never advertised in international headlines, and which passed without any substantial Palestinian resistance for the first twenty years of its existence. Then turning to the years that have passed since the resistance began in 1987, Pappe offers hopeful visions of a future of reconciliation and peace.

‘Ilan Pappe is Israel''s bravest, most principled, most incisive historian.’

‘[Pappe] boldly and persuasively argues for understanding the occupied territories as the world’s “largest ever mega-prison”... Pappe’s conclusions won’t be welcome in all quarters but this detailed history is rigorously supported by primary sources.’

‘A diagnostic survey of Israel''s long-planned occupation of the Palestinian''s land... A grim, hard-hitting look at the nuts and bolts of Israeli occupation.’

‘Will undoubtedly raise a lot of hackles in his home state.’

‘What is new in The Biggest Prison on Earth is Pappe''s detailed accounting of exactly what the Israeli planners were contemplating in 1963; namely, "the largest ever mega-prison for a million and a half people."’

‘Pappe''s book is critical for understanding the present situation and looking forward to possible solutions.’

ILAN PAPPE is Professor of History at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the College of Social Sciences and International Studies and Director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies at the University of Exeter, and the author of over a dozen books including the bestselling The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine. In 2017, Pappe was awarded the Middle East Monitor’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the Palestine Book Awards.