The Biggest Prison on Earth: A History of the Occupied Territories

Das Buch beschreibt den Zustand in Palästina, es ist tatsächlich ein riesen freiluft Gefängnis. Heut zu tage gehört sowas sogar schon zum Allgemeinwissen jedes Menschen(sollte). Es sollte dabei auch Allgemeinwissen sein dass, das Buch nicht antisemitisch ist und auch keine Religion beschuldigt wird, sondern Staaten.

From one of the preeminent historians / political scientists on Israel and Palestine, this book by Ilan Pappé is very accessible, with an easy to read writing style, that is both engaging and compelling. If you want to learn about the origins of the biggest open air prison system in the world then this is a must read.

This book by the expatriate Israeli historian Prof. Ilan Pappe, like his other book "Ten Myths About Israel," has transformed my understanding of the Israel-Palestine conflict. In "The Biggest Prison on Earth: A History of the Occupied Territories," Prof. Pappe uses the metaphor of the prison to elucidate how Israel has treated the Palestinians under its rule in the territories (the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza) it has illegally occupied since its pre-emptive Six-day War in 1967. The disenfranchised Palestians living in the Occupied Territories were and are expected to meekly submit to one of two governance models: the Open-Air Prison more generally prevalent in the West Bank, or the Maximum Security Prison imposed on Gaza since 2006. With no path to citizenship and without any rights under military rule, Palestinians in these areas are in the position of a colonized people, albeit with little hope of self-determination. Their dilemma, Pappe shows, was a product of the Zionist impulse that sought to create a "Greater Israel" whilst avoiding a formal annexation that might result in the opprobrium of the international community and possible sanction under international law. At least until recently, this strategy enabled Israel to circumvent international law and global censure as it stole Palestinian land, created vast new Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories and left the Palestinians in a stateless limbo. This creation of an apartheid regime and the concomitant deception of the international community lies at the heart of the Israel - Palestine conflict and accounts for much of the duplicity Israel displays on the international stage. The book covers the period from 1948 until 2017, but needless to say is highly relevant in view of events in Gaza since October 7, 2023. I highly recommend this book.

This book opened my eyes. Ilan Pappé explains clearly how the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza was built and maintained — not as a temporary situation, but as a long-term system of control. It’s not an easy read emotionally, but it’s essential if you want to understand what’s really happening in Palestine and why peace has been so hard to achieve. I came away feeling informed, saddened, and grateful for the honesty of this book.

Since the 1970s Professor Pappe has studied. researched and documented the history of the Palestinan/Israel tragedy. He was born a Jew; served in the Israeli army; and taught at Israeli higher education until he was shunned by colleagues because he began to write about the "hidden" truths of the tragedy. He's one of the very few authorities on the topic; read every book he has written to be accurately informed.