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

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 is a difficult to read book as it details the relentless grim illegal occupation of Palestinian land by Israeli Zionists. It's well written, and hard hitting.

Prof. Pappé expands upon his earlier works, in particular his seminal Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, with this history of the 1967 Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. East Jerusalem is of course also addressed, with its different status: what Israel claims to be not an occupation, but an "annexation". The background leading up to the 1967 occupation is covered, so that the reader is well aware that what in common parlance is "the" occupation, is simply the phase of it that is institutionalized as such. Israel's theft of land beyond the 1947 Partition has been forgotten in the operating political discourse of today, even though the 1949 Armistice Line was supposed to be nothing more than a cease-fire line. The author clearly explains the book's objectives and limitations in the Preface, and in the process he effectively invites more work in aspects still inadequately addressed. His book tackles the most urgent questions, those most necessary to be exposed in order to effect positive change. He analyses the myriad cynical mechanisms of the "biggest prison", a prison which, as he points out, one may escape IF willing to exchange it for a different prison --- that of the refugee. This book should be required reading for every government official of the states whose money and political clout empower the so-called "conflict". Every US congressperson, every UK MP, every EU official, should be given a copy of this book, and asked either to refute its data and reasoning (which they will be unable to do, short of invoking fictional "narrative"), or acknowledge that they have for decades been the betrayers of every "enlightened" value for which they claim to stand. It is in the power of the US, UK, and EU to end the injustice, and this new book by Prof. Pappé should be a potent tool in the quest for that goal.

With the current terrible situation in Gaza and Israel, I've been trying to find out more about the background. The courageous and honest Jewish Israeli historian, Illan Pappe, has access to Israeli government archives, that are not so accessible to non-Hebrew speakers, and he paints a dire picture. From the founding of Israel, based on a UN resolution, in which the inhabitants of Palestine had no say, the Zionists have been occupying more and more land that was not intended for them under the original UN resolution. With sophisticated plans and propaganda they have been seeking pretexts to de facto annect more and more Palestinian land, so that a Two-State "solution" is now no longer possible, despite the the now belated bleatings of some Western governments. This is documented in detail in the sources quoted by Pappe, which set out the statements of leading Israeli politicians from the 1940s until recently. Since the founding of Israel, all other relevant UN resolutions have been blatantly ignored, with the support of the USA. The encroaching occupation of Palestine and the tailor-made Israeli laws to justify these crimes according to international law, that have been widely ignored by the world, are meticulously set out in this book. In particular, the sections dealing with Gaza, this tiny strip of land that is home to a couple of million human beings, most of whom were driven from their homes (even before this terrible war), and the plans to make it uninhabitable for Palestinians are horrific. And this book was written almost 7 years ago! My review is in no way a justification of the heinous attack by Hamas on 7 October 2023. Impartial and honest/unhypocrital people, however, have to agree with António Guterres that this horrendous attack did not happen in a vacuum. Pappe's book explains the context. This book really is a "must read" for anyone who is open-minded and intelligent enough to see through the propaganda.

The book entitled “The biggest prison on earth “is an eye opener and should be a must for education on the Middle East.

A thorough exposure of the blatant inhuman treatment inflicted on innocent people.!

We hear a lot about the superiority of the Western Liberal Democracy. This form of government is supposed to protect free thought, freedom and justice. Yet when one reads Ilan Pappe’s book and other books dealing with the suppression of the Palestinians one wonders where are the Liberal Democracies to be found. The North American Democracies and the European Democracies openly support Israel which is also a Democracy. It is very puzzling to form an opinion about Liberal or Western Democracies.

You may think you know, but read this, and you will be far better informed than you are now, though unless we as are Palestinian I doubt we can even begin to imagine the daily oppression, struggle, greif, horror, anger, faith and strength it is to be a Palestinian in Palestine IF my review has caused you offence that’s on you and you alone

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 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.

Pappe is one of the NEW Historians writing the REAL History of Zionism and the Founding of Israel. This Book Shows in Detail how Israel was Built, Founded, Expanded and Sustained with Terrorism! He describes the NAKBA AS Ongoing. And an Incremental Genocide! He is a MUST read to understand all the "Complexities" Zionist Apologists Ignore & Distort to excuse their "dream/nightmare of a Jewish ONLY State!