Ilan and the Collapse of the Entity

The book “Israel on the Brink of Collapse,” published by Kuwait’s Takween and translated by Shahd Daabes, has recently been released. Ilan Pappé is a prominent Israeli historian from the “New Historians” school, who re-examined and debunked traditional Zionist narratives, particularly regarding the establishment of the occupied entity in 1948. In the book’s introduction, Pappé writes: “I was born in a country called Palestine and in a state called Israel at the same time, and the existence of Palestine only became clear to me at a late stage in my life.” He then details in depth the radical transformations he experienced on his quest for the light of truth.

The book begins with a critical reading of the crises facing the occupied entity, projecting its future in light of its internal and external contradictions, and highlighting the importance of political awareness in understanding historical shifts. The author elaborates on “fatal fractures and the collapse of Zionism.” In his provocative title and profound content, Pappé emphasizes the necessity of addressing the refugee issue as the core of any just solution. Return is not merely a political demand or a bargaining chip, but a matter tied to historical justice, human dignity, and the Palestinian people’s right to reclaim their rights by ending the suffering of at least six million Palestinian refugees, according to UNRWA records.

In another context, Pappé points to the role of education and culture in preserving Palestinian identity, so that its existential flame does not extinguish. Resistance is not limited to political and field confrontation; it also includes the production of knowledge, the preservation of collective memory, and the transmission of national consciousness to new generations through “the Intifada in the electronic and academic spaces.” In Pappé’s view, Palestinian youth play a pivotal role in protecting identity and sustaining the struggle. He also stresses the importance of research centers and university programs in introducing students to Palestinian history, the issues of occupation, displacement, and identity, as this helps counter attempts to erase identity on one hand, and enhance the presence of the Palestinian cause in global awareness on the other.

At the end of the book, Ilan Pappé adopts an optimistic speculative narrative style, writing as if he were actually living in a post-Israel era in May 2048, coinciding with the centenary of the Nakba. He employs this future timeline to imagine characters living in a new liberatory reality on historic Palestinian soil, using diaries and personal memories, invoking figures such as “Nuh Ibrahim” – the poet of the Palestinian popular revolution in the 1930s – based in Haifa, to paint a vivid and tangible picture of daily life, social integration, the return of the displaced, and the restoration of Arab names and features to cities in that desired future.

Pappé’s vision for Palestine’s future rests on three principles: recognition, accountability, and acceptance. It requires honestly confronting the past, acknowledging the displacement and historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people, and holding those responsible for violations accountable while providing reparations, ultimately building a shared future based on accepting the Other and respecting the equal rights of Palestinians and Jews.

Alongside Pappé, thinkers such as Edward Said, Avi Shlaim, Norman Finkelstein, Noam Chomsky, Abdelwahab El-Messiri, and Francesca Albanese have contributed to expanding the global discourse on the Palestinian cause, linking it to issues of justice, human rights, and international law. This has strengthened its presence in political, academic, and intellectual circles, while debunking Zionist falsehoods.

Ilan Pappé hopes to see a street named after Edward Said in Palestine, and another named after Nuh Ibrahim...

Concluding her book with hope, she envisions that in 2049 she will write a postcard to her family and friends: “Perhaps next year will be, for the first time in Palestinian history, a year marked by calm and tranquility.” Dr. Latifa Al-Kandari