The Rise And Fall Of A Palestinian Dynasty

In this deeply researched political biography, Ilan Pappé traces the rise of the Husayni family of Jerusalem, who dominated Palestinian history from the early 1700s until the second half of the twentieth century. Viewing this sweeping saga through the prism of one family, the book sheds new light on crucial events—the invasion of Palestine by Napoleon, the decline of the Ottoman Empire, World War I, western colonialism, and the advent of Zionism—and provides an unforgettable picture of the Palestinian tragedy in its entirety. The Rise and Fall of a Palestinian Dynasty is the history of Palestinian politics before national movements and political parties: at the height of the Husaynis’ influence, positions in Jerusalem and Palestine could only be obtained through the family’s power base. In telling the story of one family, the book highlights the continuity between periods customarily divided into pre-modern and modern, pre-Zionist and Zionist, illuminating history as it was actually lived.

In this political biography, Ilan Pappe traces the rise of the Husayni family of Jerusalem, who dominated Palestinian history from the early 1700s until the second half of the twentieth century.

This book examines the politics of Jerusalem since 1967 and the city's decline as an Arab city. Covering issues such as the Old City, the barrier, planning regulations and efforts to remove Palestinians from it, the book provides a broad overview of the contemporary situation and political relations inside the Palestinian community, but also with the Israeli authorities.

"This wonderful volume illuminates the human dimensions of the complex and often painful history of modern Palestine/Israel by vividly relating the life stories of a variety of individuals and exploring how their experiences have been profoundly shaped by the recurrent struggles over this land. It highlights the importance of human agency in shaping history, but also the impact of historical events and processes on individuals’ life choices. This book is not only a valuable resource for teaching but is also of great value to anyone interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and in the perspectives and destinies of those who have lived in its shadows."—Zachary Lockman, New York University. "This book is a welcome and essential addition to the extensive literature on the conflict in Israel/Palestine that tends to overlook the individual and their personal experiences. It is through these personal stories that one best appreciates the complex realities of this land. Each of the powerful narratives chosen by the contributors to this valuable volume is like a microcosmos that teaches us about the diverse realities in Israel and Palestine as a whole. This is a refreshing and original contribution to a field of inquiry that is craving for such a novel approach."—Ilan Pappé, author of The Rise and Fall of a Palestinian Dynasty

"In this impossible task of representation, Arthur Neslen writes a book that is impossible to put down. In Your Eyes a Sandstorm is where Joyce's The Dubliners meets Howard Zinn's A People’s History. Thrilling, compassionate, and unflinching narratives and dialogues converge the critical events of contemporary Palestinian being into the present. Palestinians are field negroes, house negroes, ghettoized schlemiels and pariahs, ethnically cleansed, colonized, occupied, militant, pacifist, doctors, zookeepers, rappers, journalists, teachers, etc. They are also an original people who will continue to write a new story in the book of survival and hope, of overcoming suffering and, hopefully, of going beyond power." —Fady Joudah, author of The Earth in the Attic and translator of Mahmoud Darwish’s If I Were Another “In this wonderful collection, one can hear the Palestinians speaking for themselves and not through others who may distort or dim their messages. Very few collections have brought home to us so vividly and authentically what it means to be a Palestinian today.” —Ilan Pappe, author of The Rise and Fall of a Palestinian Dynasty "This highly original work is an important contribution to Palestine literature, especially in the way that personal narrative interacts with and enriches collective-national and public memory." —Nur Masalha, author of Expulsion of the Palestinians: The Concept of "Transfer" in Zionist Political Thought "Neslen powerfully gives voice to Palestinians, humanizes them, and reveals the complexities of Palestinian society." —Sara Roy, author of Hamas and Civil Society in Gaza “A remarkable achievement at the junction of Middle East politics and anthropology, this collection of interviews with Palestinians from eight successive generations—defined according to historical watersheds—is a necessary complement to treatise-like readings on the Palestinians and the Israel-Palestine conflict. It offers the means for a reasoned empathy with the Palestinian people, and provides a perfect counterpoint to the ‘journey through the Israeli psyche’ which Arthur Neslen took his readers on in his previous book.” —Gilbert Achcar, author of The Arabs and the Holocaust: The Arab-Israeli War of Narratives

An update of the history of Palestine since the 1800s, which includes recent dramatic events.

This book traces the rise of the political dynasty in the Middle East and, in the process, provides the context for the current Arab uprising. The author shows that a father-to-son transfer of power has no basis in Islam, and yet the idea of dynastic power became entrenched in the Middle East.