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Author:
Maher El-Kurd
This book addresses three fundamental questions: How did we get here? How do we diagnose the present situation? And where do we go from here? This book is not a dense academic tome but a thoughtful guide aimed at young readers, non-specialists, and anyone seeking to understand the interplay of history, ideology, and economics in Palestine`s ongoing struggle.
• Historical Foundations: The roots of conflict, including Christian Zionism, British imperialism, the Zionist movement`s impact on European Jews, and the emergence of Palestinian identity.
• Early Disruptions (Ottoman End to 1967): The British Mandate`s facilitation of Jewish settlement, the devastating 1948 Nakba and subsequent wars, and the fragmented economies of the West Bank under Jordanian rule, Gaza under Egyptian administration, and western Palestine under Israeli control.
• Occupation and Reunification (1967–1994): Israel`s economic policies in the occupied territories, social transformations, the First Intifada, and pre-Oslo socio-economic conditions.
• The Oslo Era and Beyond (1993–2000): The missed opportunities of the Oslo Accords, influenced by donor countries, the Paris Protocol, institution-building under the Palestinian Authority, international aid, NGOs, monopolies, and the illusion of ”peace dividends.”
• Intifada, Fragmentation, and Settler Colonialism (2000–2023): The Second Intifada`s rupture, the rise of new elites, Gaza`s isolation post-disengagement, Jerusalem`s Judaization and apartheid policies, and the broader impacts of prolonged occupation.
• Infrastructure and Resources: Critical issues of sovereignty, including water, oil, natural gas, energy, and transportation under Israeli hegemony.
• Sectoral Analysis on the Eve of War: Deep dives into agriculture, industry, employment in Israel, trade, and monetary/banking systems.
• The 2023 War and Aftermath: A recap of macroeconomic losses, settler violence, socio-economic shifts, and concepts like ”econocide,” ”domicide,” and ”spatiocide” in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.
• Future Pathways: Governance challenges, the fragmentation of the Palestinian economy, the two-state paradigm, economic relations with Israel, conflict resolution, alternative models for solutions, and steps toward decolonization.
Through this chronological and thematic journey, the book highlights how external forces—imperialism, settler colonialism, wars, and international policies—have systematically undermined Palestinian economic sovereignty, leading to dependency, fragmentation, and resilience amid adversity.
Yet, the book also offers hope, proposing pathways for transition, including decolonization strategies and rethinking economic ties in a post-conflict world.
Written in clear, non-technical language and referencing accessible online sources, this …-page volume draws on reports from institutions such as the World Bank, UNCTAD, and the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS), as well as historical studies. It fills a gap in the literature by providing a holistic overview rather than sectoral snapshots, making it essential reading for those interested in Middle Eastern history, economic justice, and the Palestinian quest for self-determination.
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