Nearly a year and a half on from the beginning of the Israel-Gaza War, the continuing horrors continue. And with reverberations still strongly felt far beyond Palestine, the conflict continues to hold the world's attention as millions refuse to give up hope for peace.
But as often repeated, the conflict did not begin on October 7, 2023 and historical context is needed to make sense of current events. Below are 12 books that may help. This is by no means an exhaustive guide, but the titles listed here should give readers perspective on some of the key historical threads at work in the region today.
The Message (2024)
Most of the books on this list are written by those with a personal connection to Palestine. Take-off-Nahisi Coates's The Message is not, and that's part of what makes it so valuable.
Within the book of essays, the famed author and advocate for the black American community writes pointedly about his first trip to Palestine as a guest of a book fair, where he was witness to a system that he found similar to what the black community had endured before the civil rights movement.
Through that lens, he surveys the history of both Zionism and the Palestinian cause in a way that is accessible to a global audience, particularly because it remembers the lesson of Martin Luther King Jr: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
The Question of Palestine (1979)
Written by Edward Said, a celebrated Palestinian-American academic, literary critic and political activist, this is an illuminating piece of literature that expands on the tensions between Palestinians and Israelis, while showing how the conflict is perceived and reflected in the West.
The book was originally written in 1979, but was updated in 1992 to reflect on the way events like the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the intifada and the Gulf War impacted the Palestinian struggle.
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (2006)
Written by Israeli historian Ilan Pappe, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine details the Nakba of 1948, when hundreds of Palestinian towns and villages were destroyed and more than 700,000 Arabs forcibly displaced, during the creation of the state of Israel.
Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew (2024)
The Israel-Palestine conflict is often boiled down to a two-sides issue, ignoring the diverse communities in either camp. Jewish-Iraqi author Avi Shlaim's memoir is a first-hand account from within one of those oft-ignored communities – the many Arabs who moved to Israel from across the region and the alleged racism and inequality they experienced once they moved to what had been billed as a utopia.
Moreover, Shlaim's book makes strong allegations against the mid-20th century Zionist movement, claiming that it was members of that community that conducted bombings against Iraqi Jews to motivate them to flee to Israel, and their story was subsequently rewritten to serve a Zionist narrative.
Six Days: How the 1967 War Shaped the Middle East (2003)
A book by former BBC Middle East correspondent Jeremy Bowen. As the title suggests, Six Days highlights the events leading up to and around the war between Israel and several Arab nations in 1967. It breaks down the conflict hour by hour, examining decisions and military tactics of Israel and Egypt, Jordan and Syria.
The Iron Cage: The Story of the Palestinian Struggle for Statehood (2006)
In The Iron Cage, Palestinian-American historian Rashid Khalidi explores the history of the Palestinian struggle for independence, starting from the aftermath of the Ottoman Empire, when British colonial forces took over Palestine. Khalidi begins with the British mandate period and the arrival of Jewish immigrants, through to the Nakba and the modern era.
I Saw Ramallah (1997)
An autobiographical work by the late Palestinian poet Mourid Barghouti, I Saw Ramallah was first translated into English in 2000 by Egyptian novelist Ahdaf Soueif. It follows Barghouti’s attempt to return to Palestine from Egypt after the 1967 war. He was barred from entering.
It took him another 30 years to finally be able to return to the town he grew up in. It is a gripping first-hand perspective of the difficulties Palestinians face while trying to travel within the country or return to it.
In Search of Fatima (2002)
Written by Ghada Karmi, this autobiography offers a first-hand account of the events of 1948. Born in Jerusalem in 1939, Karmi travelled to the UK after the Nakba, spending formative years in a Jewish suburb in London. The book is a poignant and moving read, exploring the effects of displacement while major events shift the political landscape in the Middle East.
My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel (2013)
Another book by an Israeli author, My Promised Land draws from archival documents, interviews, as well as private correspondences and diaries.
At its heart is the story of author Ari Shavit’s family, beginning with Shavit’s great-grandfather, a British Jew who arrived in Palestine in 1897.
Shavit’s book expands on the perspective of Jewish people who arrived in Palestine at the turn of the century and tries to offer a multifaceted perspective of the creation of Israel.
The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017 (2020)
Another work by Khalidi highlights a letter written in 1899 by the author’s great-great-uncle, Yusuf Diya al-Khalidi, mayor of Jerusalem.
In the letter, al-Khalidi addresses Theodor Herzl, the founding father of the Zionism movement, as the mayor was taken aback by the Zionist calls to create a Jewish state in Palestine.
The book, as a whole, highlights a trove of archival materials, personal letters and multigenerational reports to show the continued challenges Palestinians face under occupation.
We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I (2022)
This memoir by Palestinian author and lawyer Raja Shehadeh presents a portrait of a unique father and son relationship against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Shehadeh’s father, Aziz, was a prominent lawyer and activist. He specialised in land cases, specifically defending Palestinians whose land had been seized by Israeli forces.
He was also actively involved in the political arena, and was one of the first Arabs to propose the establishment of an autonomous Palestinian state. Aziz Shehadeh was murdered in 1985. He was stabbed to death outside his home in Ramallah.
Understandably, Aziz’s death was life-altering for his son, Raja. The two had a somewhat strained bond. Differing perspectives on how to approach the Palestinian struggle weighed heavy on their relationship, as did parental expectations.
We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I addresses the complexities of their relationship. The book touches upon themes of identity and family and how they are impacted by political turmoil. It is a moving account of individual struggle within a larger sociopolitical context, while also containing universal topics of familial reconciliation.
If I Must Die (2024)
Palestinian writer Refaat Alareer was killed in an Israeli air strike in December 2023 along with his sister, brother, and four of his nephews and nieces. His works have proliferated across the internet as an anthemic expression of the harrowing experiences that Gazans have been facing for decades.
Alareer’s works have been released in a collection titled If I Must Die, named after his 2011 poem that became an internet sensation. The book includes essays and poetry that go back to 2010, as well as writing that following Israel’s invasion of Gaza in October 2023.
If I Must Die offers a different vantage point into the Palestinian experience. It may not delve into the historical aspects of the conflict as some of the other titles, but it does provide a more emotive lens from which to understand the struggle.
It contains works of scathing satire that delineate the cruelty of the Israeli onslaught, taking cues from Jonathan Swift’s classic 18th century essay A Modest Proposal.
Some pieces delve into tragic moments in Alareer’s life, such as the death of his brother, Mohammed, by an Israeli air strike. Others touch upon significant moments in Gazan history, such as the deaths of Italian activist Vittorio Arrigoni and Mustafa Tamimi, a 28-year-old Palestinian taxi driver.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
Roger Federer's 2018 record
Australian Open Champion
Rotterdam Champion
Indian Wells Runner-up
Miami Second round
Stuttgart Champion
Halle Runner-up
Wimbledon Quarter-finals
Cincinnati Runner-up
US Open Fourth round
Shanghai Semi-finals
Basel Champion
Paris Masters Semi-finals
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The%20specs
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Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Company%20profile
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
World Cup warm-up fixtures
Friday, May 24:
- Pakistan v Afghanistan (Bristol)
- Sri Lanka v South Africa (Cardiff)
Saturday, May 25
- England v Australia (Southampton)
- India v New Zealand (The Oval, London)
Sunday, May 26
- South Africa v West Indies (Bristol)
- Pakistan v Bangladesh (Cardiff)
Monday, May 27
- Australia v Sri Lanka (Southampton)
- England v Afghanistan (The Oval, London)
Tuesday, May 28
- West Indies v New Zealand (Bristol)
- Bangladesh v India (Cardiff)
More coverage from the Future Forum
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Moonfall
Director: Rolan Emmerich
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry
Rating: 3/5
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
