The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler-Colonial Conquest and Resistance, 1917-2017

In the final chapter, Khalidi revisits each of his main themes. Khalidi underscores how narratives helped define the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and shaped public opinion around the world. Israeli propaganda has convinced many Americans and Europeans that Palestinians are anti-Semitic Muslims. Israeli government officials have framed Palestinian resistance to a Jewish nation-state as being born out of hatred of Jewish people rather than an attempt to throw off the yoke of colonialism. Khalidi believes “the propagation of this image [Palestinians as anti-Semitic Muslims] is one of the greatest achievements of Zionism” (240).

Khalidi presents a stark warning to readers. While the colonization of Palestine has so far failed, he believes that the complete expulsion of Palestinians from their homeland has become even more possible. Khalidi attributes these fears to religious nationalists and settlers dominating Israeli governments over the last several decades. These right-wing, religiously conservative government officials have called for the annexation of the West Bank, explicitly discussed the removal of Palestinians, and created policies that force Palestinians from their land, including through fake property sales and rezoning.

Khalidi suggests that there are three ways to help the broader global community, and especially the US, understand the plight of the Palestinians. First, he suggests comparing the Palestinian experience with other colonial-settler experiences, such as Indigenous peoples in the US.