Biden’s Acquisition of Khalidi’s Book Sparks Controversy
The image of President Joe Biden leaving a bookstore holding a copy of The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi has sparked controversy, drawing criticism from both pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian supporters. New York Post called it “The Final Insult” while Ismail Khalidi, the author’s son, condemned Biden’s actions, calling him a “genocidal maniac.” First published in 2020, the book has remained a bestseller for 39 weeks. It offers a detailed account of the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation, focusing on six key events that have shaped the turbulent history of the region.
The Seeds of Dispossession
In the opening chapter, “The First Declaration of War, 1917–1939,” Rashid Khalidi examines how Britain’s formal endorsement of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine—articulated in the Balfour Declaration of November 2, 1917—initiated the systematic dispossession of the indigenous Arab population. Under the British Mandate, this policy facilitated the Zionist movement's transformation of Palestine from an Arab-majority region into the foundation of a future Jewish-majority state. Khalidi explores Britain’s contradictory promises to Arabs and Zionists, its divide-and-rule tactics that undermined Palestinian unity, and the brutal suppression of the 1936–1939 Great Arab Revolt. These developments, coupled with the Palestinian leadership's struggles to mount effective resistance, set the stage for the demographic and territorial upheavals that culminated in the Nakba of 1948.
The Birth of a Conflict
In the second chapter, Khalidi provides a detailed account of the pivotal events of 1947 and 1948 that reshaped the region and defined the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He examines the United Nations' adoption of the partition plan, which proposed dividing Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states. While the Jewish leadership accepted the proposal, Palestinian Arabs vehemently rejected it, viewing it as a grave injustice to their majority presence and aspirations for sovereignty. The chapter vividly depicts the violence and chaos following Britain's withdrawal, culminating in the establishment of the State of Israel and the subsequent Arab-Israeli War. Khalidi powerfully conveys the catastrophic impact on the Palestinian population, detailing the mass displacement of 700,000 Palestinians in what became known as the Nakba. Khalidi highlights how these events entrenched deep divisions and laid the groundwork for decades of conflict, making this chapter essential for understanding the origins of one of the world’s longest struggles.
The Six-Day War
In “The Third Declaration of War, 1967,” Khalidi examines the pivotal events of the Six-Day War and their profound impact on Palestinians and the region. He recounts key incidents leading up to the war, including the closure of the Straits of Tiran by Egypt on May 22, 1967, and the subsequent mobilization of Arab armies. On June 5, 1967, Israel launched a pre-emptive air strike, defeating the combined forces of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria within six days. The war resulted in Israel’s occupation of the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, and Golan Heights, marking a dramatic territorial expansion. Khalidi highlights the frustrations of Palestinian groups like Fatah, who launched a guerrilla war in response to the failure of Arab states. He critiques UN Security Council Resolution 242 for framing the conflict as a state issue while ignoring Palestinian rights. Khalidi also emphasizes how the war reshaped U.S.-Israel relations, strengthening American support and triggering a resurgence of Palestinian cultural and political identity amidst displacement and occupation.
The 1982 Invasion of Lebanon
In “The Fourth Declaration of War,” Khalidi examines the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, a pivotal moment for the Palestinian cause. The invasion began with a massive aerial bombardment of Beirut on June 4, followed by a brutal siege of West Beirut from June 6 to August 12, resulting in over 19,000 deaths, many of them civilians. Under international pressure, the PLO was forced to evacuate Beirut despite U.S. assurances of civilian safety. This evacuation was followed by the Sabra and Shatila massacres (September 16–18), in which Israeli-backed Phalangist militias killed over 1,300 Palestinian civilians—an atrocity that remains a stain on Israel’s record. Khalidi critiques the invasion’s indiscriminate violence, the complicity of the United States in supporting Israel, and the international community’s failure to respond effectively. He also highlights the resilience of the Palestinian people, noting how the conflict shifted the focus of the Palestinian movement back to the occupied territories and spurred the rise of groups like Hezbollah. This chapter underscores the invasion’s lasting impact on regional politics and Palestinian resistance, framing it as a turning point in the broader Middle East conflict.
The First Intifada and the Oslo Accords
In The Fifth Declaration of War, Khalidi examines the transformative period from 1987 to 1995, shaped by the First Intifada and the Oslo Accords. The Intifada, which began in December 1987 following the deaths of four Palestinians in a Gaza vehicle accident, quickly evolved into a grassroots uprising against Israeli occupation. Organized by the Unified National Leadership, it involved widespread participation, including women and youth, who employed protests and civil disobedience to challenge Israeli control. The Israeli response, including Defence Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s harsh crackdown in early 1988, drew international condemnation and shifted global perceptions of the conflict. Khalidi critiques the PLO’s disconnect from this local movement, noting how the uprising compelled the organization to recognize Israel and issue the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988.
The signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993 marked a significant turning point, with Israel and the PLO formally recognizing each other. However, Khalidi argues that the Oslo process entrenched the dynamics of occupation by failing to ensure Palestinian sovereignty, effectively relegating the Palestinian Authority to the role of enforcing Israeli control. He also underscores the media’s influence in reshaping narratives, the unintended strengthening of the Palestinian national movement following the 1982 Lebanon invasion, and the impact of the U.S.-Israel partnership on the negotiation process.
The Palestinian Struggle from 2000 to 2014
In The Sixth Declaration of War, Khalidi provides a compelling analysis of the tumultuous years from 2000 to 2014, a period defined by profound Palestinian disillusionment after the initial hope surrounding the Oslo Accords. He chronicles the outbreak of the Second Intifada, sparked by Ariel Sharon's controversial visit to the Haram al-Sharif, which escalated into violent confrontations resulting in significant Palestinian casualties and a resurgence of armed resistance. Khalidi critiques the failure of the 2000 Camp David Summit to address core Palestinian concerns, further straining PLO-Israel relations.
Through the lens of Israel's ongoing colonial policies, he examines the severe restrictions on Palestinian movement and economic activity, the devastating military operations in Gaza, and the rise of Hamas as a response to the PLO's perceived inadequacies. Khalidi also explores the complexities of the U.S.-Israel relationship, emphasizing how American foreign policy has consistently marginalized Palestinian rights.
Zionism's Late Arrival and Palestine’s Survival
Khalidi concludes his book by emphasizing that, despite support from the United States and Great Britain, the Zionist movement ultimately arrived too late to eliminate the Palestinian people. He quotes Eqbal Ahmad: “August 1947 marked the beginning of decolonization, when British rule in India ended. It was in those days of hope and fulfilment that the colonization of Palestine occurred. Thus, at the dawn of decolonization, we were returned to the earliest, most intense form of colonial menace.”
Khalidi argues that, under different circumstances or in another era, “replacing the indigenous population might have been feasible if this were the eighteenth or nineteenth century, if the Palestinians were as few as the Zionist settlers or as fully decimated as the native peoples of Australasia and North America.”
He also refers to historian Tony Judt, who wrote: “The problem with Israel, in short, is not—as is sometimes suggested—that it is a European ‘enclave’ in the Arab world; but rather that it arrived too late. It has imported a characteristically late-nineteenth-century separatist project into a world that has moved on, a world of individual rights, open frontiers, and international law. The very idea of a ‘Jewish state’—a state in which Jews and the Jewish religion have exclusive privileges from which non-Jewish citizens are forever excluded—is rooted in another time and place.”
The Next Chapter on Palestine Will Feature Joe Biden
When asked about his reaction to U.S. President Joe Biden purchasing a copy of his book, Khalidi expressed disappointment, remarking, “My reaction is that it came four years too late.” This statement reflects a critical view of the president, emphasizing his perceived inaction on the Palestinian plight throughout his administration. The sentiment is echoed by others, including Samer Khalaf, editor at Defector.com, who wrote an article titled “The Next Historical Book on Palestine Will Include Joe Biden.” This raises a poignant question: how will Biden's legacy be portrayed in future narratives about Palestine? The likely answer is that he will be remembered as the leader of the world’s sole superpower who chose to read about the suffering of the Palestinian people rather than take decisive action to address it.
