Israel on the Brink: And the Eight Revolutions that Could Lead to Decolonization and Coexistence

A renowned Israeli-British historian argues Israel is fracturing, and considers the issues that must be centered for a peaceful future for Palestinians and Jews alike

In this timely book, historian Ilan Pappé argues that with the 2022 election of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history, the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, and the subsequent Israeli war on Gaza, political fractures inherent in the Jewish state have expanded dangerously—and will potentially lead to Israel's collapse. With the goal of working towards a transition that is as peaceful as possible, Pappé sets out his thoughts about the risks and opportunities emerging from this historical moment.

Eight “mini-revolutions,” he argues, will be necessary for this more hopeful future to emerge, including:

• Relocating the Right of Return of the Palestinian refugees to the center of the future vision;
• Establishing a new definition for the Jewish collective in historical Palestine;
• Finalizing a plan for the future of the Jewish settlements built in the West Bank since 1967; and
• Creating a new strategy for a united Palestinian national movement.

Pappé concretely envisions a more just future—a democratic decolonized state for both Palestinians and Israelis—and how we might get there.

Ilan Pappé is a professor of history at the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of Exeter in the UK and the director of the university’s European Centre for Palestine Studies. His books include The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, Ten Myths About Israel, and A History of Modern Palestine. He writes for the Guardian, the London Review of Books, and elsewhere.