Out of the Frame: The Struggle for Academic Freedom in Israel

Ilan Pappe has long been a controversial figure in Israel, here; he gives a full account of his break with mainstream Israeli scholarship and its consequences.

Growing up in a conventional Israeli community and influenced by the utopian visions of Theodor Herzl, Pappe was barely aware of the Nakba in his high school years. This intellectual biography traces his journey of discovery, from the whispers of Palestinian classmates, to his realisation that the 'enemy's' narrative of 1948 was correct, and his vow to protect the memory of the Nakba. For the first time he gives the details of the formidable opposition he faced in Israel, including death threats fed by the media, denunciations by the Knesset and calls for him to be sacked from his post at Haifa university.

This revealing work, written with dignity and humour, highlights Israel's difficulty in facing up to its past and forging a peaceful, inclusive future in Palestine.

Ilan Pappé is professor of history, codirector of the Exeter Centre for Ethno-Political Studies, and director of Palestinian Studies Centre, all at the University of Exeter.