Popular Protest in Palestine: The History and Uncertain Future of Unarmed Resistance

This is a thoughtful and sensitive analysis of the history and significance of non-violent civil resistance in the Palestinian national movement. It shows how the thread of unarmed struggle has run through the history of Palestinian liberation, from the establishment of the Israeli state, through the Nakba and to the present day.

Set in this historical context, the book draws upon personal conversations and living history in order to focus on the contemporary movement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. By analysing this under-emphasised dimension of the Palestinian struggle, the authors argue that today, the popular resistance movement, especially in the West Bank, is the most significant form of struggle against the ongoing occupation.

They also address the international dimensions of the struggle, focusing in particular on the BDS campaign, the role of Israeli and international solidarity activists, and the changing forms of engagement developed by international agencies seeking to work on the roots of the conflict.

Marwan Darweish is a senior lecturer at the Centre for Peace and Reconciliation Studies at Coventry University.

Andrew Rigby is professor of peace studies and director of the Centre for the Study of Forgiveness and Reconciliation at Coventry University. His most recent book is Justice and Reconciliation: After the Violence.