Rating: 
Summary: A compelling call for identity and justice
Review: A timeless book, Said brings to presence the subject of Palestine. First published in 1977, this unique and deeply insightful work - according to the book cover - made Palestine the subject of serious debate. The crisis is no less real now that it was in 1977, and this book can shed some light on understanding the fundamental underlying issues. In this book, Said tries to form a new understanding by tracing the roots of the Palestinian question. Said, in this pivotal work, examines such things as the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the intifada, the Gulf War, and the ongoing Middle East peace process. It is usually helpful to take step back to consider where we came from to ascertain where we are going. Like the cover says - and I agree - "For anyone interested in this region and its future, "The Question of Palestine" remains the most useful and authoritative account available". A book to read, ponder and reread.Miguel Llora
Rating:
Summary: The Best Book on the Subject
Review: An excellent introduction to the roots of this modern conflict, Edward Said's book carefully documents the events that led to the dispossession of Palestinians beginning in 1948. His clear analysis, thorough historical research and unrelenting honesty make this one of the few books that actually help the reader understand the roots of the conflict.
Rating:
Summary: Taking Sides
Review: Does the fact that I am an Israeli Jew living in Israel mean that I should reject this book ? Does the fact that I think the book is crucially important mean that I am "taking sides" ?
I believe otherwise. I found this book to be very important, as it is an account of a Palestinian - an admittedly interested party in the conflict. Said knows about the Jews and Zionism much more than most Israeli Jews know about the Palestinians. But of course - Said is never "objective" - he himself is a refugee, who describes the side of Zionism as he and many others like him experienced.
Said shows surprising understanding of Zionism - he even says that one cannot compare the situation in Israel to that which existed in South Africa. He says that things here are more complicated. Said acknowledges the achievements of Zionism as far as Jews are concerned, another surprise.
I felt a deep passion for peace and compromise in this book - I believe that the author accepts the reality of a Jewish state in Israel. However, Said points out that no such peace can be achieved as long as Palestinian dreams are constantly shattered or ignored.
There are two sides to this story - I am on one and Said is on the other. Still, this book is important because it acknowledges the existance of two sides, and thus provides a road to conciliation that is so important to all of us.
I think every Jew and every Paelstinian should read this book, and so should evreybody with a serious interest in our troubled piece of land.
Rating:
Summary: Taking Sides
Review: Does the fact that I am an Israeli Jew living in Israel mean that I should reject this book ? Does the fact that I think the book is crucially important mean that I am "taking sides" ?
I believe otherwise. I found this book to be very important, as it is an account of a Palestinian - an admittedly interested party in the conflict. Said knows about the Jews and Zionism much more than most Israeli Jews know about the Palestinians. But of course - Said is never "objective" - he himself is a refugee, who describes the side of Zionism as he and many others like him experienced.
Said shows surprising understanding of Zionism - he even says that one cannot compare the situation in Israel to that which existed in South Africa. He says that things here are more complicated. Said acknowledges the achievements of Zionism as far as Jews are concerned, another surprise.
I felt a deep passion for peace and compromise in this book - I believe that the author accepts the reality of a Jewish state in Israel. However, Said points out that no such peace can be achieved as long as Palestinian dreams are constantly shattered or ignored.
There are two sides to this story - I am on one and Said is on the other. Still, this book is important because it acknowledges the existance of two sides, and thus provides a road to conciliation that is so important to all of us.
I think every Jew and every Paelstinian should read this book, and so should evreybody with a serious interest in our troubled piece of land.
Rating:
Summary: A must-read!!!
Review: Edward Said brilliantly covers the origins of the conflict and the motives behind the active Jewish settlement in Palestine. Said provides details of events that seem to be ignored by our selectively amnesiac news outlets. He shows that the "terrorism" in the conflict was not initiated by the Palestinians.
Rating: 
Summary: The politics of victimization
Review: Edward Said tries to portray the Zionism from its victims' point of view. He arbitrarily asserts that the Palestinians are victims of the Zionism. He never considers that perhaps they are victims of their own fanaticism and uncompromising policy that are practiced for decades that brought them into their pitiful situation.
Another leitmotif in the book is the idea that Zionism is colonialism. He tries to sell the story of the colonizing Jews against the native Arabs, never mentioning any connection between the Jews and Israel, as though it is comparable to the white colonialists out of Europe. Also, through selective quoting, as he did in his famous previous book, Orientalism, he tries to show that the Israeli Zionists have scorned the Arabs. He boldly ignores many Zionists who admired the Arabs and saw them as the new man they are trying to create, and the antithesis of Jews of the Diaspora: proud person, who lives in his lands, defends it and farms it.
He also criticizes the Zionism because it is made for Jews and not Arabs. But Zionism is the Jewish nationalism, and there is no reason why it should promote the rights of the Arabs. Just like the Arab nationalism is not about Jewish rights.
The terrorism issue is another colossal failure of this book. He conveniently blames the victims: he asserts that the terrorism is forced upon the Palestinians, as though they have no choice. He tries to have it both ways, but it's impossible. You either condemn the terrorism, or justify it. You can't be both pro-Palestinian enough by avoiding a whole condemnation and in the meantime be liberal enough by condemning murders. There is no middle way.
The book is also full of other mistakes and distortions that come handy in telling his message: the Balfour declaration was considerate of the Palestinian rights, in contrary to his writing, and explicitly declares: "it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine". He also considers the Jewish resistance against the British as terrorism (although it was against military, not civilians) and suggests that the brave Egyptian peace with Israel harms the Palestinians, and that Saadat has made many concessions (in fact, he did got all the territory that Egypt loss, except for Gaza strip which he didn't want).
The few good things that have to be said on the book are that its conciseness and fluency make it an easy read, and that his points that the Palestinian people exists and that their right to self determination must be fulfilled are precisely right.
Rating:
Summary: good analysis
Review: Fighting for the rights of Palestinians is a noble undertaking. However, most Pro-Israeli authors present a very simplistic account of the Middle East conflict. Namely, they often present Palestinian suffering out of context; They fail to see zionists as cruel, racist nationalists which, to say the least, invite their own self-destruction; They also ignore or downplay Israel's serious questions of legality, especially in the 40s and 50s. Edward Said corrects those authors. His arguments are based on thorough research and not on very selective use of sources. This is especially true about his account of early Israeli history. As a result, we get a work that succeeds with its noble intentions. It succeeds because a serious student of Israeli/Palestinian history, regardless of his/her political opinions, will easily notice its factual honesty and scholarship (check out other Edward Said books on the conflict to see which books are also helpful). As a result, Said and others like him gain their credibility in the eyes of many readers and, thus, do a service to their cause.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!!
Review: Great book to read. Explains every historical facts in detail. If you want a non-biased, balanced book about the conflicts in the middle east. This Is the book!!
Rating:
Summary: Really Insightful
Review: I didn't realise before I read this that the country now called 'Israel' is in fact Palestine, and that it was taken over and renamed after the second world war. I suppose pieces of territory are always being occupied and peoples are always being turfed off their land, like what happened to the poor Palestinians. What this book suggests, however, is that, thesee things come and go, and that maybe in 50 years or so, Palestine will revert back to its proper people. Mr Said is obviously a very passionate and wise man.
Rating:
Summary: Forgotten side of the struggle
Review: I had this book for quite a while, but I only started to read it lately and finished it in a week. The reason why I wasn't very enthusiastic about reading it is the fact that the book was written in the 70's and I though that whatever applied back then did not apply now. A lot of stuff has happened in the last thirty years, but all that does not make this book less useful, valuable and insightful. It is astonishing how a thing hasn't changed for Palestinians, how the pending issues and agonies then are the same now. Said present his book from one side, the forgotten side. He states that very clearly in almost every chapter in his book. He doesn't however neglect or eliminate the other side, as has much of the western media attempted to do with regards to Palestinians in the last 50 years. He is one of the first intellectuals who has talked about this sensitive issue in the west and has spend most of his adult life attending to his goal, the Palestinians His views and analysis of the political issues in that time, specifically with regards to Camp David is remarkable and from my point of view truthful. He stands as a witness to the political struggle between different Arabic countries, Israel and the United states in those troubled and critical years in the history of the Middle East. But still after more than 50 years to the question of Palestine, there are still no answers.
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