Palestine 1936

"Kessler's history is key to understanding the current situation between Israelis and Palestinians." —Booklist, Starred Review
"[Kessler] has done an exceptional job and opened new vistas on troubles past and present." — Wall Street Journal

A gripping, profoundly human, yet even-handed narrative of the origins of the Middle East conflict, with enduring resonance and relevance for our time.

In spring 1936, the Holy Land erupted in a rebellion that targeted both the local Jewish community and the British Mandate authorities that for two decades had midwifed the Zionist project. The Great Arab Revolt would last three years, cost thousands of lives—Jewish, British, and Arab—and cast the trajectory for the Middle East conflict ever since. Yet incredibly, no history of this seminal, formative first "Intifada" has ever been published for a general audience.

The 1936–1939 revolt was the crucible in which Palestinian identity...