2022 Winner of the Palestine Book Awards Rooted in feminist ethnography and decolonial feminist theory, this book explores the subjectivity of Palestinian hunger strikers in Israeli prisons, as shaped by resistance. Ashjan Ajour examines how these prisoners use their bodies in anti-colonial resistance; what determines this mode of radical struggle; the meanings they ascribe to their actions; and how they constitute their subjectivity while undergoing extreme bodily pain and starvation. These hunger strikes, which embody decolonisation and liberation politics, frame the post-Oslo period in the wake of the decline of the national struggle against settler-colonialism and the fragmentation of the Palestinian movement. Providing narrative and analytical insights into embodied resistance and tracing the formation of revolutionary subjectivity, the book sheds light on the participants’ views of the hunger strike, as they move beyond customary understandings of the political into the realm of the ‘spiritualisation’ of struggle. Drawing on Foucault’s conception of the technologies of the self, Fanon’s writings on anti-colonial violence, and Badiou’s militant philosophy, Ajour problematises these concepts from the vantage point of the Palestinian hunger strike.

Rooted in feminist ethnography and decolonial feminist theory, this book explores the subjectivity of Palestinian hunger strikers in Israeli prisons, as shaped by resistance. Ashjan Ajour examines how these prisoners use their bodies in anti-colonial resistance; what determines this mode of radical struggle; the meanings they ascribe to their actions; and how they constitute their subjectivity while undergoing extreme bodily pain and starvation. These hunger strikes, which embody decolonisation and liberation politics, frame the post-Oslo period in the wake of the decline of the national struggle against settler-colonialism and the fragmentation of the Palestinian movement. Providing narrative and analytical insights into embodied resistance and tracing the formation of revolutionary subjectivity, the book sheds light on the participants' views of the hunger strike, as they move beyond customary understandings of the political into the realm of the 'spiritualisation' of struggle. Drawing on Foucault's conception of the technologies of the self, Fanon's writings on anti-colonial violence, and Badiou's militant philosophy, Ajour problematises these concepts from the vantage point of the Palestinian hunger strike.

Palestine has often been defined and constructed in the global imaginary through conflict, resistance, oppression and violence. Its representation is so overridden with conflicting claims and associations that it remains inaccessible, even to Palestinians. Producing Palestine addresses the creative labour of producing Palestine, particularly in technological and media spaces that are defined by their porousness and by their intermediality – crossing genres of popular culture and disciplinary boundaries. It offers sixteen 'cases' which collectively conceptualize, engage in, and invite readers to participate in the production of Palestine and its theorization. These cases cover a wide array of spaces of production such as poster art, TikTok, virtual technologies, digital mapping, drone footage, online cooking shows, documentaries, music videos and many more. Producing Palestine contends that representations of Palestine carry a multitude of meanings, that Palestine is continually produced and reproduced, dynamically generating new knowledge production across media, languages, temporalities, geographies and disciplines.

Palestinian Political Organizations in Israeli Prisons examines the evolution and changes within the Palestinian Prisoners Movement and the structural opportunities and constraints that inform collective resistance today. Drawing on observation-based fieldwork and over 40 interviews with ex-prisoners and additional interviews with lawyers and advocates, this book presents a sociological account of Palestinian prisoners in Israel - an important reflection of the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Oslo Accords, the peace agreements between the Palestinian Liberation Organization and Israel, transformed not only Palestinian politics but the entire prison environment. By exploring issues including the specific characteristics of women's resistance, the effects of the Islamicization, new hunger strike strategies, consumerism within the prison, parenting children, and escapes, Palestinian Political Organizations in Israeli Prisons offers a fresh analysis of political resistance in Israeli prisons. Applying a social movement approach and drawing comparisons to other politically motivated prisoner groups, the book traces the effects of changes from the Oslo Accords through to today, including the Second Intifada, the split between Hamas and Fatah, the co-option of the Palestinian Authority, and increasingly systematic prison management, explaining how these factors have affected life for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons and influence conflicts today.

"An engaging exploration of the unique history and biology of fasting-an essential component of many traditional health practices, religions, and philosophies, resurging in popularity today-perfect for readers of Breath by James Nestor and Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker.We fast all the time, even when we're not conscious of doing so. A fast manifests the idea of holding back, resisting the animal impulse to charge ahead. Its flip side is similarly everywhere: call it splurging, self-indulgence, or a variant of "self-care." Based on extensive historical, scientific, and cultural research and reporting, The Fast illuminates the numerous facets of this act of self-deprivation. John Oakes interviews doctors, spiritual leaders, activists, and others who guide him through this practice-and embarks on fasts of his own-to deliver a book that supplies readers curious about fasting with profound new understanding, appreciation, and inspiration. Fasting has become increasingly popular for a variety of reasons-from health advocates who see fasting as a method to lose weight or to detox, to the faithful who fast in prayer, to seekers pursuing mindfulness, to activists using hunger strikes as an effective means of peaceful protest. Fasting is central to holy seasons and days such as Lent in Christianity, Ramadan in Islam, and Yom Kippur in Judaism. Advocates for justice who have waged hunger strikes include Gandhi in India, Bobby Sands in Ireland, and the Taxi Workers Alliance in New York City. Whether for philosophical, political, or health-related reasons, fasting marks a departure from daily routine. Fasting involves doing less but doing less in a radical way, reminding us that a slower, more intentional contemplative experience can be more fulfilling. Ultimately, this book shows us that fasting is about much more than food: it is about reconsidering our place in the world"--

Introduction : Rafiq Bey's public spectacles -- Arabs, Turks, and monkeys : the ethnography and cartography of Ottoman Syria -- The sweet smell of holy sewage : urban planning and the new public sphere in Palestine -- A scientific expedition to Gallipoli : the Syrian-Palestinian intelligentsia divided -- Two faces of Palestinian orthodoxy : Hellenism, Arabness, and the Osmenlilik -- The farcical moment : narratives of revolution and counter-revolution in Nablus -- Adele Azar's notebook : charity and feminism in WWI -- Ottoman modernity and the biblical gaze : the war photography of Khalil Raad

A bold call for the American Left to extend their politics to the issues of Israel-Palestine, from a New York Times bestselling author and an expert on U.S. policy in the region In this major work of daring criticism and analysis, scholar and political commentator Marc Lamont Hill and Israel-Palestine expert Mitchell Plitnick spotlight how holding fast to one-sided and unwaveringly pro-Israel policies reflects the truth-bending grip of authoritarianism on both Israel and the United States. Except for Palestine deftly argues that progressives and liberals who oppose regressive policies on immigration, racial justice, gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and other issues must extend these core principles to the oppression of Palestinians. In doing so, the authors take seriously the political concerns and well-being of both Israelis and Palestinians, demonstrating the extent to which U.S. policy has made peace harder to attain. They also unravel the conflation of advocacy for Palestinian rights with anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel. Hill and Plitnick provide a timely and essential intervention by examining multiple dimensions of the Israeli-Palestinian conversation, including Israel's growing disdain for democracy, the effects of occupation on Palestine, the siege of Gaza, diminishing American funding for Palestinian relief, and the campaign to stigmatize any critique of Israeli occupation. Except for Palestine is a searing polemic and a cri de coeur for elected officials, activists, and everyday citizens alike to align their beliefs and politics with their values.