Learn and teach
With so much information out there, it can be hard to know where to start. This site offers a first guide to reliable sources on Gaza and Palestine—and practical tools to help you learn more, engage in discussion, and respond to common arguments used to avoid the conversation.
Books
A selection of essential books to deepen your understanding of Palestine and Gaza—its history, people, and ongoing struggle. Featuring both powerful personal testimonies and incisive analysis.
Movies
Compelling cinema that brings Gaza’s realities to life—through intimate stories, documentaries, and critical narratives.
News sources
While mainstream media plays an important role in informing the public, it doesn't always provide balanced coverage—especially when it comes to complex issues like the situation in Palestine. At times, narratives can be shaped by political agendas or rely heavily on official sources, which may unintentionally echo one-sided perspectives, including those aligned with Israeli government messaging.
Books
You can browse several book lists covering different aspects of Palestine, or explore a small selection below featuring titles on history, novels, biographies, recent events, and specific challenges. Some of the recommended lists where you can browse are:
- Dutch Scholars for Palestine has curated an accessible list of books to help you understand the situation in Palestine and its impact. You can browse by category or scroll down to the full list of over 300 book HERE.
- HERE are forty book to understand the rich tradition of Palestinian literature and the humanity behind each story—offering a lasting resource for readers, now and beyond the current crisis.
- HERE you can find the best books on Palestine recommended by authors, academics and activists—Palestinian, Jewish, Israeli and others.
- The Ultimate 2024 Updated List of Must-Read Palestine Books can be found HERE.
- Middle East Eye has compiled a
LIST of non-fiction, mostly historical titles, providing context for the current crisis
History
A history of Palestine
Starting with the prebiblical and biblical roots of Palestine, through the Egyptian occupation, the Ottoman reform era, and the British Mandate up to the founding of Israel in 1948.
The hundred year war on Palestine
A meticulously researched book that delves into the historical and political complexities and offers a detailed narrative of the conflicts and challenges faced by the Palestinian people over a century.
A very short history of the Israel-Palestine conflict
A concise and informative book that offers a more brief yet comprehensive overview of the long-standing conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Gaza in crisis
A thought-provoking book that delves into the complex and often contentious issues surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
society
Towers of Ivory and Steel
Maya Wind shatters the myth of Israeli universities as liberal bastions of freedom and democracy, based on extensive research and Hebrew sources, and documents how Israeli universities are directly complicit in the violation of Palestinian rights.
The Palestine Labratory
Israel's military industrial complex uses the occupied, Palestinian territories as a testing ground for weaponry and surveillance technology that they then export around the world to despots and democracies.
The Case for Sanctions Against Israel
In 2011, Israel outlawed public support for boycotts, further restricting free speech. This book examines the BDS movement from multiple perspectives, including comparisons to South Africa and voices from both sides of the separation wall.
Except for Palestine
Examining 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.
Testimonies
Dreaming of Freedom: Palestinian Child prisoners speak
This powerful collection reveals both the harsh realities and enduring hopes of a generation criminalized for their existence.
I saw Ramallah
Poet Mourid Barghouti reflects on his return to Palestine after 30 years in exile. He captures the disorientation of displacement, the loss of loved ones, and the enduring impact of occupation. Edward Said praised it as “one of the finest existential accounts of Palestinian displacement.”
Children of Catastrophe
The remarkable story of a refugee, following his journey from childhood in the Nahr El Bared Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, becoming a member of the PLO, through to eventual emigration, a new life as an engineer in the United States, and a 'return' trip to historic Palestine.
The General's son
Peled, the son of an Israeli general, shares his personal journey of transformation and his deep exploration of the Palestinian struggle.
Zionism
The invention of the land of Israel
This book deconstructs the age-old legends surrounding the Holy Land and the prejudices that continue to suffocate it.
Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History
Exposes the corruption of scholarship and the contrivance of controversy shrouding human rights abuses, and interrogates the new anti-Semitism.
False Prophets of Peace
Through a critical analysis it uncovers the Zionist left’s central role in laying the foundation of the colonial settler state of Israel and in legitimizing, whether explicitly or implicitly, the apartheid treatment of Palestinians.
Ten Myths about Israel
He explores the claim that Palestine was an empty land at the time of the Balfour Declaration, as well as the formation of Zionism and its role in the early decades of nation building.
novels
Mornings in Jenin
Early in the morning, before the world awakens, Amal's father reads her poetry. She carries those quiet moments of joy with her throughout her life — which began in a Palestinian refugee camp.
Men in the sun
A poignant tale of three Palestinian refugees seeking work in Kuwait, highlighting the harsh realities of displacement and the human cost of borders and bureaucracy.
Salt Houses
Spanning four generations, this novel traces a Palestinian family's displacements from Jaffa to Nablus and beyond, exploring themes of belonging, exile, and the passage of time.
Out of it
Set during the second intifada, this novel delves into the lives of a Palestinian family in Gaza, navigating the challenges of occupation, internal conflict, and the quest for identity.
Movies
Explore a curated selection of films, series, and documentaries that bring Palestinian stories to life. From powerful fiction to real-life accounts, these works offer vital perspectives on history, daily life, resistance, and the human impact of occupation.
- HERE are ten films to watch about the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict
- One place to create empathy, and understanding is through the amazing set of films created about Palestine. HERE is a list of movies and documentary you can find on large streaming services.
- HERE you can discover 10 Palestinian films directed by Palestinian filmmakers, showcasing the enduring struggle for survival and the deep connection to their homeland
- On the website of PALESTINE CINEMA, you can find most films that have been made about Palestine.
History
Al-NAkhba
Free four-part series attempts to present an understanding of the events of the past. 1948 marks for Palestinians the “Nakba” or “catastrophe”, when hundreds of thousands were forced out of their homes, and for Israelis the creation of their own state.
The great book robbery
The Great Book Robbery is a powerful and poignant chronicle of cultural destruction. It tells the story of the 70,000 Palestinian books that were looted by the newly formed State of Israel in 1948.
stranger in my home
The stories of eight Palestinian families from Jerusalem who became refugees twice—first in 1948, then again in 1967. Decades later, they reflect on their second displacement during the Six-Day War and visit the homes they lost in 1948.
A reel war
In this documentary, Israeli researcher uncovers previously unseen footage of Palestinian life and history, a small sample from a huge archive seized from the PLO during Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon.
Documentary
The wanted 18
This movie tries to bring some humor into a ghastly situation. A Palestinian village (legally) buys 18 cows from Israel. However, the success leads to Palestinian no longer buying Israeli milk, so the Israelis decide that owning cows is illegal, and they start to hunt for them.
Gaza fights for freedom
This documentary was filmed during the height of the Great March of Return protests in Gaza. It features exclusive footage of demonstrations during which 200 unarmed civilians have been killed by Israeli snipers since March 30 of 2018.
Boycott
A legal thriller with “accidental plaintiffs” at the center of the story, ‘Boycott’ is a bracing look at the far-reaching implications of anti-boycott legislation and an inspiring tale of everyday Americans standing up to protect our rights in an age of shifting politics and threats to freedom of speech.
Objector
Despite her family's political disagreements and personal concerns, Atalya refuses Israeli military duty and is imprisoned for her dissent.
5 broken camera's
For more than five years, Emad films the struggle and resistence against a seperation barrier in his village.
Jaffa - the orange's clockwork
A journey from the harbor town of Jaffa to the Jaffa orange, a fruit through which the Israeli filmmaker examines the occupation of Palestine.
Movie
Fahra
After persuading her father to continue her education in the city, a Palestinian girl's dream is shattered by the harowing development of the Nakhba. Oscar nominated movie on Netflix
The time that remains
Describe some quality or feature of the company. Write a short paragraph about it and choose an appropriate icon.
The other son
Just as Joseph is about to start his military service with the Israeli army, he discovers that he is not his parents' biological son and that he was confused at birth with Yacine, the child of a Palestinian family from the West Bank.
Series
Fauda
An Israeli action-thriller on Netflix about an ex-soldier drawn back into conflict to track a Palestinian militant. Known for its intense action and emotional depth, it explores themes of loyalty, revenge, and the human cost of war.
The Palestine Laboratory
Uncovering how Israel profits from surveillance technologies using occupied Palestinian territories as a testing ground.
Mo
Award-winning Netflix comedy about a Palestinian refugee hustling to make ends meet in Houston, Texas.
recent
This is Bisan from Gaza, I am still alive
Bisan Owda is a young Palestinian journalist, activist, and filmmaker. She is best known for her social media videos documenting her experiences during the Gaza war in the Gaza Strip that won her a Peabody and Emmy Award
The Settlers - Louis Theroux
Louis Theroux offers a compelling exploration of the Israeli settler movement in the West Bank. Revisiting the region 14 years after his previous film, The Ultra Zionists, Theroux delves into the lives of individuals who advocate for and participate in the expansion of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.
No other land
A Palestinian-Israeli collective effort shows the destruction of a Palestinian community in the occupied West Bank, which had been resisting forced displacement after an Israeli "firing zone" was declared on their land. Won the Oscar for best documentary.
News sources
Hashbara
Israel’s public diplomacy, known as hasbara, is a state-coordinated propaganda machine designed to shape global support for Israeli policies—particularly during times of conflict. The budget for Hashbara has exploded in the last 2 years and is almost 170 million dollars. Far from being just traditional diplomacy, hasbara involves a wide network of media campaigns, cultural programming, and strategic messaging that frames Israel in a favorable light while often downplaying or dismissing Palestinian narratives as well as attacking dissedent views, often through lawfare.
Shadowbanning
Shadowbanning refers to the practice of limiting the visibility of a user's content on social media without their knowledge, effectively reducing its reach to the audience. While some platforms attribute these issues to algorithmic glitches or increased reporting volumes, critics argue that such actions disproportionately affect Palestinian voices and narratives, raising concerns about bias and censorship.
Given these dynamics, it's essential to seek diverse and reliable sources to gain a comprehensive understanding, to find stories and viewpoints underrepresented in mainstream media.
News sites
Middle East Eye
An independent news website that covers events and issues across the Middle East and North Africa. Known for its investigative journalism and critical reporting.
The new arab
The New Arab is an independent news outlet offering in-depth coverage of the Middle East and North Africa, with a strong focus on Arab voices and perspectives.
Al Jazeera
Launched in 1996, Al Jazeera Arabic was the first independent news channel in the Arab world dedicated to providing comprehensive news and live debate.
The Palestine Chronicle
The Palestine Chronicle is an independent, nonprofit news outlet based in the United States that offers daily coverage of Palestinian and Middle Eastern affairs.
