Imperial Perceptions of Palestine: British Influence and Power in Late Ottoman Times

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Description

The Palestine Exploration Fund, established in 1865, is the oldest organization created specifically for the study of the Levant. It helped to spur evangelical tourism to the region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries which in turn generated a huge array of literature that presented Palestine as a 'Holy Land', in which local populations were often portrayed as a simple appendix to well-known Biblical scenarios. In the first book focused on modern and contemporary Palestine to provide a top-down and a bottom-up perspective on the process of simplification of the region and its inhabitants under British influence, Lorenzo Kamel offers a comprehensive outlook based on primary sources from 17 archives that spans a variety of cultural and social boundaries, including local identities, land tenure, toponymy, religious and political charges, institutions and borders. By observing the historical dynamics through which a fluid region composed by different cultures and societies has been simplified, the author explores how perceptions of Palestine have been affected today.WINNER OF THE PALESTINE BOOK AWARD 2016

Reviews

"A powerful and truly illuminating study of Palestine's history under British influence that will challenge common conceptions and understandings of that period. Based on meticulous and extensive archival work, Kamel shows how the dispossession to which Palestinians have long been subject extends to their history in what he terms Biblical Orientalism, denuding not only Palestinian claims but a lived history upon which those claims are based. Hence, the Palestinian struggle at present is not only about liberation but is also an attempt to "get back into history," reclaiming a past in all its vibrancy, complexity and beauty." - Sara Roy, Senior Research Scholar, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University "A scholarly, original study that offers several new insights and a balanced criticism of British and Zionist perceptions of Palestinian history and society. For whoever has an interest to deconstruct the present of our region this book is a must." - Moshe Ma'oz, Professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies, The Hebrew University

Author Bio

Lorenzo Kamel is Marie Curie Experienced Researcher at the University of Freiburg's Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS). He is also a Senior Fellow at the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) and a non-resident Associate at Harvard University's Center for Middle Eastern Studies