Papp, Ilan

Born in Haifa in the family of Jewish immigrants from Germany. Many of his relatives died in the Holocaust . Participated in the Doomsday War in the Golan Heights . He graduated from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and graduated from Oxford University . There, under the leadership of the Arab historian Albert Hourani, he defended a doctorate on the topic "Britain and the Arab-Israeli conflict." Communicated with Palestinian intellectuals at a time when the Palestine Liberation Organization was banned in Israel.

In 1996 he participated in the elections to the Knesset in the list of the Hadash party, being the seventh in the list. I did not go to the Knesset.

In 1998, Pappe organized events at the University of Haifa to mark the 50th anniversary of the Nakba ( Arab disaster . النكبة ).

In 2003, Pappe wrote the book "The History of Modern Palestine - One Land, Two Nations" ( eng. "A History of Modern Palestine: One Land, Two Peoples" ). In the preface, he denied the need for a Jewish state. After that, some relatives stopped talking to him.

Papp's call for an economic, political, and cultural boycott of Israel following the example of apartheid South Africa ^{[8] [9]} was condemned in Israel. ^{[10] [11]}

In April 2005 , after Pappu supported the decision of the British Academy to boycott Israel and Israeli scholars, ^{[12] [13] [14] [15] the} president of the Haifa University urged him to resign from the university. According to Professor Ben-Zeev, "he who calls others to boycott his own university must personally declare such a boycott to the university." ^[16] Nevertheless, Pappa was not dismissed (a decision of the disciplinary court was necessary for this), although he was not allowed to participate in seminars and conferences ^[17] .

In 2006, Pappe published the book Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine ( Eng. “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine” ).

In 2005–2006, Pappe began receiving phone calls and letters threatening murder. In one of the largest newspapers in Israel, Pappa’s photographs appeared with a purpose drawn on it. In the article next to this photo, the journalist wrote “I do not urge you to kill this person, but I would not be surprised if someone does this” ^[17] .

In 2007, Pappé moved with his family to the UK, explaining his decision by considerations of personal safety and by the fact that he “choked as an intellectual” ^[17] .

Positive Feedback

British journalist John Pilger ( Eng. ) Described Pappa as "The most courageous, principled and deeply penetrating material of the Israeli historian" ^[18] .

Professor Princeton University Richard Falk ( Eng. ), Believes that Papp's book "Ethnic cleansing of Palestine" is important for the past, future and present of Israel and Palestine. He writes that “Everyone who strives for peace and justice for these two peoples must read the book and reflect on the things that shed light, a bold and honest investigation of crimes committed against the Palestinians during the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 and thereafter” ^[18] .

New York University professor Ella Shohat ( Eng ) writes about the same book by Pappa:

The “Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine” is a strong study of a plan for the deportation of Palestinians to create an exclusively Jewish state. Drawing a detailed picture of the events taking place in 1948, Ilan Pappe prophetically replaces the paradigm of war with the paradigm of ethnic cleansing, thus contributing to the alternative narrative of the catastrophe, including the related aspects of international law. This brave counterpart of the “ I Accuse ” article, written by an Israeli historian, proves the inconsistency of the ongoing denial of the incident and the repression that inevitably accompanies every peace initiative. This painful journey to the archives is a must-read, especially for those who want to get a picture of fair and honest reconciliation. " ^[18]

Original Text (Eng.)

It is a Jewish state of choice. Painting a thoroughly detailed picture of the unfolding of 1948 events, thus making it possible to clarify the history of the catastrophe, including its international legal implications. This is one of the most recent historical historians who have come to haunt every peace initiative. This is a must-read journey, especially for those who want to embark on it.

Negative reviews

A. Epstein

According to the doctor of political science, the Israeli Alec Epstein :

... the struggle of Ilan Pappe with the university in which he works, and with the state in which he lives, was not and is not a lonely struggle - on the contrary, the tendencies that for two In recent decades, the socio-historical study of the successes and failures of the Zionist movement and the State of Israel has been transformed from a pluralistic scientific discipline (or disciplines) into nothing more than an echo of a left-radical ideology called post-Zionism. The fight against the “mythology of Zionism” - both in Israel and in the USA - turned into an entrance ticket to a community that calls itself scientific. ^[ten]

A. Epstein also believes that Pappa is wrong when he claims that the Ben Gurion government had a special plan for ethnic cleansing of the territories in 1947-1949. He writes that “the idea of ​​the transfer was put forward by the British, and ... this idea had little to do with what actually happened in 1947-1949. Therefore, the talk of "multi-year planning by Zionist leaders of the transfer of the Arab population from their country" is a clear distortion of historical facts " ^[19] .

Episode with T. Katz ^{[ clarify ]}

See also Katz controversy

According to Alec Epstein ^[10] ,

After the veterans of that war, members of the Alexandroni brigade, challenged in court the allegation of the alleged "massacre" of the Arabs of Tantura by them, it turned out that fragments of the numerous audio recordings compiled by Teddy Katz in their deliberately distorted form. Some well-known Israeli historians spoke out against the work of T. Katz, in particular, Alon Kadish, a professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and Yoav Gelber, a professor at the University of Haifa. After Teddy Katz denied his initial allegations in court and admitted that there was no massacre of Arabs in the village of Tantura, and on 19 December 2000 he made written apologies to the veterans of the Alexandroni brigade ... a commission was formed by the Haifa University consisting of four professors - Amazii Bar-Ama, Rafi Talmon, Yosef Nebo and Ibrahim Jerais (the latter is an Arab by nationality), who decided to cancel the statement of his master's thesis ... Despite the obvious differences between audio recordings and collected materials, on the one hand, and their “quoting” in the text of T. Katz's dissertation, on the other, Ilan Pappe refused to recognize as justified the decision to annul it.
It was the struggle of Ilan Papp ... and Teddy Katz against the “Israeli occupying military”, a struggle generously paid for by the Palestinian Authority (which transferred T. Kats eight thousand dollars [8]), with unlimited tolerance from the administration of the University of Haifa, its administration and scientists, a significant some of which shared many of their beliefs, and led to the decision of the British Association to boycott.

Benny Morris

Benny Maurice , one of the Israeli new historians , believes that Pappa’s historical books are too politicized. Maurice, for example, argues that Pappe distorts the facts, claiming that a third of all victims during the first intifada were women. He writes about this:

Unfortunately, much of what Papp is trying to sell to his readers is a complete fabrication. fiction.

About Pappa’s A History of Modern Palestine book, Morris writes:

This book is replete with errors of this level and in such quantities that are not found in serious historiography. [...] The many errors on each page are the result of both Papp's historical methodology and his political preferences ... ^{[20] [21]}

Original Text (Eng.)

Unfortunately, his readers are complete fabrication. [...] This book is not found in serious historiography. [...] [.] [...]

Next, Morris cites numerous mistakes in dates and facts made by Pappa. Morris harshly criticized Pappa for calling for the creation of a two-nation Arab-Jewish state in Palestine, because such a state would "cease to be Jewish" in a democratic way. Morris also fears that returning refugees will want to return the property confiscated from them. ^[22] The high birth rate among the Arabs also scares Morris. According to Morris, the Palestinians, in the event of the creation of such a state, will avenge the Jews for everything they have done.

Other critics

In a review on “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine,” Israeli journalist Seth J. Frantzman calls Papp's work “a cynical attempt to manipulate data to prove implausible premises.” He writes that

“Pappe ignores the context and draws much wider conclusions than the facts allow, choosing certain evidence and completely ignoring the others.
It does not consider the Arabs' intentions during the five months since the UN’s decision to divide Palestine until Israel’s independence, does not take into account the public statements of Arab leaders in Palestine and neighboring states that declared their goal of liquidating the Jewish presence in Palestine. It is clear why such a polemicist, as Papp, would like, so to speak, to clear his narrative from any such references: if he does not do this, it will ruin the reality that he wants to impose on his readers, that reality that rewrites historical facts. exactly the opposite and turns the coordinated attempt of the Arabs to carry out the ethnic cleansing of Palestine from the Jews into an attempt of the ethnic cleansing of the Arabs by the Jews ” ^[23] .

Original Text (Eng.)

[...] "an implausible thesis." [...] "It’s not possible to make any difference,” he said. It is obvious why a number of people like him should be able to make it. [37] It is a scandal. ethnically cleansing Arabs .. "

Efraim Karsh, director of the Mediterranean States research program at the Royal College of the University of London, writes ^[24] :

Papp's books do not rely on archival documents, preference is given to secondary (and deeply biased) sources, the purpose of which is to defend the Palestinian "narrative" of the conflict. He himself explains this in the introduction to "A History of Modern Palestine":

“My bias is obvious, despite the desire of my colleagues that I, in reconstructing the past, strictly adhere to the facts and 'truth'. I regard such constructions as conceited and arrogant. This book is written by a man who confesses sympathy for the colonized, and not for the colonizer; a man who shares the feelings of the occupied, not the occupiers. "

[...] Even by the distorted standards adopted in this field of science, Papp's latest book stands apart. The book not only does not add new facts or ideas to anti-Israel literature, but also impresses with the carelessness of research. It contains countless factual errors and inaccuracies. Yasir Arafat’s birthplace is Cairo, not Jerusalem. The UN Special Commission on Palestine (UNSCOP) submitted its report on August 31, 1947, and not on November 29. Deir Yassin - near Jerusalem, not near Haifa. Lawrence of Arabia has nothing to do with the Anglo-Hashimite correspondence, which led to the "great Arab uprising" during the First World War. In addition, this correspondence was initiated by the Hashemites, and not by the British. Pappu even incorrectly conveys the official English transcription of the name of President Weizmann (Chaim, not Haim) ...
More seriously, does the book constantly resort to misinterpreting the facts? distortions and outright lies ...

Original Text (Eng.)

Pappé's books are not a secondary (and deeply prejudiced) source for the Palestinian "narrative" of the conflict. History of Modern Palestine:

“When I’m in the past, I’m not sure I’ve seen it.” I view any such construction as vain and presumptuous. Not the colonizer; who sympathizes with the occupiers. ”

[...] Even if the standards of this field of studies were skewed, the book of students of the field. It is not only the literature, but also the sloppiness of its research astounds. It contains countless factual errors and inaccuracies. Yasir Arafat's birthplace is Cairo and not Jerusalem. The UN Special Commission on Palestine (UNSCOP) is not on November 29. Deir Yasin is a village near Jerusalem, and not in Haifa. There has been a lot of peace and hassle with the law. Weizmann's first name (Chaim, not Haim).

False distortion, and outright falsehood ...

• Nakba in 1948, and how the Zionists bring it to the end of the article Ilan Pappa from the site left.ru (rus.)
• Occupational risk occupier Ilan Pappe. Book Review by Norman Finkelstein Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History. From the site left.ru (rus.)
• The righteous wrath of Israel and its victims in Gaza Ilan Papp. From the site left.ru (rus.)
• The best runner in the classroom is Ilan Papp. An article about the year 1948. From the site left.ru (rus.)
• TANTURA: KATSA LOST FIGHT Ilan Papp. An article about student Ilana Pappa who tried to defend a thesis on a massacre in the Palestinian village of Tantura in 1948.
• Ilan Pappe continues to work for the enemies of Israel - The Seventh Channel , an Israeli news site that identifies itself with religious Zionists .
• ILAN PAPPE: Advocate of Israel's destruction. This is a darling of the campus groups. Roberta Seid, FrontPageMagazine.com, November 24, 2004
• Exposing How Post-Zionists Manipulate History , Avi Becker , Center for Public Affairs, No. August 1, 2010
• The Battles of Latrun, Ami Isseroff mideastweb.org