The surprise and audacity of the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, in which roughly 1200 Israelis were killed and 240 taken hostage, once again refocused the world’s eyes on the Israeli-Palestine conflict. The Israeli response, Operation Sword of Iron, was, predictably, swift and ferocious with over 30,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, losing their lives.

In this crisp, informative and critical overview, Ilan Pappe, who is Professor of History at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies and Director of the European Centre of Palestine Studies at the University of Exeter, provides a concise history of the events leading up to the current conflagration, and a reasoned reassessment of it. Given the savage venom often directed at those who question the official line – with charges of anti-Semitism being thrown around with reckless abandon – his commitment to historical accuracy is to be commended.

Although the author disputes this (he places the date much earlier), many people see the origins of the current Israeli-Palestine conflict as dating back to 1948 when the Soviet Union amazed everyone by joining America in voting for the establishment of a Jewish state. Not surprisingly, both the Palestinians and the Arab world rejected the partition of a land that had long been occupied by the Palestinians (the author makes short thrift of the myth that it was largely empty when the Jews first settled there).

With partition endorsed by the UN, the Jews quickly set about establishing their dominance in the region. Thus began what the author calls a ‘repertoire of repression” – the Palestinians were systematically stripped of their rights, their property was forcibly taken or destroyed and they were regularly forced to flee from the land of their birth. In the face of this ghettoisation and ethnic cleansing, resistance was inevitable, The Palestinians were less well-armed and organised and the Israelis used their attacks as justification for further repression. Both sides have, at times, behaved ruthlessly although – as the current Israeli offensive has only too clearly shown – there is little doubt who has inflicted the greater casualties and done the most damage.

Throughout all of this, America’s policy towards Israel has continued to be driven by the powerful pro-Israeli lobby which has resulted in successive administrations virtually granting the country a blank cheque. As such, there has been little incentive for the Israeli government to moderate its behaviour (this has proved especially so under their current leader, Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu). The fact that the US embrace of Zionism has often harmed their other interests in the Middle East, as well as encouraging terrorism in their backyard has, for the most part, been brushed aside.

Since its outset, the conflict has been beset with rival lies and it is often difficult, for the ordinary observer, to sift through all the propaganda and falsehoods and establish where the real truth lies. While it is clear who his sympathies are with, Pappe does as much as anyone can do to reconstruct the reality behind the myths and controversies that continue to surround the whole Palestinian tragedy. What becomes clear from his analysis is that military prowess alone cannot provide a solution to this seemingly endless conflict. Sadly, that is something that neither side shows much willingness to acknowledge at the present moment.

published by Zaprock

By any standards, 2024 has been a tumultuous year, here and abroad. In South Africa, the ruling ANC lost its parliamentary majority and was forced into a shaky Government of National Unity (the GNU of the book’s title) with the DA, IFP and several smaller parties. The year also marked the return of two controversial, divisive ex-presidents – Donald Trump in the USA and – closer to home – Jacob Zuma. While insisting he remained an ANC member, Zuma launched his own political party, the MK Party which shocked the pundits by doing surprisingly well at the polls, pushing firebrand Julius Malema’s EFF into fourth place. Clearly put out by this loss of support, Juju’s mood did not improve when many of his members promptly deserted him for the new party.

With little going right and so much going wrong, South Africa’s motley collection of political cartoonists had a field day, not least the veteran political commentator, Zapiro. As this, his 28^th Annual, shows he has lost none of his satirical flourish and his cartoons are as sharp and as acerbic as ever. Producing cartoons on a day-to-day basis can be gruelling work but he is more than up to the task.

Zapiro has never been afraid to express his views even when they touch on highly contentious subjects such as the Gaza conflict where his dislike of the Netanyahu regime comes through strongly. He is also not one to be easily pigeonholed, sharing much of the modern cynicism about politicians. Nor is he selective in his targets, his dislike of them is spread across the board. .

Cartoons have always had the astonishing power to encapsulate a historical moment, and once again, Zapiro’s annual collection provides a fascinating, revealing—and often very funny—snapshot of the past year. It is an ideal Christmas present.