Books by Andrew Rigby

In this book, fully revised and updated since its first publication in 1991, Andrew Rigby addresses this gap through a detailed study of the dynamics of the first Palestinian intifada. The focus throughout is upon how Palestinians experienced the years of active resistance, both in relation to protest on the streets and in seeking to create alternative institutions and practices intended to undermine the foundations of the Israeli occupation. The hopes that drove the intifada were ultimately frustrated - not least because in the final analysis the Israeli occupation did not depend on the cooperation of the Palestinians in order to persist. In such circumstances, which have not changed fundamentally over the years, the key leverage over the occupiers continues to lie with those states and agencies upon whose support Israel depends as it continues to deny basic human rights to millions of Palestinians living under occupation.

This is a thoughtful and sensitive analysis of the history and significance of non-violent civil resistance in the Palestinian national movement. It shows how the thread of unarmed struggle has run through the history of Palestinian liberation, from the establishment of the Israeli state, through the Nakba and to the present day. *BR**BR*Set in this historical context, the book draws upon personal conversations and living history in order to focus on the contemporary movement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. By analysing this under-emphasised dimension of the Palestinian struggle, the authors argue that today, the popular resistance movement, especially in the West Bank, is the most significant form of struggle against the ongoing occupation.*BR**BR*They also address the international dimensions of the struggle, focusing in particular on the BDS campaign, the role of Israeli and international solidarity activists, and the changing forms of engagement developed by international agencies seeking to work on the roots of the conflict.