Decolonising the Palestinian Mind, by Haidar Eid

“I am standing over the ruins of a house in Gaza City, peering at the horizon.” These are the opening words of this book, which is being published while Gaza, where the author lives, is being annihilated."

But Decolonising the Palestinian Mind is not about the 2023 genocidal attack on Gaza. It is a sharp critique of the Oslo surrender, the Bantustans created by imperialism in the name of a two-state solution, and a recognition that the tokenisation of the Palestinian struggle and emancipation have become ordinary conduct on the part of organisations historically dedicated to the liberation of Palestine.

Haidar Eid builds on the work of Edward Said, who Palestinians treasure for his relentless truth-telling of their realities. Decolonising the Palestinian Mind calls for a consciousness change in a new period of unprecedented pressure on Palestinian culture, identity, and futures.

The cover of this book features a painting by Malak Mattar, a Gazan artist who began making art during the 2014 war on Gaza. Her work foregrounds women, and she uses vibrant colours to depict images of peace and hope.