Israeli Apartheid is a easily accessible and solid introduction to the situation between Israel and Palestine. At times, it is a little dry from a literary perspective because of the heavy use of facts and figures and use of definitions. However, for those with little knowledge of the apartheid policies of the Israeli state this is a really good introduction for basics and it's not very long.

Initially Ben White draws on UN definitions in the introduction and draws comparisons with apartheid South Africa (which many readers are likely to be more familiar with) to help provide context and explain why Israel is an apartheid state. We should not, however, conceive of Israel and South Africa as exactly the same.

The book is then broken into three parts. First, White introduces the historical context of 1948 and Nakba, the destruction of Palestine state (with estimates of around 700,000 Palestinians exiled from their homes) and the creation of Israel. There is limited discussion about the wider geopolitical climate and influence of colonialism at this point, but there are some references to British imperialism.

The second part goes into context on Israeli state policies since 1948 and focuses on the ethnic cleansing policies. The restriction of resources available to Palestinians (notably water sources), the housing policies and dispossession of land, the settler colonialism policies, the construction of the wall and more. White highlights the human rights violations and makes clear references to policies, statements from politicians and rulings from courts etc to evidence this all. This is probably the most impactful section of the book as it provides a lot of context for the current situation and why the terminology of apartheid, ethnic cleansing etc is the appropriate language to use.

The final section focuses largely on what we can do now by drawing on the works of current NGOs and groups on the ground, which includes Israeli groups against state apartheid policies. This is followed by a frequently asked questions section which offers an exploration of several issues with a core focus on the racial and anti-Semitic concerns. White points out this is a focus on state politics and not an attack on the faith of individuals on either side. This is about human rights and security of both Palestinians and Israelis.

This is by no means an exhaustive book on the subject of Israeli apartheid policies but a useful introduction for anybody wondering where to begin. I picked this e-book up free from pluto press, but it's currently 50% off until May 24th 2021.