History Upside Down
History Upside Down: The Roots of Palestinian Fascism and the Myth of Israeli Aggression, is a book by David Meir-Levi, professor of archaeology, Near Eastern history, and Middle Eastern history at San Jose State University[1][2] about the Israel-Palestine conflict. Meir-Levi argues that Israel and Zionism have become the targets of antisemitic historical negationism by Arabic and Muslim bigots.
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Author | David Meir-Levi |
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Country | United States |
Language | English |
Publisher | Encounter Books |
Publication date | December 20, 2007 |
Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
Pages | 152 pages |
ISBN | 1-59403-192-4 |
Content
History Upside Down is divided into two sections. The first provides a history of the Arab-Israeli conflict and contemporary Middle Eastern antisemitism, including the collaboration of Amin al-Husseini and the Muslim Brotherhood with Nazi Germany, the post-war rise of antisemitic jihadists like Sayyid Qutb, and the establishment of Hamas. Meir-Levi examines the influence of unifying identities such as Islamic extremism and pan-Arabism as antisemitic motivators, as well as international relationships to the Axis Powers and Soviet Union. Meir-Levi argues that propaganda of the Soviet Union transformed the image of Israel from an underdog into a perceived colonial oppressor.[3]
The second half of the book is dedicated to "dissect[ing] the myths [Palestinian fascism] has created to justify this long aggression."[4] These chapters address and reject the common understanding of events relating to Israeli settlement, the Nakba, and the Deir Yassin massacre.
Reception
The work had a mixed reception. Political commentator and Middle East historian Asaf Romirowsky wrote in the Middle East Quarterly journal that History Upside Down "provides a valuable guide for those who wish to understand one important aspect of the Arab-Israeli conflict—the battle over the conflict's historical narrative," and that "Meir-Levi's book attempts to unearth the historical root problems of defending Israel; he shows how doing so has become increasingly difficult as a result of the intellectualization of the debate."[5]
Writing for the Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa, George L. Simpson, professor of history at High Point University, offered a mixed review of the book. Simpson contends that Meir Levi's argument is persuasive that the Arab-Israeli conflict is an existential conflict not constrained to modern political definitions. However, Simpson argues that Meir-Levi could have used more scholarly sourcing and painted the topic with more nuance.[6]
In a 2008 review by Book News, which summarizes scholarly works, the book is outlined as "presenting a highly selective portrait of the history of Palestinian nationalism that highlights any connections to Nazism, Communism, and/or Islamism" and in an effort to deflect criticism of Israel and blame the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on "irrational Palestinian anti-Semitism", while "denying any genuine Palestinian political, social, and economic grievances".[7]
According to Richard Kemp, Meir-Levi argues that propaganda of the Soviet Union transformed the image of Israel from an underdog into a perceived colonial oppressor. Further, Meir-Levi claims that the Palestinian movement is the "only national movement for political self-determination in the entire world, and across all of world history, to have the destruction of a sovereign state and the genocide of a people".[8]
References
- "History Upside Down". Encounter Books. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
- Meir-Levi, David (2007). History Upside Down: The Roots of Palestinian Fascism and the Myth of Israeli Aggression. Encounter Books. ISBN 978-1-59403-192-2.
- Kemp, Richard (Spring 2022). "Exposing the Soviet Lie of Israeli Apartheid". Jewish Policy Center. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
- Meir-Levi, 2007, pg. 52
- Romirowsky, Asaf (January 2009). "Review of History Upside Down". Middle East Quarterly.
- Simpson, George. "Review of History Turned Upside Down". ASMEA. Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
- Book News, Inc. (2008). "[Review:] History upside down; the roots of palestinian fascism and the myth of israeli aggression". Reference and Research Book News. 23 (1). ProQuest 199678671 – via ProQuest.
- Kemp, Richard (Spring 2022). "Exposing the Soviet Lie of Israeli Apartheid". Jewish Policy Center. Retrieved 26 September 2023.