nterest in Palestine seems to be picking up in the post-millennial post-colonial field. This is a move in the right direction - a moral attempt at redressing post-colonialism’s deafening silence on Palestine in the 20th Century. This silence has much to do with the triumphs of the Israeli propaganda machine. It has successfully established a restrictive definition of anti-Semitism whereby any statement critical of Israel is labelled anti-Semitic. This also means that any attempt to tell the Palestinian story (to expose Israel’s consistent and systematic brutal crimes against the Palestinian people) are automatically labelled anti-Semitic.

Why is it important to imagine/ re-imagine Palestine? Perhaps a more basic question is, what does imagining Palestine mean? The exercise entails an emphasis on bringing national struggle and identity back into discussion and urgent trans-national solidarity with a just Palestinian cause. This endeavour requires combining old and new approaches to respond to realities and not merely repeat theoretical and abstract debates. These approaches to Palestine contribute to not only imagining Palestine but can also help realize an actual Palestine, thus bringing to an end one of the most, if not the most, oppressive and brutal regimes of the modern era. Israel is a brutal settler colony that was made possible by British imperialism and further enabled by US governments.

Visualising a nation that is almost non-existent on the map is a formidable endeavour. Hamdi, aided by a diverse group of Palestinian and other intellectuals, such as Edward Said, Ghassan Kanafani, Naji al Ali, Mahmoud Darwish, Ramzy Baroud, Mourid Barghouti, Radwa Ashour, Suheir Hammad and Susan Abulhawa, accomplishes this formidable task in Imagining Palestine: Cultures of Exile and National Identity.

The section titled Exile is the World Inside: The Poetry of Resistance and Solidarity delves into the chosen poems of Palestinian, Arab and other poets like Darwish, Mourid Barghouti, June Jordan, Suheir Hammad, John Trudell, and Lee Maracle. In this section, Native poets exemplify genuine solidarity as they immerse themselves in the third space of the marginalised.

The chapter Writing Self, Writing Nation in the Memoir and Novel focuses on memoir and fiction. It explores the imperative of expressing one’s experiences within the context of national identity. While advocating for the moral imperative of return, Hamdi underscores the initial need to envision the future appearance of that nation once the Zionist regime no longer exists.

It’s fascinating that the author’s analysis goes beyond the specific case of Palestine, reaching out to other peoples worldwide who still contend with enduring and emerging settler-colonial conflicts.

Writings on the Wall stands out as the most creative section in the book. It transcends a formal recognition of the Palestinian cause. It delves into the writings and artwork found on the walls of refugee camps, apartheid barriers and barriers meant to confine the dispossessed. This is where the intersection of despair and resistance thrives. The reader will find diverse expressions of Palestinian creativity, resistance, resilience and steadfastness, unified by the deeply rooted olive tree, a symbol deeply ingrained in Palestinian science, narratives and daily life.

Through elegant writing and insightful concepts, Hamdi has crafted a theoretical work that will captivate students and scholars in the fields of Palestine and Middle East studies as well as Arabic literature. The emphasis on translating theory into action extends the book’s relevance to anyone engaged in the solidarity movement. This is not only due to a thorough elucidation of the meaning of solidarity but also because the eloquent prose offers a roadmap for triumph, countering defeatist sentiments.

It’s fascinating that the author’s analysis goes beyond the specific case of Palestine, reaching out to peoples worldwide who still contend with enduring and emerging settler-colonial conflicts. It sheds light on how recently they have come to realise the significance of Palestine to their struggles. It underscores the importance of cultural and intersectional efforts in shaping the future.

One is reminded of the following words from Believer by Imagine Dragons:

Singing from heartache,

from the pain

Taking my message from

the veins

Speaking my lesson from

the brain

Seeing the beauty through

the…

Pain!
You made me a… you made

me a believer.

Imagining Palestine

Cultures of Exile and National Identity

Author: Tahrir Hamdi

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing 2023

Pages: 248

The reviewer is the head of content at a communications agency. Email: sara.amj@hotmail.co.uk