A History of the Palestinian People: From Ancient Times to the Modern Era is an empty book by Assaf Voll that uses blank pages to suggest that Palestinians have no history, based on a false argument that a group may only call itself "a people" if it has always existed. It has continued to circulate on social media among the Israeli right-wing.
It was published in paperback and digital formats in 2017, and most of its contents are blank pages. The book rose in Amazon.com's best-selling titles in the category of "Israel and Palestine History", reaching second place before it was pulled from sale by Amazon. Its publication has been described as a "cruel joke". The incident has been said to signify "the continued vitality of a more enduring political, social and cultural impulse to abrogate Palestinian history and identity – on the part of Israel, and by extension, among its Western allies."
Contents summary
Besides the front cover, back cover, and title page the book contains a quote attributed to the Seinfeld character George Costanza: "Just remember, it's not a lie if you believe it." The rest of its pages are blank. The Hebrew version of 120 pages is shorter than the 132-page English version. Voll said that a planned German version will be significantly longer.
Composition and publication
Voll is a columnist for Israeli publications, and involved in public relations and advertising. Holding an M.A. in Jewish Studies from Haifa University, Voll has also lectured at the university as an external lecturer.
The book was described by its author as "a fruit of many years of research" and "the most comprehensive and extensive review of some 3,000 years of Palestinian history, with emphasis on the Palestinian people's unique contribution to the world and to humanity". Interviewed on the Kol Chai radio station, Voll stated that "The Palestinian people believe they are a people, and someone needs to tell them the truth even if it hurts. Look what happens when they were given the feeling that they are a real people."
Reception
Support
Promoted by American weekly The Jewish Press, the book also received positive user reviews and rankings. It sold well for books related to the Middle East on Amazon.com, quickly reaching the second place in the category of "Israel and Palestine History", and 9th in "Middle East History". Positive reviews appeared on Jewish Voice, Channel 20 (Israel), Arutz 7, Hamodia, "Kipa" and "Srugim" .
Addressing Arab members of Knesset in a speech, deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Hotovely held up the Tanakh in one hand and A History of the Palestinian People in the other saying "I recommend to UNESCO and to the Arab Knesset members to read these two books, the Bible which tells the story of the Jewish people, and Assaf Voll's new bestseller, A History of the Palestinian People: From Ancient Times to the Modern Era. It will captivate you because it is empty. Because the Palestinians don't have kings and they don't have heritage sites". In a later interview Hotovely has said that the book is a wonderful PR exercise and that while there is definitely an Arab, Ottoman and Muslim history, the Palestinians were never a nation and that the basis of the Palestinian narrative is denying the Jewish one, by disseminating lies and attempting to rewrite history.
Criticism
The publication was heavily criticized as racist, with organizations such as IfNotNow asking their followers to contact Amazon and complain. The book faced some customer complaints and low ratings on Amazon.
In a column published by Mondoweiss, Jonathan Cook wrote that the book had antecedents, in 1969, Golda Meir declared to the world: "There was no such thing as Palestinians" and that in 1984 the book From Time Immemorial claimed Palestinians were recent economically motivated immigrants. Furthermore, Cook wrote "Israelis have been only too happy to make the Palestinians vanish."
Joshua Shanes writing in Haaretz said that nations are a result of modernity and that "no nation—as we currently understand and use the term—dates to antiquity, not even the Jews." According to Shanes the formation of Palestinian nationhood occurred lockstep with the formation of Jewish nationhood in the 19th century, but this does not say either are "invented" and that in any event the Palestinians today, regardless of their historical origin, are a nation. An attempt to deny the existence of the opposing side is a path to irreconcilable conflict. In a separate review on Haaretz it was claimed that "The author's argument that the Palestinians are not a people because they are void of history isn't new – it's a mainstay of the Israeli right".