Ben White – London (UK)

Pluto Live and Amnesty International are delighted to host the official book launch for Ben White’s new book Cracks in the Wall: Beyond Apartheid in Palestine/Israel published by Pluto Press.

After decades of occupation and creeping annexation, the situation on the ground in Palestine/Israel can only be described as a system of apartheid. Peace efforts have failed because of one, inconvenient truth: the Israeli maximum on offer does not meet the Palestinian minimum, or the standards of international law.

But while the situation on the ground is bleak, Ben White argues that there are widening cracks in Israel’s traditional pillars of support. Opposition to Israeli policies and even critiques of Zionism are growing in Jewish communities, as well as amongst Western progressives. The election of Donald Trump has served as a catalyst for these processes, including the transformation of Israel from a partisan issue into one that divides the US establishment. Meanwhile, the Palestinian-led boycott campaign is gathering momentum, prompting a desperate backlash by Israel and its allies.

With sharp analysis, Ben White says now is the time to plot a course that avoids the mistakes of the past – a way forward beyond apartheid in Palestine. The solution is not partition and ethnic separation, but equality and self-determination – for all.

Ben White is a journalist and analyst, who has been visiting and writing about Palestine for over a decade. His books includePalestinians in Israel: Segregation, Discrimination and Democracy, Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner’s Guide, and Cracks in the Wall: Beyond Apartheid in Palestine/Israel. His articles have been published by the Guardian, Independent, Newsweek Middle East, and many others. Ben is a frequent guest expert on Al Jazeera, and is a contributor for Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network.

The event will be chaired by Professor Karma Nabulsi who teaches at Oxford University and is currently Director of Undergraduate Studies at the Department of Politics and IR. She writes on 18th and 19th century political thought, and the politics of Palestine. She recently launched the Palestinian Revolution, a bilingual digital humanities teaching and research resource that she directed and co-edited in a collaborative initiative with scholars and institutions from across the global South.

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Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

Tickets are £3 each (plus fees) and can each be redeemed against a copy of Cracks in the Wall (RRP: £9.99). Ben’s other books will also be available to purchase on the night and he will be signing books after the event

Pluto Live is a specially curated series of events featuring Pluto Press authors in conversation with leading figures on the left, discussing radical politics and other big ideas.

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We reserve the right to refuse admission, tickets will be refunded.