Read an excerpt from The Politics of Teaching Palestine to Americans on Mondoweiss:
On American Zionist Education: An excerpt from ‘The Politics of Teaching Palestine to Americans’
Reviews and Interviews of The Politics of Teaching Palestine to Americans
Matthew Abraham’s review in Journal of Palestine Studies
Linda Dittmar’s review in Radical Teacher
“Israel, Palestine, and the Teaching of History” review by David Moshman in Huffington Post
New Texts Out Now on Jadaliyya
“You will never erase us” review by Sally Bland in The Jordan Times
“Teaching Palestine to Americans” review by Jim Miles in Palestine Chronicle
Advance praise for The Politics of Teaching Palestine to Americans
“For decades, the question of Palestine has been the third rail in American academia and public discourse. Where there ought to be vital discussion, there has too often been silence, fear and intimidation of those who question official Israeli history, or unconditional US support for Israel. Knopf-Newman’s essential book tackles this issue head on, breaking taboos and providing educators and general readers with real tools to understand the history of Palestine and how we talk about it.”
–Ali Abunimah, Co-Founder of The Electronic Intifada; author of One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse
“The Politics of Teaching Palestine to Americans is a must for those committed to a decolonizing pedagogy and curriculum grounded in social justice. This incisive first person account—based on careful research and rigorous analysis—provides a critical genealogy of Zionist education within American schools, where Knopf-Newman exposes how language and history have obscured the reality of Palestinians, which has been suppressed in the United States. This brilliant and important work is instructive in every sense of the word.”
–J. Kēhaulani Kauanui, Associate Professor of American Studies and Anthropology, Wesleyan University
“Marcy Newman has written an important, indeed, a necessary book. Smart, well-informed and well-positioned, she contributes a unique and critical perspective to one of the most complex, vexing, and crucial issues of our time. She provides a powerful corrective to a dishonest narrative inside the US that dominates the discourse concerning Palestine/Israel today. Disrupting the controlling metaphor concerning all things Middle East is a key step in opening the imaginative political space where alternatives to the status quo can be noticed or invented. Newman’s book has the potential to do just that, and then to change the way we think and act in significant ways.”
–William Ayers, author of Fugitive Days, Teaching Toward Freedom, and To Teach
“This is a hopeful, indeed, inspiring work by a [an author] who has cast her lot with Palestinian victims of Zionist dispossession. The Politics of Teaching Palestine to Americans advances the cause of justice for Palestine while breaking new ground in pedagogy. Though every facet of this book is exemplary, I was especially taken by Marcy Newman’s pathbreaking use of Palestinian Hip-Hop.”
–Joel Kovel, author of Overcoming Zionism
All royalties for The Politics of Teaching Palestine to Americans go directly to the Middle East Children’s Alliance please ask your libraries to purchase it until the paperback is released. If you are interested in a paperback edition, please email me or post a comment below so I may forward your request to the publisher.
From your local independent bookseller (preferable), especially from Busboys and Poets in Washington DC that is featuring the book on its Teaching for Change book list.
Resources for Teachers Teaching Palestine
General
Adalah The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel: http://www.adalah.org/eng/
Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association: http://addameer.info/.
Birzeit University Right to Education Campaign: http://right2edu.birzeit.edu/
Defence for Children International: http://www.dci-pal.org/
Al-Haq (Ramallah-based human rights organization): http://www.alhaq.org/
If Americans Knew: http://www.ifamericansknew.org/
Institute for Palestine Studies: http://www.palestine-studies.org/
Nakba Archive: http://www.nakba-archive.org/
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights: http://www.pchrgaza.org/
Media
Electronic Intifada: http://electronicintifada.net/
Institute for Middle East Understanding: http://imeu.net/
Inter Press Service: http://ipsnews.net/new_focus/israel_palestina/index.asp
Jadaliyya: http://www.jadaliyya.com/
Al-Jazeera: http://english.aljazeera.net/
Middle East Research & Information Project: http://www.merip.org/
Palestine Chronicle: http://palestinechronicle.com/
Teaching Materials
Arab Film Distribution: http://www.arabfilm.com/
Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights (downloadable books, Al-Majdal, and Ongoing Nakba Education Photo Exhibit): http://www.badil.org/
Big Noise Films (The Fourth World War film): http://bignoisefilms.com/films/features/89-fourth-world-war
Deir Yassin Remembered: http://www.deiryassin.org/
Digital Resistance (video diaries of Palestinian youth): http://www.mecaforpeace.org/video/digital-stories-palestinian-youth
El-Funoun (videos of dance performances): http://www.el-funoun.org/productions/haifa.html.
Ghassan Kanafani Cultural Foundation: http://www.kanafani.dk/child_art_creat.htm
Icarus Films (Naji Al-Ali film): http://icarusfilms.com/new2000/naji.html
Invincible (hip-hop videos): http://emergencetravel.net/.
Iron Sheik (hip-hop music and lyrics): http://www.ironsheik.biz/
Human Writes Project (hip-hop performance): http://humanwritesproject.org/
Al-Jana Arab Resource Center for the Popular Arts (films and books by Palestinian youth): http://www.al-jana.org/merchandise.htm
Al-Jazeera (documentary films): http://aljazeera.aido.com/al-jazeera-shop-english
Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre (database of artists and writers): http://www.sakakini.org/
Lajee Center (books by Palestinian youth): http://www.lajee.org/
Made in Palestine (visual and literary art exhibit):http://www.stationmuseum.com/Made_In_Palestine/Made_In_Palestine.htm
Middle East Books: http://www.middleeastbooks.com/
Our Roots Are Still Alive (Palestinian history textbook): http://www.newjerseysolidarity.org/resources/roots/
Palestine Education Project (teaching resources): http://thinkpalestineact.org/
Palestine Land Society (maps and powerpoint presentations): http://www.plands.org/
Palestine Online Store (maps, books, music, and films): http://www.palestineonlinestore.com/
Palestine Poster Project Archives (posters and teaching materials): http://www.palestineposterproject.org/
Palestine Remembered (oral history, photographs, and maps): http://palestineremembered.com/
Passia (maps and statistics): http://passia.org/
The Philistines (downloadable hip hop): http://www.thephilistines.com/hear.htm
Rafeef Ziadah (spoken word poetry CD): http://www.rafeefziadah.ca/
Rethinking Schools (teaching resources): http://www.rethinkingschools.org/
Al-Rowwad Palestinian Children’s Theatre Center (theatrical performances by Palestinian youth):http://www.alrowwad-acts.ps/etemplate.php?id=42
Sitting Crow Productions (films about 1948 Palestinians): http://www.sittingcrowproductions.com/
Smithsonian Folkways (Palestine Lives! CD): http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=2243
Virtual Gallery at Birzeit University (visual art): http://virtualgallery.birzeit.edu/exhibitions_exhibitions
Voices: Palestinian Women Narrate Displacement: http://almashriq.hiof.no/palestine/300/301/voices/index.html
Zakira (Palestinian children’s photography): http://www.zakira.org
What You Can Do
Birthright Unplugged (guided tours to Palestine): http://www.birthrightunplugged.org/
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network: http://www.ijsn.net/
Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions National Committee: http://bdsmovement.net/
Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel: http://www.pacbi.org/.
Middle East Children’s Alliance: http://www.mecaforpeace.org/
Siraj Center (guided tours to Palestine): http://www.sirajcenter.org/
Stop the Jewish National Fund Campaign: http://www.stopthejnf.org/
U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation: http://www.endtheoccupation.org/
U.S. Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel: http://www.usacbi.org
body on the line 
I absolutely want the paper back version of this book. Great job. When can we expect it? This big book is too heavy to carry around in hardback (and frightenly expensive). Mabruuk.
Thanks! The more feedback I get that people want a paperback version of the book, the more likely it is to come out, so please do let others know who might be interested!
I want to thank you for the important work you do and for your reading Saturday at MECA. I will purchase a paperback copy of your book as soon as it’s available.
Thank you so much for your response.
Yes! Absolutely I want to get a paper back copy of this book! Thanks for donating the proceeds to MECA. I’m learning more and more about the organization and they are a gift!