History Upside Down
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| Author | David Meir-Levi |
|---|---|
| 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 |
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[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.
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.
The second half of the book is dedicated to "dissect[ing] the myths [Palestinian fascism] has created to justify this long aggression."[3] These chapters address and reject the common understanding of events relating to Israeli settlement, the Nakba, and the Deir Yassin massacre.
Reception
David Meir-Levi has received a small but mostly positive reaction to his book. Political commentator and Middle East historian Asaf Romirowsky wrote on conservative website Middle East Forum 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."[4]
George L. Simpson professor of History offers a mixed review of David Meir-Levi's work. [5]
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.
- ^ Meir-Levi, 2007, pg. 52
- ^ Romirowsky, Asaf (January 2009). "Review of History Upside Down". Middle East Quarterly.
- ^ "History Turned Upside Down: The Roots of Palestinian Fascism and the Myth of Israeli Aggression". www.asmeascholars.org. Retrieved 2023-09-25.