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Frank Visser, graduated as a psychologist of culture and religion, founded IntegralWorld in 1997. He worked as production manager for various publishing houses and as service manager for various internet companies and lives in Amsterdam. Books: Ken Wilber: Thought as Passion (SUNY, 2003), and The Corona Conspiracy: Combatting Disinformation about the Coronavirus (Kindle, 2020).

A Brief History of Palestine

From Canaan through the Mandate Era
by Jeremy R. Hammond

Frank Visser / Grok

30 pages, ebook at author's website
www.jeremyrhammond.com

Jeremy R. Hammond's A Brief History of Palestine: From Canaan through the Mandate Era is a concise yet incisive exploration of the historical trajectory of Palestine, spanning from its ancient Canaanite roots to the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Published in 2024 by Worldview Publications, this short e-book challenges prevailing narratives, particularly those shaped by Zionist propaganda, to present a revisionist history that centers the indigenous Palestinian connection to the land and critiques the mechanisms of dispossession that culminated in the ethnic cleansing of 1948. Hammond, an independent journalist and Research Fellow at The Libertarian Institute, leverages historical evidence, genetic research, and archival documents to argue that the creation of Israel was not a triumphant return of Jews to their ancestral homeland but a settler-colonial project that violated the fundamental human rights of Palestine's Arab inhabitants. This review examines the book's major arguments, its methodological approach, and its enduring relevance in understanding the Israel-Palestine conflict as of October 2025.

Major Arguments of the Book

Hammond's central thesis is that the establishment of Israel in 1948 was predicated on the systematic rejection of Palestinian self-determination and property rights, culminating in the ethnic cleansing of approximately 750,000 Arabs. He traces this process through a chronological narrative that dismantles several myths underpinning Zionist claims to the land. First, he establishes the deep historical connection of Palestinians to Palestine, supported by genetic research showing that both Jews and Palestinians share Canaanite ancestry. This challenges the Biblical narrative of Israelites as foreign conquerors, which lacks archaeological support, as noted by scholars like Ze'ev Herzog and Israel Finkelstein. By emphasizing shared ancestry, Hammond undermines the notion of exclusive Jewish rights to the land, arguing that property rights are individual, not collective, and cannot be determined by ethnicity or religion.

The book meticulously details Palestine's history under various rulers—Persian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, and Ottoman—highlighting its consistent identity as a region known as “Palestine” since at least the 12th century BC. This counters the Zionist claim that “Palestine” was a Roman invention meant to humiliate Jews after the Bar Kokhba Revolt. Hammond demonstrates that the term predates Roman usage, appearing in Egyptian, Assyrian, and Greek texts, and was widely used under Ottoman rule, as evidenced by references in Shakespeare, the Palestine Exploration Fund, and the newspaper Falastin.

The crux of Hammond's argument lies in the British Mandate era (1920–1948), where he identifies the Balfour Declaration of 1917 as a pivotal moment that set the stage for Palestinian dispossession. The declaration, promising a “national home” for Jews in Palestine, contradicted British assurances of Arab independence and was incorporated into the League of Nations Mandate, which Hammond argues violated its own charter by prioritizing Zionist goals over Palestinian rights. He highlights how Zionist land purchases, exploiting feudalistic Ottoman laws, failed to secure significant territory (Jews owned only 7% of the land by 1948), leading to a shift toward forcible expulsion. The 1937 Peel Commission's endorsement of “compulsory transfer” and the 1947 UN Partition Plan (Resolution 181), which proposed allocating 55% of Palestine to a Jewish state despite Jews being a minority, are presented as explicit rejections of Palestinian self-determination. Hammond stresses that the partition plan was never implemented, and the Zionists' unilateral declaration of Israel in 1948, followed by the ethnic cleansing of over 500 Arab villages, was not legally authorized by the UN.

Hammond's narrative is unapologetically critical of Western complicity, particularly by Britain and the United States, in enabling this injustice. He argues that the conflict's persistence stems from the ongoing denial of Palestinian rights, with the U.S. using its UN Security Council veto to shield Israel from accountability, even as the International Court of Justice has deemed Israel's actions in Gaza a “plausible genocide” as of June 2024.

Methodological Approach

Hammond's approach is both polemical and scholarly, blending rigorous historical analysis with a clear ideological stance against mainstream narratives. He draws on a range of sources, including genetic studies, archaeological findings, and primary documents like the Balfour Declaration, Peel Commission Report, and UNSCOP report. His reliance on scholars like Finkelstein and Herzog lends credibility to his critique of Biblical narratives, while his use of British and UN documents exposes the contradictions in colonial and international policies. The book's brevity—intended as a concise corrective to ahistorical propaganda—means it prioritizes key events and arguments over exhaustive detail, making it accessible yet dense with information.

However, Hammond's perspective is not without potential criticism. His focus on Zionist propaganda risks oversimplifying the complexity of Jewish motivations, which included escaping European anti-Semitism, particularly after the Holocaust. While he acknowledges Jewish immigration and the lack of inherent anti-Semitism among Arabs, his narrative could be seen as downplaying the agency of Jewish settlers who were not all driven by Zionist ideology. Additionally, his reliance on certain sources, like Benny Morris's work to critique the denial of ethnic cleansing, engages selectively with historiographical debates, which might invite scrutiny from those favoring alternative interpretations.

Relevance in 2025

The book's relevance in October 2025 is profound, given the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict and its global ramifications. Hammond's emphasis on the historical roots of Palestinian dispossession provides critical context for understanding current events, particularly Israel's actions in Gaza, which have drawn international condemnation. The ICJ's ruling on a “plausible genocide” aligns with Hammond's argument that the conflict stems from systemic violations of Palestinian rights, perpetuated by Western support. His critique of U.S. policy remains pertinent, as the U.S. continues to wield significant influence in blocking UN resolutions critical of Israel, a dynamic unchanged since the book's writing in June 2024.

Moreover, Hammond's debunking of myths—such as the non-existence of a Palestinian identity or the idea that Arabs only populated Palestine recently—challenges narratives that persist in public discourse and media. These myths fuel policies and public opinion that marginalize Palestinian claims, making the book a vital tool for educators, activists, and policymakers seeking to address the conflict's root causes. Its call for the international community to remedy the injustice by upholding Palestinian self-determination resonates with growing global movements advocating for Palestinian rights, including boycotts, divestment, and sanctions (BDS).

The book also speaks to broader themes of settler-colonialism and indigenous rights, drawing parallels to other historical and contemporary struggles. By framing property rights as individual rather than collective, Hammond offers a libertarian perspective that could appeal to those skeptical of nationalist or religious claims to land, broadening the book's relevance beyond the Israel-Palestine context.

Conclusion

A Brief History of Palestine is a compelling and provocative work that reframes the history of Palestine as a story of indigenous continuity and colonial disruption. Jeremy R. Hammond's meticulous research and unflinching critique of Zionist narratives and Western complicity provide a necessary corrective to mainstream accounts, making the book essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the Israel-Palestine conflict's historical foundations. Its relevance in 2025 lies in its ability to contextualize ongoing injustices and challenge persistent myths, urging readers to confront the moral and political implications of Palestinian dispossession. While its polemical tone may polarize some readers, its evidence-based approach and focus on human rights make it a powerful contribution to the discourse on one of the world's most enduring conflicts.