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War Against the People: Israel, the Palestinians and Global Pacification
by Jeff Halper (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (41)
4.1 on Goodreads
40 ratings
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* Shortlisted for the Palestine Book Awards 2016*
Modern warfare has a new form. The days of international combat are fading. So how do major world powers maintain control over their people today?
This book is a disturbing insight into the new ways world powers such as the US, Israel, Britain and China forge war today. It is a subliminal war of surveillance and whitewashed terror, conducted through new, high-tech military apparatuses, designed and first used in Israel against the Palestinian population. Including nano-technology, hidden camera systems, information databases on civilian activity, automated targeting systems and unmanned drones, it is used to control the very people the nation's leaders profess to serve.
Jeff Halper reveals that this practice is much more insidious than was previously thought. As Western governments claw back individual liberties, War Against the People is a reminder that fundamental human rights are being compromised for vast sections of the world, and that this is a subject that should concern everyone.
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354 pages
Language
English
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“A brilliant book whose depth of political insight is driven by the spirit of one of the world’s most inspiring political activists. It lays out the way in which Israel’s war on the Palestinians has become both a model and the laboratory for a global war against the people.” -- Eyal Weizman, Goldsmiths, University of London and director, Centre for Research Architecture
“This profoundly important and well-researched study serves as a reminder that US-backed Israeli militarism and its devastating humanitarian impact are neither unique nor to be seen in isolation. Halper convincingly argues that it is part of an even more disturbing global phenomenon that goes well beyond Israel which threatens the lives and civil liberties not just of Palestinians, but of people around the world.” -- Stephen Zunes, University of San Francisco
"War Against the People looks inside Israel’s trade in military and security products and shows how these activities are converted into political clout. [It] aims to arm activists with sufficient knowledge about global pacification and the way it supports the world-system for them to formulate an effective anti-security and counter-hegemony agenda." ― Dissident Voice
"For 18 years Halper has been on the front lines of the Israel-Palestine conflict, helping to rebuild Palestinian homes in the occupied territories demolished by Israel. War Against the People suggests that Israel provides a unique window on some of the most important recent developments in what he terms “securocratic warfare”. The book’s central thesis emerged as he tried to understand why tiny Israel hits way beyond its weight economically, politically and militarily." ― Counterpunch
Praise for previous work: “An inspiration. His voice cries out to be heard.” -- Jonathan Cook, author of Blood and Religion, Israel and the Clash of Civilisations, and Disappearing Palestine
"Since 1967, Israel has violated numerous international laws with its settlement of the West Bank, regular disproportionate military incursions into Gaza and frequent extrajudicial killings. American-Israeli scholar and activist Halper sought to discover the source of Israel’s seeming immunity." ― In These Times
“Halper's essay on Israel's 'matrix of control’ is classic, even canonical. Now, in War Against the People, he radicalizes the argument to develop a deeply disturbing vision of what he calls 'securocratic wars in global battlespace.' A rare combination of theoretical imagination, empirical sensitivity, and political passion.” -- Derek Gregory, University of British Columbia and author of The Colonial Present: Afghanistan, Palestine, Iraq
"Halper does not shy from unconventional positions." ― The Progressive
"In his new book War against the People, Jeff Halper investigates the relationship between Israel’s military industrial complex and its occupation of Palestine. . . . The strength of his book lies in its documentation of the extensive repertoire of the Israeli arms industry: bionic hornets, dragonfly drones, airborne surveillance, speedboat drones, bombs containing electromagnetic pulse, and intelligence gathering systems are among the high-tech weaponry, tested on Palestinians, which have turned Israel into a key player in global security politics." ― Journal of Palestine Studies
“In this cogently written and extremely informative book, Jeff Halper explores Israel's key role in the ‘global pacification industry.’ The resulting alliances not only enable Israel to perpetuate the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip; the latter's function as a human laboratory for Israel's ‘matrix of control’ additionally makes the occupation indispensable to Israel's security industry and global positioning. War Against the People is an excellent, revealing, and accessible examination of Israel's ‘security politics’ and the changing nature of pacification worldwide in the twenty-first century.” -- Mouin Rabbani, Institute for Palestine Studies and co-editor, Jadaliyya
"[Israel's] military establishment is both privatizing the weapons sector and selling this technology abroad. Israeli writer and activist Halper argues in War Against the People that the occupation isn’t a burden for Israel but a 'resource', because it gives the Jewish state the opportunity to test weapons and surveillance in the field on Palestinians, along with assisting other states in their military and intelligence needs." ― The Nation
“This is an important book for anyone who cares about peace, the plight of the Palestinian people, and the role of Israel in the world of war. Halper’s fascinating thesis places the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories at the heart of its role in the transnational military-industrial complex and what he calls the pacification industry. A brave, analytical, and innovative book from an admirable activist and thinker.” -- Andrew Feinstein, author of The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade
“Military and security organizations are rebuilding the social and political space in which we live. Anyone who wants to understand this process should read this book. It is not only a key to deciphering Israeli policies in Palestine, but also one of the clearest explanations that I have ever read on how important Israel/Palestine is in the world….Jeff Halper's book addresses with clarity and structure one of the most complex and yet extremely important topics of the securitization of our society. His book has opened my eyes, and was a fascinating read.”
-- Shir Hever, author of The Political Economy of Israel's Occupation
"War Against the People is a genuinely frightening book. At its heart, Halper provides an exhaustive survey of Israel’s weapons technology. This is a brave, angry, unruly book, which inspires fear, but also hope." ― The Electronic Intifada
"Halper contextualizes Israel’s globalization of Palestine within the capitalist world system." ― Consortium News
Review
'Necessary, dystopic'
'A genuinely frightening book, providing an exhaustive survey of Israel's weapons technology'
'In this cogently written and extremely informative book, Jeff Halper explores Israel's key role in the 'global pacification industry'. The resulting alliances not only enable Israel to perpetuate the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip; the latter's function as a human laboratory for Israel's 'matrix of control' additionally make the occupation indispensable to Israel's security industry and global positioning. War Against the People is an excellent, revealing and accessible examination of Israel's 'security politics' and the changing nature of pacification worldwide in the twenty-first century'
'This is an important book for anyone who cares about peace, the plight of the Palestinian people and the role of Israel in the world of war. Halper's fascinating book places the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories at the heart of its role in the transnational military industrial complex and what he calls the pacification industry. A brave, analytical and innovative book from an admirable activist and thinker'
'War Against the People is not only a key to deciphering Israeli policies in Palestine, but also one of the clearest explanations that I have ever read on how important Israel/Palestine is in the world. It addresses with clarity and structure one of the most complex and yet extremely important topics of the securitisation of our society. His book has opened my eyes, and was a fascinating read'
'A brilliant book whose depth of political insight is driven by the spirit of one of the world's most inspiring political activists. It lays out the way in which Israel's war on the Palestinians has become both a model and the laboratory for a global war against the people'
'Halper's essay on Israel's 'matrix of control' is classic, even canonical. Now, in War Against the People, he radicalises the argument to develop a deeply disturbing vision of what he calls 'securocratic wars in global battlespace'... a rare combination of theoretical imagination, empirical sensitivity and political passion'
'A must-read, a major contribution to the subject'
'An exceptional, useful book'
'This profoundly important and well-researched study serves as a reminder that US-backed Israeli militarism and its devastating humanitarian impact is neither unique nor can it be seen in isolation. Halper convincingly argues that it is part of an even more disturbing global phenomenon that goes well beyond Israel and which threatens the lives and civil liberties not just of Palestinians, but of people around the world'
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Product details
ASIN : B077L4WPH2
Publisher : Pluto Press
Accessibility : Learn more
Publication date : September 20, 2015
Edition : 1st
Language : English
File size : 1.4 MB
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rom the United States
Paula C Lowe
5.0 out of 5 stars Courageous Book Important Book
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2016
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Jeff Halper writes in treatise style. And well he should. This book is thorough in its chilling assertions and these necessitate a serious and thorough presentation of facts. I have been to see the settlements, the checkpoints, the wall, the soldiers everywhere in the street, wearing their bullet proof vests, carrying their coffee and guns. I have been where the signs are posted through out the West Bank to warn Israelis to stay out of Palestinian areas and warn Palestinians to stay out of Israeli areas. No wonder people who live so near to each other have so little opportunity to resolve this conflict as people of old have done, sitting together, talking together. Instead prevention of interaction by law allows the objectification of people, the speaking in global talk, in big "us and them" talk, while people are people, families are families, homes are homes. Halper understands this when he speaks of "people" not countries. Halper is courageous to speak truth to power in War Against the People. But he speaks as well to all of us. "Few countries span the spectrum from conventional inter-state war to domestic securitization and policing like Israel." (page 82) He didn't pull that rabbit out of a hat. it's happening in plain view. Most of us don't know how to put it all together, history, but Halper, an engaged anthrologist, does know how to make sense of war. This is a difficult and important book to read. I recommend it.
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Vacy J. Vlazna
5.0 out of 5 stars Halper's prodigious research into the Israeli/global arms deals exposing the ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2016
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Halper's prodigious research into the Israeli/global arms deals exposing the worldwide influence of Israel and its impunity to commit its daily war crimes against the people of Palestine is a MUST read. Halper pulverises the naivety of the general view of Israel's war on and occupation of Palestine and reveals the zionist sado-machinations of global security politics and international complicity in its ambitions for a central position in global systems of control and what Halper calls, "securocratic war"
"Without an occupation and an interminable conflict, how would Israel sustain its strong international standing? The Occupation represents a resource for Israel in two senses: economically, it provides a testing ground for the development of weapons, security systems, models of population control and tactics without which Israel would be unable to compete in the international arms and security markets, but no less important, being a major military power serving other militaries and security services the world over lends Israel an international status among the global hegemons it would not have otherwise. Israel is a small country scrambling to carve out a niche in the transnational military-industrial complex. Where would it be without the Occupation and the regional conflict it generates?"
14 people found this helpful
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Mary K. Matthews
4.0 out of 5 stars Although the long lists and descriptions of weapons of war can get tedious, nevertheless the immorality and self interest of tho
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2016
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This is a very important book which should be read by anyone interested in world peace. Although the long lists and descriptions of weapons of war can get tedious, nevertheless the immorality and self interest of those selling arms and weapons across the globe reminds us that any hope for the future of the world and of a peaceful world is practically non- existent. Although Halper focuses on Israel and the conflict with Palestine, all the major players, and some of the minor ones, are all equally, if not more involved in the selling of arms . It is a very depressing book, but an eye-opener. Is very well researched and the information and his conclusions are entirely plausible.
6 people found this helpful
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H
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book! Great shipping!
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2024
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Satisfied with the shipping. The book is an absolute must-read for everyone. Not exaggerating. Your understanding of the world and how it functions will change after reading this meticulously researched book.
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John Turnbull
5.0 out of 5 stars Halper lives in a frightening place and it's coming to a city near you
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2016
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There are times when War Against the People reads like a thick, Sears catalog of weapons and military appliances, and later, like a police roster of amoral arms dealers. These lists bolster Halper's case and help overcome some of the political vocabulary that may seem exotic or academic if you haven't been reading a lot of left-leaning analysis. Halper is also careful to include long quotes from Israeli military authorities who repeat, in their own jargon, exactly what Halper has been telling us. It's a convincing case, even if you never expected to find yourself on the dangerous side of a police drone patrol. "Global Palestine" is beginning to make way too much sense, even in our western cities. If you think that a deep cooperation of the world's super-power and its most paranoid weapons lab is going to keep you safe, read this.
4 people found this helpful
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Doris Norrito
5.0 out of 5 stars Complete and insightful, thought provoking in presenting the complexities ...
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2017
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Complete and insightful, thought provoking in presenting the complexities - military alliances, economic commitments and the tangled web of politics that brings Israel, the Palestinians and the western world into an increasingly more difficult global involvement.
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Komododragon
4.0 out of 5 stars Well researched and informative
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2018
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An incredibly informative book, well reasearched. Sometimes overly detailed, but if you want insight into the world arms trade, this is the book. It demonstrates the complex web that is the international arms trade.
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e-lectra
5.0 out of 5 stars Eye opening book that should be a must-read for people ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2016
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Eye opening book that should be a must-read for people wanting to understand the geopolitics and technological strategies of Israel and how it exports weapons and systems of social control.
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cook man
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a brilliant analysis of the insidious development of the Orwellian state
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2015
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This is a brilliant analysis of the insidious development of the Orwellian state. It's a must read for anyone interested in the preservation of democracy in a corporate/military/industrial world.
15 people found this helpful
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Bluejay42
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for anyone concerned with peace in the world - and aren't we all deeply concerned?
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2016
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An excellent overview of a situation that has global implications on peace in the Middle East and consequently on the resolution of global issues for world peace.
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Regina Birchem
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2016
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Important for those who want detail and analysis. A book I want to keep.
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Sandy
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2016
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very informative had information new to me
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A Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2016
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Well written and fascinating.
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Ralah
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2016
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excellent text
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W. Hawkins
4.0 out of 5 stars Useful But Not As Intended
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2021
Format: Paperback
Jeff Halper is a left-wing activist who has taken the wrong side in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It was the PLO terrorist group that started the “unending warfare” that has provoked the Israeli security response against some of the people. Fortunately, the larger Arab-Israeli wars came to an end almost half a century ago. Today, Israel and the Arab states are aligned against Iran whose Shiite regime poses an existential threat to Sunni Muslim and Jew alike. The residual threat of terrorism still must be dealt with, and it is only proper that the sources of the threat suffer the most from the conflict. The Palestinian people are capable of a successful life. Those who have fled their terrorist masters who treat their people only as cannon fodder, have done well in other, freer lands (like America). Halper’s complaint that security “pacification” measures are become more common around the world (and not just in capitalist countries, another sign of his ideological views) is a good thing. I have visited many of the countries along the arc from Turkey to India where terrorism has been around for a much longer time and on a larger scale that in the U.S. America’s post-9/11 security measures are nothing compared to what is common elsewhere due to experience and learning. Violence and disorder cannot be tolerated because their effect on society, culture and economy make progress for the general public impossible. Security measures are a war for the real people who are trying to live normal lives and prosper. People should not have to worry that when they go to work or school or a concert or a picnic, or just remain at home, they will be attacked. Halper’s book is thus useful but not as he intends it to be.
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Barbara
5.0 out of 5 stars How Israel gets away with what it does
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2018
Format: Paperback
How Israel gets away with what it does: through security politics and weapons diplomacy. Thoroughly intertwined with US military projects and products, purveyor of arms, military systems and training, surveillance services, etc. to countries around the world, trainers of US police departments, creators of armies and imperial guards. The long chapter detailing weapons, systems and networks is real eye opener. The merging of warfare and policing brings war against the people. And it is not only happening with Israel trying to “pacify” Palestinians. The Israeli Model has been exported far and wide. Shocking!
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From other countries
Dr. Michael Speca
5.0 out of 5 stars Insight into the technologies used lobally to suppress aspirations for peace and justice.
Reviewed in Canada on March 18, 2019
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Step outside the pipeline of corporatist media propaganda and appreciate the mechanisms of insidious pacification of the populace, hegemony by transnational capitalist forces and the suppression of dissent.
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Jürgen Kuropka
5.0 out of 5 stars gehört in den Kanon jedes denkenden Lesers
Reviewed in Germany on January 24, 2025
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Ein Buch, das jeder gelesen haben sollte, der in der Politik mitreden will!
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jw
5.0 out of 5 stars How Israel 'gets away with it'...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 13, 2015
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This book is terrifying. It outlines in meticulous detail the way that Israel gains traction among the key western powers - particularly the US and the UK. Their involvement in weapons development and intelligence gathering has made them indispensable to the west - and that's how they 'get away with it'.
The Israeli military kills with impunity and is amoral. The casualties are frequently children using high tech weaponary. They are almost always unarmed people. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. The tens of thousands of imprisoned Palestinian children, women and men are milked for information and blackmailed into becoming informers. Anybody who resists in the occupied territories is labled a 'terrorist'. Homes are destroyed or taken over and people are slowly being ethnically cleansed - finishing the business started by Israeli terrorists in 1948.
This looks like it will be the shape of things to come for others. The live experiments in 'managing' and 'containing' dissent (aka in Israel 'terrorism') carries with it an Israeli patent that guarantees its effectiveness in other situations because the techniques were tested in a 'live' scenario in which killing Palestinians is seen as a computer game. Drones were perfected in Israel because they had a live studio in Gaza to test them. I*ts level of intelligence presentation means that it shares information with all the key 'western' powers in the world and is paid handsomely for doing so. Not to protect ordinary citizens - but to protect the dominant institutions.
The level of racist hatred in most Israeli's is the saddest part of all this and makes the 'science' of oppression so frightening. How could people who have suffered so much grow to be as brutal and callous as those who oppressed them? And they 'get away with it' because 'the west' is complicit in this enterprise. So when David Cameron says Britain and Israel are 'close friends' - he means it. So close they can rob and kill and only the mildest of objections will be registered.
Jeff Halper - an Israeli Jewish resident - has been working on this for some time. People like him should get the Nobel Peace Prize - not President Obama. And I suspect deep down Obama will agree. He knows all about Israeli racism...
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Gord Doctorow
5.0 out of 5 stars Meritorious literature
Reviewed in Canada on July 11, 2019
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This is a very important and informative book that I am very glad to have received.
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