What are the myths and reality behind the state of Israel Ilan Pappe is one of the most outspoken and radical thinkers writing on the history of Israel In this groundbreaking and controversial book he examines ten of the most contested ideas concerning the origins and identity of the contemporary state of Israel Once and for all he explodes the myths that justify the rights of the Israeli state asking Was Palestine an empty land at the time of the Balfour Declaration Were the Jews a people without a land Is there no difference between Zionism and Judaism Is Zionism not a colonial project of occupation Did the Palestinians leave their homeland voluntarily in 1948 Was the June 1967 War a war of no choice Is Israel the only democracy in the Middle East Were the failed Oslo negotiations of 1992 the PLO s fault Was it a question of national security to bomb Gaza Is the Two States Solution still achievable Written for the general reader this book will prompt a huge and necessary debate