US President Joe Biden Pictured With Book On Palestine, Author Responds

US President Joe Biden was spotted holding a copy of ‘The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine’ by Columbia University professor emeritus Rashid Khalidi. The outgoing President surprised one and all with his pick during a Black Friday outing in Nantucket.

Mr Khalidi, the author of Palestinian and Lebanese descent, reacted to the pictures, saying the gesture was “four years too late.”

‘The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine’ frames the establishment of Israel as a “settler-colonial conquest”, which met Palestinian resistance. In the 2020 book, Mr Khalidi, known for his pointed critique of US foreign policy on Israel, criticised Biden’s successor, President-elect Donald Trump, in the book, describing his administration as a “mouthpiece for Israel.” He also labelled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration as “the most extreme government” in the country’s history.

Biden has long described himself as a Zionist and his administration has faced criticism from both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian advocates. “You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist. I am a Zionist,” he said during a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog last year.

The book critiques the Israeli policies and staunch US support for the Jewish state, making it all the more surprising for people that Biden picked it in public.

While Joe Biden paused shipments of heavy munitions to Israel earlier this year, he visited the country in solidarity after the October 2023 attack. He has faced vocal backlash from pro-Palestinian activists, who have accused him of complicity in the Gaza war, branding him “Genocide Joe” in protests.

Mr Khalidi’s book talks about the history of Palestine, calling it a prolonged colonial struggle. It critiques US media for perceived bias and prescribes a future “based on equality and justice.” The text praises the First Intifada as a “victory” for Palestinians while labelling the Second Intifada a setback.

The book advocates for “a path based on equality and justice” that seeks to end “the oppression of one people by another.” It also highlights discriminatory policies against Palestinians, taking into account their diverse religious backgrounds, including both Muslims and Christians.

Describing the Israeli-Palestinian equation as a “settler-colonial confrontation”, the book argues that such conflicts historically end in one of three ways: the full subjugation or elimination of the Indigenous population, as seen in North America; the defeat and expulsion of colonisers, as in Algeria, which he acknowledges is rare; or the dismantling of colonial supremacy through compromise and reconciliation, as in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Ireland.

Earlier, Joe Biden welcomed the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah. In a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron, Biden said the truce would protect Israel from Hezbollah’s threats and pave the way for “lasting calm” in the region. He also pledged the US leadership to strengthen Lebanon’s military capabilities and secure a broader peace, including efforts to address the conflict in Gaza.