The historical account of Zionism about Israel is built on numerous fallacies and lies. Fictional accounts that prevent us from understanding the origins and current reality of the conflict and subtly cast doubt on the palestinians' moral right to the land they occupy.

In this groundbreaking and controversial book, the world-renowned Israeli historian Ilan Pappé examines the essential myths that settle Zionist rule over Palestinian land and shape the identity of Israel's contemporary state. Pappe's accounts – repeated to the fullness of the media, imposed by the Israeli army, accepted without question by the world's governments – reinforce the regional status quo. The author incisively explores the claim that Palestine was an empty land at the time of the Balfour Declaration, as well as the formation of Zionism and its role in the early decades of nation-building. He wondered whether the Palestinians voluntarily left their homeland in 1948 and whether the June 1967 war was "inevitable." As for the myths surrounding the failures of the peace agreements and the official reasons for the attacks on Gaza, Pappe explains why the two-state solution is no longer viable.

An illuminating work on the myths – and reality – behind the State of Israel.