The United States and the Palestinian Nakba: A Transnational History, 1947-1950
I’m the author of the upcoming book The United States and the Palestinian Nakba: A Transnational History, 1947-1950, to be published by Cornell University Press in February 2027.
This book is the first-ever in-depth archival examination of US policy toward Israel’s dispossession, ethnic cleansing, and attempted erasure of the Palestinian people in these crucial years.
You can pre-order the book here.
I preview some of the findings in my book in this article-Five Things the United States Knew about the Nakba as it Unfolded-published by Middle East Institute in May 2022.
Here’s a talk I gave on the themes of my book at the Indiana Center for Middle East Peace in Jan. 2024.
Shattered Hopes: Obama’s Failure to Broker Israeli-Peace
“Josh Ruebner…has produced a devastating book. Mining deeply into the treasure trove of classified documents released by Wikileaks in 2010 and the ‘Palestine Papers,’ official documents of the Palestinian negotiating team released by Al-Jazeera in 2011, Ruebner demonstrates that the role of the Obama administration regarding Israel-Palestine has been even worse than those paying close attention to public, non-leaked material could have imagined.”
Journal of Palestine Studies
“Ruebner’s book is a stinging indictment of the absurdity of the Obama administration’s failed peace process.”
Tikkun
Watch a video from the book launch at the Palestine Center in Washington, DC in September 2013.
Israel: Democracy or Apartheid State?
“Ranging from a series of insightful vignettes to short-form essays, the book’s format suits Ruebner’s writing style well. Ruebner relies on several entry points into Israel’s legal treatment of Palestinian people and land, and his essays on the peace process, political leadership, Israeli settlements, and U.S.-Israeli relations are informative overviews on each topic. Ruebner’s ability to incorporate in-depth research and statistics into each chapter while keeping his writing accessible and without getting bogged down in excessive details is perhaps the strongest feature of Israel: Democracy or Apartheid State?. Ruebner’s writing here is factual, clear, and thoughtful.”
Palestine Square
“It is a valuable addition to the literature about Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It offers useful information and a concise summary of the history of an incessant conflict that may threaten world peace, as well as elucidations of many key terms…The question the author asks is important, and the painful answer is something to reckon with.”
Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online
Watch a video from the book launch at the Palestine Center in Washington, DC in January 20218.