Lorenzo Veracini is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Australian National University in Canberra and the author of Israel and Settler Society (Pluto, 2006).

INTRODUCTION: COMPARING COLONIAL CONDITIONS 1. THE GEOGRAPHY OF UNILATERAL SEPARATION: ON ISRAELI APARTHEIDS a) Comparing Colonial Settler Projects b) The Bantustanisation of Palestinian Space c) The Racialisation of Palestinian Mobility 2. THE TROUBLE OF DECOLONIZATION: FRANCE/ALGERIA, ISRAEL/PALESTINE a) Comparing Wars of Decolonization b) Winning the Wars of Decolonization c) Narratives of the Wars of Decolonization 3. FOUNDING VIOLENCE AND SETTLER SOCIETY IN ISRAEL AND AUSTRALIA a) The 'New' Israeli History b) Australian History and Aboriginal History c) History Writing and Deadlocked Reconciliations CONCLUSION: IMPERIAL ENGAGEMENTS AND THE NEGOTIATION OF ISRAEL AND PALESTINE Endnotes Bibliography Index

The struggle between Israel and the Palestinians is not unique, whatever the media may suggest. Lorenzo Veracini argues that the conflict is best understood in terms of colonialism, as like many other societies, Israel is a settler society. Looking at the evolution of other colonial regimes - apartheid South Africa, French Algeria and Australia - Veracini presents a thoughtful interpretation of the dynamics of colonialism. He challenges two important myths: firstly, that the Israeli-Palestinian dispute is unique and defies comparative approaches; and secondly that the struggle is mainly based in nationality and religion and therefore different to typical colonial conflicts. Comparing and contrasting 'official' apartheid regimes with the more recent history of Israel and Palestine, he offers a critical perspective on colonialism as well as important new insights into patterns of imperialism today.