The Sword and the Neck

A conversation between two giants of the Palestinian resistance movement about Palestine, US empire, and the future of the Middle East

A remarkable conversation between two towering activists for Palestinian liberation, Rashid Khalidi and Tariq Ali, The Sword and the Neck reflects a lifetime of political learning and experience. Long a lonely struggle, support for Palestinian liberation has swelled to an unprecedented level across the US, Europe, and beyond since 2023 as Israel continues to decimate Gaza and terrorize Palestinians in the West Bank. How did we reach this point and what future might await Palestine?

This frank and sober discussion provides an essential overview of Palestinian intellectual and political history, biting criticism of US foreign policy, and insightful contemporary geopolitical analysis. Refusing to shy away from questions that continue to inspire debate among the Palestine solidarity movement in the West, neither questions of Palestinian resistance strategy and the frailties of neighbouring Arab states are spared. This is crucial reading for anyone committed to Palestinian liberation today.