My Palestine

MOHAMMAD TARBUSH was born in Beit Nattif, near Jerusalem. After starting his education in a refugee camp in Jerichohe continued in England, completing a doctoral degree at the University of Oxford. He went on to become a managingdirector at Deutsche Bank, then at UBS. He wrote extensively on Palestine in, among others, the International HeraldTribune, the Guardian and the Financial Times, and for over thirty years he was the chairman of the board of trusteesat United Palestinian Appeal, a nonprofit, non-political charity based in Washington, D.C.

'As impressive a man as the Arab world has to show' Edward Said on Mohammad Tarbush; 'My Palestine portrays, with profound sympathy and knowledge, the courage of the long-suffering Palestinian people as they cope with the catastrophe that has befallen them. It is, above all, an intimate and moving account of the resourcefulness of the human spirit to endure.'Abdulrazak Gurnah; 'This autobiography offers a gripping account of the trajectory - from destitute refugee to writer, scholar, banker and public advocate - of an extraordinary individual, while at the same time illustrating the story of the Palestinian people. Politically astute and sensitive to the nuances of the Western societies in which he was educated and worked, Mohammad Tarbush describes living in a world where Palestinians did not exist, or existed only as the nemesis of Israelis, and his efforts to remedy this erasure and bias.'Rashid Khalidi; 'Far more than a memoir, Mohammad Tarbush's remarkable and courageous life, which he narrates with great lyricism, offers readers a keyhole through which to see the immense forces that created one nation by stealing another. While insisting on justice for the crimes of the ongoing Nakba, Tarbush's vision for a shared future - rooted in true equality for all people, from the river to the sea - feels at once inevitable and irresistible.'Naomi Klein; 'With righteous indignation, his heart thumping, but a fair mind, his reasoning untainted by hate, Mohammad Tarbush delineates the catastrophe that has befallen his people, starting with his own family, and articulates how there can be no way forward in the Middle East but through truth-telling, good faith, justice, and co-existence. This book is a work of necessity and hope. Read it and be wiser.' Yann Martel; 'A fascinating story about a boy who follows his dreams against all odds. About good people along the way. About help, compassion and friendship. And about the power of belonging to a landscape, to one's family and to the family of man. This autobiography teaches us that nothing can destroy human spirit and that there are no weapons that can kill hope.' Nurit Peled-Elhanan; 'A poignant account of one Palestinian's life journey, from the dispossession of the Nakba to international recognition in exile and a life of activism in pursuit of Palestinian national rights. An unforgettable book.' Eugene Rogan; 'Here is a book with a big heart. A personal as well as political history of Palestine, poignantly written and closely argued. It's impossible to read this and continue to argue for the status quo.' Arundhati Roy; 'The interplay of optimism and sorrow in this memoir is extraordinary. The story of Mohammad Tarbush is a story of Palestine, but also the story of a singular, remarkable Palestinian.' Kamila Shamsie; 'This is a tale of resilience and perseverance, of an extraordinary man, beautifully rendered and replete with joy and hope.' Raja Shehadeh

• ContentsPreface xvIntroduction 1Part ILeaving Home: From Palestine to Europe 7Part IIStudying, Working and Identity in Exile 83Part IIIWriting, Activism and Historical Perspectives 171EpilogueA Call for a One-State Solution 291Notes 317Acknowledgements 334