Behind the News: Best of 2024

This book by Rashid Khalidi provides a comprehensive history of the conflict in Palestine, focusing on the colonial war waged against the Palestinians by the Zionist movement and later Israel, backed by Britain and the United States. It challenges traditional interpretations by framing the conflict as a colonial war against the indigenous population rather than a clash between two equal national movements. The book draws on archival materials, family histories, and the author's own experiences to offer a new perspective on the ongoing conflict.

In 'Offshore: Stealth Wealth and the New Colonialism', sociologist Brooke Harrington reveals how the global system of offshore finance works and its detrimental effects on democracy, the economy, and public goods. Harrington spent eight years infiltrating this secretive world by training as a wealth manager and conducting interviews with dozens of wealth managers in nineteen countries. She uncovers how this system, rooted in the remnants of colonialism, has created a new, hidden imperial class of billionaires who benefit at the expense of the general population. The book is a vital resource for understanding the deepening economic and political inequality and the most pressing crises of our time.