Three Gift Baskets Now Available from PACT!

September 30th, 2008


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Gift Basket #1: “Oil & Za’atar”
Includes a 750ml bottle of Palestinian olive oil from Mountain High Imports, two 40g packets of Za’atar from Sindyana of Galilee, and two 11cm square dishes from Fakhoury Pottery of Jerusalem.
Price: $39
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Gift Basket #2: “Soap”
Includes a 750ml bottle of Palestinian olive oil from Mountain High Imports, a set of four Nabulsi olive oil soaps with infusions of Dead Sea mud, honey, lemon and milk from Sindyana of Galilee, an additional bar of plain olive oil soap, and a soap dish from Fakhoury Pottery of Jerusalem.
Price: $45
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Gift Basket #3: “Olive”
Includes a 750ml bottle of Palestinian olive oil from Mountain High Imports, a copy of The Olive Grove by Deborah Rohan, a bar of Nabulsi olive oil soap from Sindyana of Galilee and an embroidered “Olive Tree” sachet from the Melkite Pastoral Center in Ramallah.
Price: $42
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10 Things You Can Do To Support PACT and Palestinian Artisans

September 30th, 2008
  1. Buy our products.
  2. Give our products as gifts and use them to educate your friends and family.
  3. Buy your books from the AET Book Club to help support our sales operation.
  4. Forward this e-mail to your friends and help us build our customer base.
  5. Join our new middleeastbooks.com e-mail list for updates, new products and special offers.
  6. Link to our Web site: www.middleeastbooks.com
  7. Sign up for RSS feeds from our new blog and help syndicate our posts.
  8. Donate to help us advertise our store in local papers, magazines and on the Web.
  9. Facebook users: Become a middleeastbooks.com Facebook fan.
  10. Is your organization having a sale? middleeastbooks.com offers bulk prices. (Please give us a few months’ lead time to ensure availability).

AETBC New Arrivals - November 2008

September 25th, 2008
Traditional Palestinian Embroidery and Jewelry
Abed Al-Samih Abu Omar
Abed Al-Samih Abu Omar, 2005, hardcover,
143 pp.
This beautiful book provides an overview of traditional dress from dozens of cities and villages across historic Palestine, as well as a photo essay on traditional Bedouin life.
AET Price: $30
Cardamom and Lime: Recipes from the Arabian Gulf
Sarah Al-Hamad
Interlink Books, 2008, hardcover, 128 pp.
This appetizing collection of 40 recipes demonstrates the diversity of Khaleeji cuisine. Complementing the recipes and mouth-watering photos is an in-depth introduction that provides a cultural context and is peppered with scenes of regional life.
AET Price: $25
Guilt By Association: How Deception and Self-Deceit Took America to War
Jeff Gates
Arbor Books, 2008, paperback, 320 pp.
The author presents the culmination of five years of research into a “transnational criminal syndicate whose senior operatives share a common ideology in fundamentalist Judaism and a skill set experienced at displacing facts with beliefs.”
List Price: $27.95
AET Price: $18
Poets for Palestine
Remi Kanazi (ed.)
Al Jisser Group, 2008, paperback, 118 pp.
Kanazi pairs an eclectic mix of poetry, including Arab-American hip-hop, with Palestinian art to produce a clean, accessible and useful collection of modern poetry in solidarity with Palestine.
List Price: $16
AET Price: $12
Thinking Palestine
Ronit Lentin (ed.)
Zed Books, 2008, paperback, 264 pp.
Thirteen thought-provoking academic essays inspired by the September 2006 conference on “Palestine as a State of Exception—A Global Paradigm,” held at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Contributors explore the reaction and resistance to Zionism, and examine how the ongoing Zionist project interacts with, and illuminates, regional and global contexts.
List Price: $34
AET Price: $26
Ghaddar the Ghoul and Other Palestinian Stories
Sonia Nimr and Hannah Shaw
Francis Lincoln Children’s Books, 2007, paperback, 95 pp.
A fun collection featuring Ghouls, Ghoulas, Jinn, talking animals and an imaginative story told from the perspective of a pair of shoes. Perfect for reading to young children. Introduction by Ghada Karmi.
List Price: $7.95
AET Price: $5
Colors From Palestine: 2009 Calendar
Resistance Art
Resistance Art, 2009, wall calendar, 26 pp.
This 2009 calendar provides a monthly dose of engaging Palestinian art and marks important Palestinian and international dates.
List Price: $20
AET Price: $15
The Angel of Grozny: Orphans of a Forgotten War
Ã…sne Seierstad
Basic Books, 2008, hardcover, 340 pp.
A Norwegian journalist who reported on the war in Chechnya in 1995 and 1996 returns a decade later to provide insight into the legacy of Russian violence and an update on the continuing but underreported conflict.
List Price: $25.95
AET Price: $20
Zion’s Christian Soldiers?: The Bible, Israel
and the Church
Stephen Sizer
Intervarsity Press, 2007, paperback, 199 pp.
A perfect sequel to the author’s lucid survey Christian Zionism and a thorough and timely guide to the theological underpinnings of Christian Zionism—with ample ammunition for the evangelical to resist.
List Price: $18
AET Price: $14

This Holiday Season: Buy Palestinian!

September 25th, 2008

Text and photos by Matt Horton
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
Vol. XXVII, Issue #8 (November 2008)

caption 1

Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip daily tightens its crushing stranglehold on the Palestinian economy. With Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank increasing from 376 in 2005 to 580 in 2008 (World Bank, March 2008), and the near total closure of the Gaza Strip since 2006, the movement of people and goods is severely restricted. Despite these obstacles, however, Palestinians continue to farm, to produce crafts, and to struggle to maintain their livelihoods.

According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), unemployment among Palestinians in the occupied territories rose to 30.3 percent in 2007, with 68 percent of the population living below the poverty line. Not surprisingly, Palestinians have taken on considerable debt. OxFam reports that in 2007 Palestinian households collectively owed $870 million.

caption 5

Despite a centuries-old tradition of commerce, Palestine is becoming a welfare state funded by international donors. More than one million Palestinians are dependent on salaries paid to the Palestinian Authority’s some 160,000 employees, and thousands more survive on development projects and charity. Without an independent economy and the ability to provide for themselves, even if some sort of political agreement is reached, peace will remain elusive.

The strangling of the Palestinian economy also threatens to destroy traditional industries central to Palestinian identity and culture. In looking for ways to support their families, fewer and fewer young Palestinians are choosing to learn and carry on their agricultural and artistic traditions. Without a demand for traditional Palestinian products, many of these unique craft traditions may be lost to the world. Imagine if the Nazi occupation of France had destroyed the French wine industry!

caption 3

While humanitarian relief is essential to help Palestinians survive the extreme conditions under which they live, the American Educational Trust (AET) believes it is important to remember that the Palestinian catastrophe is man-made and requires a political resolution. Humanitarian relief is thus a bandage, not a solution. This is why, for the past 26 years, AET’s primary goal has been to educate and advocate for a just U.S. foreign policy throughout the Arab and Muslim worlds via the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.

caption 4

To bolster Palestinians’ ability to stand on their own two feet when peace comes, to help them make a dignified living while the occupation endures, and to help preserve their craft traditions, the Palestinian Arts & Crafts Trust (PACT) is working to establish an international market for traditional Palestinian products. In addition to a catalog of more than 400 titles, the AET Book Club has added PACT, which now offers North America’s most diverse selection of traditional Palestinian products from the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and Palestinian villages in Israel.

caption 2

The main supplier of offerings to PACT is Fakhoury Pottery of Jerusalem. More than 40 different items, from table settings to home decor, are available in eight different patterns. Lead-free, dishwasher- and microwave-safe, the pieces are striking enough to be used as decoration, but durable enough for everyday use.

PACT also features products from the Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children. Made by, and benefiting, the deaf community in Gaza City, PACT’s selection includes brilliantly colored greeting cards, embroidery and ceramics. PACT also carries a variety of embroidery from several other West Bank women’s collectives across the West Bank.

caption 7

Celebrating the olive as a staple of the traditional and contemporary Palestinian economy, PACT offers fair trade olive oil from Mountain High Imports in Jenin, and seven different types of olive oil soap from Nablus and Bethlehem. Three different gift baskets featuring a 750 ml bottle of olive oil are available.

This holiday season get beautiful and affordable gifts from PACT and help provide a dignified life for Palestinians resisting occupation. Educate your friends and family about the Palestinian people through the beauty of their traditional crafts, and build a market for their products in North America that will sustain these artisans and their crafts into the future.

For more information or to order, call (800) 368-5788 ext. 2, visit www.middleeastbooks.com to browse through and purchase items, or drop in to the newly renovated store at 1902 18th Street NW in Washington DC, open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.


Matt Horton is director of the AET Book Club and PACT.

Metro Weekly Fall Arts Preview

September 11th, 2008

For those of you in Washington, DC: See our advertisement on page 75 of the Metro Weekly Fall Arts Preview!

MetroWeeklyFallArtsPreview200809.jpg

New Arrivals - September/October 2008

September 1st, 2008
Victims of a Map: A Bilingual Anthology of Arabic Poetry
Adonis, Mahmoud Darwish and Samih al-Qasim
Saqi Books, 2005, paperback, 168 pp.
A moving collection by three of the Eastern Mediterranean’s most prolific poets. Translated by Adbullah al-Udhari, each poem is printed in Arabic and English.
List Price: $14.95
AET Price: $11
Palestinian Memories: The Story of a Palestinian Mother and Her People
Alex Awad
Bethlehem Bible College, 2008, hardcover, 388 pp.
In this excellent resource, the dean of students at Bethlehem Bible College tells the story of his Christian Jerusalemite family in the context of an historical overview of the Palestinian experience, with a theological inquiry into a variety of key issues.
AET Price: $25
What Did We Do to Deserve This?: Palestinian Life Under Occupation in the West Bank
Mark Howell
Garnet Publishing, 2007, hardcover, 240 pp.
This beautiful photo essay from the author’s first West Bank trip in 2005 focuses on Palestinians’ daily reality and addresses key issues in 15 easy-to-engage sections.
List Price: $34.95
AET Price: $23
A Doctor in Galilee: The Life and Struggle of a Palestinian in Israel
Hatim Kanaaneh
Pluto Press, 2008, paperback, 276 pp.
This beautiful memoir by a Palestinian citizen of Israel represents an important contribution to understanding Palestinians living in the “Jewish State” and their continuing struggle for identity, rights and homeland. Forward by Jonathan Cook.
List Price: $28.95
AET Price: $20
Blue-Eyed Devil: A Road Odyssey Through Islamic America
Michael Muhammad Knight
Autonomedia, 2006, paperback, 217 pp.
Not for the faint of heart, Blue-Eyed Devil is the engaging and brutally honest travels of a bohemian John Walkeresque Muslim convert-turned-apostate-turned-”progressive” Muslim. With shades of Kerouac’s On the Road, Knight’s experiences of Islamic communities and movements, from the mainstream to the occult—complete with sex, drugs and rock’n'roll—offer a fascinating antithesis to most of the current literature. Of particular interest is his important research on W.D. Fard, the mysterious inspiration for the Nation of Islam.
List Price: $14.95
AET Price: $12
My Brother’s Road: An American’s Fateful Journey to Armenia
Markar Melkonian
I.B. Tauris, 2007, paperback, 330 pp.
A fascinating window into modern Middle Eastern history from the perspective of an Armenian-American who returned to the region and became one of his people’s most infamous revolutionaries.
List Price: $19.95
AET Price: $14
The Best Eid Ever
Asma Mobin-Uddin and Laura Jacobsen
Boyds Mills Press, 2007, hardcover, 29 pp.
With her parents away making Hajj, Aneesa and her grandmother discover the true meaning of Eid through charity.
List Price: $16.95
AET Price: $12
America’s Defense Line: The Justice Department’s Battle to Register The Israel Lobby as Agents of a Foreign Government
Grant F. Smith
Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy (IRMEP), 2008, paperback, 250 pp.
A ground-breaking study of the Israel lobby’s architect, Isaiah L. Kenen.
List Price: $14.95
AET Price: $11
Power and Water in the Middle East: The Hidden Politics of the Palestinian-Israeli Water Conflict
Mark Zeitoun
I.B. Tauris, 2008, hardcover, 214 pp.
An important, well-researched and timely study of Israel’s control over Palestinian and regional water resources. Receive a copy of the AET whitepaper Keys to Control with each purchase.
List Price: $85
AET Price: $55

New Arrivals - August 2008

August 1st, 2008
Palestine 1948: Commemoration of al Nakba—Sixty Years in Exile
Salman Abu-Sitta
Palestine Land Society, 2008, Map, double sided
This impressive map documents Palestinian villages destroyed in 1948 on one side and the ongoing Nakba in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem on the other. An important educational resource.
AET Price: $3
Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia and Beyond
Tina Chang, Nathalie Handal and Ravi Shankar (eds.)
W.W. Norton, 2008, paperback, 734 pp.
The pre-eminent collection of contemporary Asian poetry representing more than seven years of work involving thousands of people in dozens of countries. Drawing from a such a diverse pool of talented poets, expertly selected and arranged around nine themes, each poem is a powerful masterwork that will not disappoint.
List Price: $27.95
AET Price: $20
From Palestine to America: A Memoir
Taher Dajani
iUniverse, 2008, paperback, 156 pp.
Autobiographical account of the author’s expulsion from his homeland in 1948, his experiences in exile and his brief return in 1994. An interesting and instructive personal story of resilience and hope.
List Price: $15.95
AET Price: $13
The North African Kitchen: Regional Recipes and Stories
Fiona Dunlop
Interlink Books, 2008, hardcover, 192 pp.
A beautiful and tasty collection from Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, complete with contextual articles and stories by local cooks that gives character to these uniquely North African recipes. Photographs by Simon Wheeler.
List Price: $29.95
AET Price: $22
An Israeli in Palestine: Resisting Dispossession, Redeeming Israel
Jeff Halper
Pluto Press, 2008, paperback, 317 pp.
Half autobiography, half brochure, An Israeli in Palestine presents compelling analysis and advocacy positions by the infamous American-Israeli peace activist. Halper also argues for a “cultural,” as opposed to a “political,” Zionism that would allow Israeli Jews to live together with Palestinians in a binational state.
List Price: $27.95
AET Price: $18
Collateral Damage: America’s War Against Iraqi Civilians
Chris Hedges and Laila Al-Arian
Nation Books, 2008, hardcover, 122pp.
A candid view of U.S. military operations in Iraq as told through descriptive and detailed eyewitness testimony by U.S. soldiers and Marines. Individually, they are intimate and disturbing views into the daily lives of Iraqis; together they present a devastating indictment of U.S. foreign policy in Iraq, and a window into the human casualties for occupied and occupier alike. Photographs by Eugene Richards.
List Price: $22.95
AET Price: $17
Palestine Inside Out: An Everyday Occupation
Saree Makdisi
W.W. Norton, 2008, hardcover, 365 pp.
An excellent, readable and well-documented overview of Israel’s increasing stranglehold over the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
List Price: $22.95
AET Price: $17
Belonging
Tariq Nasir
Unusuality Productions LLC, 2006, DVD, 107 min.
A powerful story of the Nasir family that weaves together the U.S. Great Depression struggles of the director’s mother with the exile of his Palestinian father. Well edited and supplemented by archival footage and historic photographs, “Belonging” is an excellent resource for understanding the Nakba and the Palestinian-American experience.
List Price: $21.95
AET Price: $18
The Unmaking of the Middle East: A History of Western Disorder in Arab Lands
Jeremy Salt
University of California Press, 2008, hardcover, 468 pp.
A well-written historical overview of the “Western” legacy in the Arab world that covers the past century. Both a useful reference and an easy read from start to finish.
List Price: $29.99
AET Price: $20

New Arrivals - July 2008

July 1st, 2008
ARAB in america
Toufic El Rassi
Last Gasp, 2007, paperback, 117 pp.
A poignant and evocative graphic novel about the author’s experience as a first generation Arab American. Beautifully illustrated. Parental advisory: contains some adult content.
List Price: $14.95
AET Price: $13
Who Speaks for Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really Think
John L. Esposito & Dalia Mogahed
Gallup Press, 2007, hardcover, 204 pp.
Based on Gallup’s World Poll, the authors interpret data gleaned from over 50,000 interviews with Muslims from 35 nations.
List Price: $22.95
AET Price: $16
Race and Arab Americans Before and After 9/11: From Invisible Citizens to Visible Subjects
Jamal Amaney and Nadine Naber (eds.)
Syracuse University Press, 2008, paperback, 378 pp.
A lucid and timely collection addressing the racial experience of Arab Americans from 20th century citizenship cases to the post-9/11 world.
List Price: $29.95
AET Price: $22
The End of Spring
Sahar Khalifeh
Interlink Books, 2008, paperback, 281 pp.
A fictionalized and intimate portrayal of Palestinian fighters during the 2002 seige of Yasser Arafat’s Ramallah compound. Translated by Paula Haydar.
List Price: $15
AET Price: $13
Arabian Delights: Recipes & Princely Entertaining Ideas from the Arabian Peninsula
Amy Riolo
Capital Books, Inc., 2008, paperback, 213 pp.
This tantalizing collection from the celebrated culinary expert features recipes from Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
List Price: $20
AET Price: $15
The Olive Grove: A Palestinian Story
Deborah Rohan
Saqi, 2008, paperback, 427 pp.
A compelling portrait of the Moghrabi family in Palestine from the Ottoman Empire to their post-Nakba exile.
List Price: $16.95
AET Price: $13
The State of the Middle East: An Atlas of Conflict and Resolution
Dan Smith
University of California Press, 2006, paperback, 144 pp.
An essential resource covering 37 key issues in the Middle East from Arab Nationalism to Zionism-with clear, detailed maps and to-the-point synopses.
List Price: $19.95
AET Price: $14
The Zoo on the Road to Nablus: A Story of Survival from the West Bank
Amelia Thomas
PublicAffairs, 2008, hardcover, 293 pp.
A fascinating and readable story of the Qalqilya Zoo and its caretakers.
List Price: $24.95
AET Price: $17

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July 1st, 2008

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