Palestine, Israel and the U.S.Empire: Book Talk and discussion April 10 at Orca Books

Richard Becker, author of the recently published book "Palestine, Israel and the U.S. Empire" will be speaking at Orca books, 509 4th Avenue Eastin Olympia on Saturday, April 10, at 7 pm.

"Palestine, Israel and the U.S. Empire" provides a sharp analysis of historic and current events in the struggle for Palestine—from the division of the Middle East by Western powers and the Zionist settler movement, to the founding of Israel and its regional role as a watchdog for U.S. interests, to present-day conflicts and the prospects for a just resolution.

The book’s narrative is firmly rooted in the politics of Palestinian liberation. Here is a necessary introduction to the heroic efforts of the Palestinian people to achieve justice in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

About the Author

Richard Becker - Richard Becker is a noted writer and commentator on Middle East affairs. He has been a featured speaker at political forums and conferences in the United States and across the world.

Becker has visited the Middle East on numerous occasions. He led fact-finding delegations to Palestine in 2000 and 2002, delivering medicine to Palestinian hospitals. Becker helped produce the video Palestine Fights for Freedom (2002) based on his experiences.

In January 2000, Becker was co-leader of the Iraq Sanctions Challenge, which delivered $2 million of medicine to Iraq. He first traveled to Iraq in 1994 with a fact-finding delegation headed by former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark. Becker co-authored the book The Children Are Dying (1996) about the effects of sanctions on the Iraqi people. He contributed to the anthology Challenge to Genocide: Let Iraq Live (1999). Becker co-produced the award-winning video Genocide by Sanctions (1998).

Most recently, in December 2005, he participated in an international conference in Syria about Palestinian refugees and the right of return.

Becker is the Western Regional Coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism). ANSWER has organized mass protests of hundreds of thousands of people against the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine from mid-2002 to the present. He is a regular contributor to Liberation newspaper and PSLweb.org.
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“Becker gives us the most sharply focused and penetrating analysis we have of the real dynamics at work in the continuing persecution of the Palestinian people. He calls for international unity among all people to end this tragic injustice. Hear his call and join in the struggle.”
—Ramsey Clark, former U.S. attorney general, former litigation attorney for the Palestine Liberation Organization

"Becker foregrounds what others usually set aside: the integral role of U.S. imperialism, with the Zionist State as an essential partner. His approach connects the Palestinian struggle with a universal perspective, which gives the people dignity and strength.”
—Joel Kovel, author, “Overcoming Zionism”

“A must-read for anyone seeking to understand the Palestinian cause.
—Samera Sood, executive board, Palestinian American Women’s Association

“Becker's book provides clarity about the injustices that Palestinians have courageously resisted, and why we must end the last vestiges of colonialism in the 21st century.”
—Imam Mahdi Bray, executive director,
Muslim American Society Freedom