'A Zionist framing of Palestinian history': Why a book on Palestine was pulled from its publisher

Two Palestinian-American authors, Alana Hadid and Jenan Matari, had their book on Palestinian history pulled from its publisher, Penguin Random House, due to extensive unilateral edits that the authors claim were inaccurate and biased. The book, titled Displacement and the Palestinian American Story, was set to be released in a series of non-fiction books for young teens from Penguin Random House's Race to Truth collection.

Matari and Hadid were vocal activists who believed their work could educate young readers about Palestinian oppression and help them speak out against other forms of oppression. However, Penguin Random House refused to review or approve changes to the manuscript, which led to the authors discovering several edits that altered the historical context of Palestinian resistance.

For instance, a line in the introduction omitted the Palestinian right to resist against an illegal occupying force, and another line dismissed this right as unlawful.

Penguin Random House justified these changes by claiming they were made to protect "Jewish feelings," but Matari and Hadid rejected this notion, stating that their right to voice their perspective on oppression should not be compromised. The authors also rejected the publisher's attempt to interchangeably use the terms "Jewish," "Zionist," and "Israeli," arguing that these terms had distinct historical meanings, particularly in the context of historical newspaper headlines.

Additionally, the publisher pressured the authors to replace the term "Jewish" with "Palestinian," but the authors refused, citing the importance of accuracy and the safety of the Jewish community.

Matari has previously been involved in a controversy where she sued the Los Angeles Public Library over a cancelled book event, alleging antisemitism.