In a Land of Aid: Essays on the Palestinian Condition

An urgent examination of Palestine's humanitarian crisis―revealing international aid as both a lifeline and an instrument of colonial power. For decades, the international community, Israeli occupation, and Palestinian elites have engineered the humanitarianization of the Palestinian Territories―reframing the question of Palestine as a humanitarian concern rather than a political one. Today, the West Bank and Gaza Strip have become the world's humanitarian laboratory, and Palestinians are among the largest recipients per capita of humanitarian aid. This aid provides Palestinians with essential tools for survival and resilience, yet it has also entrenched Israeli colonial control. Across a series of bracing essays authored by anthropologist Sa'ed Atshan, In a Land of Aid traces how humanitarianism has become the dominant lens through which Palestinian life is now governed. Drawing on over a decade of research, Atshan introduces readers to foreign aid workers, policymakers, scholars, and Palestinians as they navigate political constraints on the ground.