Stanly Johny’s latest book, Original Sin: Israel, Palestine, and the Revenge of Old West Asia, is an in-depth analysis of the most pressing geopolitical conflicts of our times. Beyond the confines of a traditional history book or an explainer, it offers a nuanced understanding of the Israel-Palestine conflict within West Asia’s larger civilisational complexities. Stanly’s treatise gives both context and perspective to fathom the conflicting narratives that flood our newsrooms, especially after the October 07, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israeli soil and the cataclysmic assault on Gaza that resulted in the killing of over 46000 Palestinians and near obliteration of Gaza.
Hamas’ attack on Israel
In the introduction to the book, Stanly writes: ‘”I was shocked by the brutality of the Hamas attack but not surprised by the attack itself.” This statement sums up the central argument of the book that the cycle of violence and terror engulfing the region is intrinsically linked to historical injustices, particularly the Nakba of 1948, where over 7,00,000 Palestinians were uprooted to create the state of Israel. Stanly considers the October 07 attack on Israel by Hamas as a watershed moment in the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Yet, he refuses to portray it as an isolated eruption of violence alien to the region. Instead, he positions the deadly hostilities as an important episode in the century-long tale of imperial drive, dispossession and resistance, explains its political and diplomatic ramifications and encapsulates what he terms as ‘revenge of Old West Asia’.
A Passage to West Asia
Stanly’s ability to weave personal accounts with scholarly assessment is evident in the book’s third chapter,’ A Passage to West Asia’. Here, he chronicles his many visits to Palestinian territories, with an incisive analysis of present-day Palestine and the heartrending realities of life under occupation.
In one particularly moving incident, he recalls interacting with an official named Georgy in the West Bank. As they shake hands, Georgy asks the author, “How’s Palestine, my friend?” When Stanly replies, “It’s good,” the official sharply retorts, “It’s not good.” This exchange captures the hopelessness that characterises modern-day Palestine.
The entire region is under Israeli military occupation. The Palestinian Authority has less power than a municipality in India. Stanly also describes the psychological and physical wounds of a region torn apart by illegal settlements, apartheid fences, and relentless military assaults.
Stanly’s on-the-ground reporting makes Original Sin unique, which graphically portrays the realities of occupation and resistance. He details the oppressive apartheid wall, the daily humiliations faced at Israeli checkpoints, and the resilience of Palestinians who refuse to abandon their ancestral lands despite overwhelming challenges.
The book provides a comprehensive account of the voices of native people affected by the conflict. Stanly shares his experiences with a shopkeeper in Ramallah, a university student from the West Bank, and a Christian Palestinian residing in Bethlehem, not as mere footnotes in the narrative but as central characters whose experiences highlight the human cost of occupation and war.
Their stories are linked with Israeli policies, including settlements and the systematic erasure of Palestinian history and culture. He explores the fate of the holy city of Jerusalem, connecting its significance to the three Abrahamic faiths. Adinah, a university student whom the author meets in Jerusalem, reflects on both the charm and tragedy of the city and the perceived helplessness of Gods in Jerusalem.
The unrelenting waves of warfare led to the deaths of around 45,000 people in Gaza, mostly civilians and children, saw many more injured, much of the Gaza Strip reduced to rubble, and its entire populace forcibly displaced from their homes, relegated to refugee status. For those struggling to grapple with the complex geopolitical realities that have led to this humanitarian crisis, Stanly Johny’s Original Sin: Israel, Palestine, and the Revenge of Old West Asia is a timely guide that helps one connect the dots.
Based on his travels, interviews, research and observations of ground reality as an International Affairs Editor with over a decade’s experience, Johny’s book attempts to trace the roots of this conflict, identify the main players in this foreign affairs nightmare and outline India’s evolving equation with Israel and Palestine.
With a reporter’s clear-eyed yet empathetic gaze, he takes the reader back to key historical moments when the seeds for the present conflict were sown. Over a century ago, the Balfour Declaration was signed, with the British promising the Zionists a country in Palestine where the Arab natives made up over 90 per cent of the population. Johny points out that this had a seismic effect, the reverberations of which are felt to the present day.
After World War II, the United Nations called for the partition of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. The Arabs rejected this, as 55 per cent of Palestine had been handed over to the Jews along with the fertile coastal region. At the end of the 1948 war, Israel controlled 75 per cent of Palestine, including West Jerusalem, having defeated four Arab countries. For Palestinians, it was Al-Nakba—the catastrophe, as roughly 7,50,000 former inhabitants were violently dislodged and scattered by Zionist militias. In the six-day war of 1967, Israel captured all of Palestine and never gave it back, despite stiff resistance and armed conflict over the years.
Johny’s wry observations acquaint the reader with the political skullduggery and Machiavellian manoeuvring that resulted in the Ottoman Empire (including Palestine) being carved up between Britain and France after WWII and the disgraceful protocol of Sevres, where Israel, Britain, and France colluded against Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser, resulting in the transfer of Western influence in the region from the Europeans to the Americans.
He also exposes the ‘myth of Arab unity’ with the Palestinian cause, making it clear that nationalistic interests, ambition and sectarian fault lines usually trump ideology and brotherhood. It is also apparent that even the so-called legitimate and recognised official bodies representing the Palestinians may be corrupt and self-serving, content to make moving speeches in international forums and pocket funds that keep pouring in from sympathisers while allowing the situation to deteriorate.
The roles played by Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and, of course, the United States of America in this crisis, as outlined by Johny, most telling: ‘The United States, which is otherwise very vocal about human rights violations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, always overlooks allegations of war crimes levelled against Israel, even when UN investigations back them.’
Another important feature of the book could be seen in its coverage of the October 07 attack on Israel. Stanly’s genuine sympathy for the Palestinian cause does not prevent him from giving voice to the legitimate fears of Israeli civilians. His narration of the October 2023 attack by Hamas from the perspective of a Canadian-Israeli peace activist, Vivian, who was ultimately killed in the attack, is a testament to this non-partisan approach. However, the author knows the power asymmetry between a powerful occupying state and a stateless people fighting for survival.
Geopolitics and the Revenge of Old West Asia
Stanly articulates the geopolitics of West Asia with clarity and conviction. He dissects the international alliances and peace talks in the region and the roles of Iran, Hezbollah, and other actors within the “Axis of Resistance.” He exposes the cynical strategy by the United States and Israel to sideline the Palestinian issue while normalising relations with authoritarian Arab regimes. Additionally, he elaborates on how Iran has evolved into a strategic force throughout West Asia like a strategic octopus.
Stanly’s cogent summation of intertwined forces of colonialism and geopolitical relations places the Palestine question in the broader dynamics of Old West Asia. The contributions of European anti-Semitism, the pogroms in Tsarist Russia, and the horrors of the Holocaust towards the emergence of Zionism are documented. The author assiduously elucidates how Britain and, later, the Americans sowed seeds of violence in the region. The establishment of Israel in 1948, Stanly argues, was not only the culmination of Zionist aspirations but also a project facilitated by Western imperialism, executed at the expense of the Palestinian people.
Beyond the pointed narration and analysis of the past, the book frames the ongoing violence as the “revenge of Old West Asia,” highlighting how the region’s suppressed voices—its displaced peoples, insurgent movements, and resistance networks—continue to challenge the power structures imposed by imperialism and settler colonialism.
Now, global attention is back on Israeli occupation. The UN Security Council, General Assembly, International Court of Justice, International Criminal Court and various countries worldwide have condemned the dastardly acts. ICJ recognised that the Israeli actions amounted to genocide. Israel’s idea was to sidestep the Palestine question and to normalise its relationship with the Arab World. The attack brought the Palestine question back to centre stage. Occupation without consequences proved to be a myth. That is the revenge of the old West Asia.
Their stories are linked with Israeli policies, including settlements and the systematic erasure of Palestinian history and culture. He explores the fate of the holy city of Jerusalem, connecting its significance to the three Abrahamic faiths. Adinah, a university student whom the author meets in Jerusalem, reflects on both the charm and tragedy of the city and the perceived helplessness of Gods in Jerusalem.
India’s perceived shift in its policy towards Israel also forms a part of the narrative. India has been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause from colonial times to date. The difference in opinion between the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of External Affairs is also explained. The author views this shift as part of broader global trends, where countries increasingly prioritise strategic alliances over ethical considerations. “Original Sin” is crucial for an in-depth understanding of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
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