The Rise and Fall of Human Rights

The Rise and Fall of Human Rightsprovides a groundbreaking ethnographic investigation of the Palestinian human rights worldits NGOs, activists, and "victims," as well as their politics, training, and discoursesince 1979. Though human rights activity began as a means of struggle against the Israeli occupation, it has since been professionalized and politicized, transformed into a public relations tool for political legitimization and state-making. In failing to end the Israeli occupation, protect basic human rights, or establish an accountable Palestinian government, the human rights industry has become the object of cynicism for many Palestinians. Lori Allen contends, however, that far from indicating apathy, such cynicism generates a productive critique of domestic politics and Western interventionism. The book's broad appeal lies in illuminating the successes and failures of Palestinians' varied engagements with human rights in their quest for independence.