Palestinian history children's book withdrawn from publisher due to editorial disagreements

Palestinian American writers Alana Hadid and Jenan Matari withdrew a children's book about Palestinian history from Penguin Random House after editorial disagreements over passages about Hamas's October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. The book, 'Displacement and the Palestinian American Story,' was scheduled for September in the 'Race to the Truth' series. The authors will release it through Interlink Books in 2027.

Palestinian American writers Alana Hadid and Jenan Matari withdrew a planned children's book about Palestinian history from Penguin Random House following editorial disagreements over passages concerning Hamas's October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. The book, 'Displacement and the Palestinian American Story,' had been scheduled for publication in September as part of Random House Children's Books' 'Race to the Truth' series, aimed at readers ages 10 to 13. Hadid, the older sister of models Bella and Gigi Hadid, and Matari signed their publishing agreement in November 2024. According to correspondence reviewed by The Guardian, disagreements intensified after editors inserted language stating that Hamas's October 7 attacks violated international law. The authors objected, arguing the addition conflicted with their account of Palestinian resistance and was made without their approval. Human Rights Watch has separately concluded that Hamas-led armed groups committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during the attacks. The publisher also questioned repeated references to Jewish identity in descriptions of armed Zionist groups during the 1948 war. Random House defended its editorial procedures, saying changes were intended to help younger readers understand contentious historical events. The authors subsequently reached an agreement with Interlink Books, a Palestinian-owned American publisher, which plans to release their work in 2027.