Davis and Garb examine the informal Palestinian e-waste economy in the West Line region of Judea and Samaria (West Bank), which falls under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority. They show how discarded Israeli electronics are dismantled and resold, forming a mutually dependent economic system in which Palestinian recyclers actively seek Israeli e-waste for profit rather than merely serving as passive recipients of Israeli waste “dumping.” The authors argue that Israeli policies that target this industry are shaped not only by environmental concerns but also by political and security factors, with enforcement actions often linked to broader geopolitical developments. At the same time, they highlight the Palestinian Authority’s failure to regulate or support this sector, leaving it informal and thereby exacerbating both environmental and economic instability.

The book critiques international environmental policies, particularly the Basel Convention’s Ban Amendment for portraying Palestinian recyclers as victims rather than economic agents. This misrepresentation, the authors argue, results in ineffective policies that fail to address the realities of the informal recycling sector. Instead, they propose a “hub-driven” approach that seeks to integrate Palestinian recyclers into regulated frameworks rather than to criminalize their activities. The authors recommend investments in safer recycling practices and the promotion of international cooperation to balance environmental protection with economic survival.

However, the book’s focus on this small-scale issue reflects a broader imbalance. Far larger e-waste crises exist in Africa, South Asia, and China but receive comparatively less attention. The authors fail to contextualize the problem within the global e-waste landscape or to compare it with major e-waste recycling hubs like Agbogbloshie in Ghana or Guiyu in China, where informal recycling causes far greater harm. Instead, by presenting the issue in isolation, the book reinforces a pattern of disproportionate scrutiny directed at Israel. This raises the question of whether the book’s primary concern lies in environmental policy or in giving voice to an underlying political bias. While the book offers a valuable case study, its lack of global context reflects a troubling and widespread double standard in how global environmental challenges are framed.