What Does Israel Fear from Palestine?

Raja Shehadeh, born 6 July 195, is a Palestinian lawyer, human rights activist and writer. He co-founded the award-winning Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq in 1979. In 2008, he won the Orwell Prize, a British award for political writing, for his book Palestinian Walks. The Palestinian voice is so often silenced in these dark times, some want to even deny they exist but they do and it's ever more important to listen to them. Raja Shehadeh is a powerful and eloquent writer and this is essential reading to understand the Palestinian plight and to understand the conflict. In fact all of his books deserve to be read, in some ways he's a Palestinian Primo Levi. There are bound to be some who want to undermine his writings with false accusations but he is not and has never been a member of Hamas. Buy this book, read it and then read all his other works.

A brief and well-written overview of the Israel-Palestine crisis and the obstacles to peace. Since the latter are not considered insuperable, the author offers hope as well as clarity. I recommend it to anyone looking for an understanding of this conflict in about 100 pages. The book lays bare some of the myths which have pervaded Israeli policy from the state's inception ('the exclusive, divine right of Jews to the land'; 'Palestinian Arabs have no culture or history of their own', 'all Palestinians are terrorists'). So it's not surprising that this small book has drawn big emotional responses from several reviewers on these pages. Far from respecting the author as the reasonable lawyer and writer that he his, calmly presenting his Palestinian perspective, these critics want to depict him as a terrorist, which is very far from the truth. I'm tempted to think some haven't actually read the book, or that they consider Israeli narrative should be beyond scrutiny. In any case, I think this book is a timely guide for any confused or overwhelmed by the history of this difficult conflict. Refreshingly, it gives some hope of a solution that will serve both sides longterm - given the global political will to make negotiation and peace possible.

I found this book very well written, & think it should be read by everyone in these difficult times, including the Israeli government. I read of the I.D.F. medic who came to administer aid to someone injured in a suicide bombing, to find that was the suicide bomber, who took his rifle & shot the man dead: I can imagine myself doing the same thing in similar circumstances, but do not think that would have been just & think it was only right that he was tried in an Israeli court for his actions. But I also see the Arabs living in the Gaza Strip who are kicked out of their homes & sent off to live in poorer & poorer conditions; I see the eyes of the children & think this is how you create fanatical terrorists - what would I be like if I had suffered as they have? Might I too be prepared to do terrible things? In the words of the John Donne: Send not to know for whom the bell rolls It rolls for thee.

The Balfour Declaration is a very short memorandum and it’s a shame the quoted reference is edited and doesn’t include the words: “… it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine”. I wish the ensuing analysis had taken this into account and used its context in the ensuing actions/history. I recommend everyone read the full declaration when it’s referenced in this otherwise interesting book.

Excellent. Moving and informative.

Drawing on the painful existence of the Palestinians since 1947,this book goes into the major myopia of the Israeli state apparatus to even consider the prospect of an independent Palestinian state. One gets the feeling after reading this that the very existence of a Palestinian state is what Israel fears and will go to any lengths to stop that happening, even if it involves atrocities against its own moderate and reasonable pro Palestine Israelis.

Lukewarm propaganda. I can’t believe this author can in any sincerity pass himself off as an ‘intellectual’. Lazy, lowest common denominator schlock, that will preach to the choir whilst not standing up to the slightest bit of intellectual scrutiny. The continued hypocrisy and Al-Jazeera fanboying is at least darkly amusing, I suppose. The complete lack of empathy in this man is extremely telling.

This book gives a clear picture of events since Israel was planted in the middle of Palestine, without any consultation with the Palestinians who were peacefully living there. Brings the story right up to 2024.

It is imperative for people to educate themselves on these issues by reading and understanding the perspectives of both Israelis and Palestinians. This is a fair and straightforward presentation of the events that have happened from the perspective of a Palestinian. Extremists from both sides are waging war on each other and are controlling the narrative while the silent majority watch in horror wishing for nothing more than the violence to stop. Education and understanding are the only hope for a peaceful conclusion to these atrocities. Read the book and form your own conclusions.

Succinct and honest exposure to the inhumanities being wreaked on the Palestinian people. I didn’t really understand what this war was about until I read this. I’m utterly horrified that the world has turned the other way as this injustice has unfolded.

Good

How can Amazon sell and make money from a book about the controversy between Israel and Palestine, yet not post my original review because it was too controversial?

Heavy topic but Mr. Shehadeh navigates it with poise and in a very engaging manner, putting things in perspective while remaining impartial and nonjudgmental.