Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor audiobook

To doubt the possibility of reconciliation is to limit God’s power, the possibility of miracle—especially in this land. The Torah commands me, “Seek peace and pursue it”—even when peace appears impossible, perhaps especially then. (p. 19). My family has lived in the US for fewer than 125 years, yet Ireland (where most of my father's family comes from) and Germany (my mother's family) barely touch me. My grandfather, whose older sisters were born in Germany, spoke only a wee bit of German around us, and we never ate German foods. I never saw "Ireland" from my other grandparents, only a vague, half-serious yearning to see Ireland. I saw it more in their love of words, their emotional cut-offs when angry.In Yossi Klein Halevi's Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor there is a much greater sense of history than my family has, than most of us in the US have. Here, an old house is 100 years old. 9/11 touches us, but not the Depression. We talk about veterans of wars, but not the wars and their impact on our country. Halevi talks of the Holocaust, but also wars and decisions throughout the 20th century – and yearnings over the last two or three millennia. His language is often passionate and poetic as he talks about the past, which is alive and tightly intertwined with the present. In that context, Halevi can see the conflict between Jew and Arab and understand it. Both Israelis, at least Jewish Israelis, and Palestinians feel that they have the high ground. Halevi instead looks for the common ground. He suggests that we need to separate the abstract justness of the entire claim [for Israel, for Palestine] from the practical injustice of its fulfillment (p. 123). I have great sympathy for Israel, but when I read about the politics of Israel and Palestine – General's Son: Journey of an Israeli in Palestine or My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel, I end up flipping back and forth between Israel and the Palestinians. There are no devils and heroes here, just men and women making poor decisions in the name of righteousness (and good decisions, too). Pushed into a corner, we don’t respond with flexibility or contrition; we move into survival mode. The war against Israel’s legitimacy reinforces our obtuseness. If the anti-Israel criticism is so shrill, then we absolve ourselves of the need to take any criticism seriously. For a people that prides itself on its millennia-old ethical code, that believes in penitence and self-examination, this is a spiritual crisis. (p. 186)It's hard to read these books (and Muslim writers, too) without wanting to sit both parties across the table from each other, to engage in some family therapy and get past the mess both sides are enmeshed in. Both sides have valid points that get lost in their arguments.One of the main obstacles to peace is an inability to hear the other side’s story. Halevi wants to have this story heard and is offering Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor in Arabic translation for free downloading. I hope it is downloaded and read thousands of times. I hope that both Arabs and Jews listen to his words and take them seriously.

In Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor, Yossi Klein Halevi intends to break the silence between Israelis and Palestinians. The book details different viewpoints from both sides of the conflict, as well as the author’s own viewpoint and personal story, all in an attempt to explain the Israeli side of the conflict to Palestinians, while staying sympathetic to both sides. The author, being Jewish and living in Israel, takes a stance that is more in favor of Israel, but in support of a two-state solution. The book was written as a “letter” to a supposed “neighbor” that represents those living in the West Bank. More specifically, the neighbor represents the houses that the author is able to see from his house that borders the West Bank. In the writing, the author directly addresses the reader, as if they are the “neighbor” he is talking about, making the book feel very personal. This book makes an attempt to fully explain the author’s perspective on the Israel-Palestine conflict, by explaining multiple views from the pro-Israel side and by sympathizing with the Palestinian neighbor’s vies. Overall, this book does a good job in explaining the conflict better and in offering those in support of a Palestinian state a wider range of knowledge to constitute their political ideology. Personally, as someone who identifies as a Zionist and is very strong in his stance in support of a Jewish state in Israel, this book helped me further understand and sympathize with the Palestinian argument. From reading, I learned much more about how Palestinians view the conflict, yet from a standpoint that I feel comfortable listening to. Still, I believe that this book could have been stronger in explaining both sides if it included letters coming from the “neighbor” instead of just the author. While the book is intended to be a message from an Israeli to a Palestinian, in which the Israeli shows support for the Palestinian, I believe the book would do better in spreading the message if it included letters from both sides. Aside from this, I believe that this is a fantastic book and a must-read for anyone interested in this topic. Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor captures the emotion felt on both sides of the conflict, as well as gives a sympathetic view to both Israelis and Palestinians, and sympathy is crucial in solving this issue.

Letters to my Palestinian Neighbor is a thoughtful and thought provoking narrative on the importance of Israel to Jews and Palestinians, the need for a two state solution and the complexity of the Palestinian Israeli relationship. The book provides some historical and contemporary perspective and made me want to learn more about the history described in the book. More importantly the book does an excellent job stressing the importance of understanding and humanity in all things. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in considering all perspectives.

This is one of the best books I have read on Israel, ever. Quite simply it is a love poem, written in the form of letters to his Palestinian neighbor who he can see from his porch. He manages to hold his audience throughout as he explains the complex history of Israel--both the land, the people and the state. Just 10 letters. Often with a focus on Jewish holidays. Tisha B'av (timing on this was perfect for me as we approach that next week) with its mourning and hope. Sukkot with its vulnerability, universalism and prayers for peace. Purim with the fears that we may yet be destroyed again balanced with Passover where we are commanded to love the stranger because we were strangers in the land of Egypt. This book mirrors my hopes, my fears, my passion.

Sincere, imploring, and introspective. I relished the beautiful writing in this series of letters & empathized with both Israelis and Palestinians as I learned more about the conflict that grieves the two cultures/nations.

Yossi Klein Halevi’s humanity is evident on every page of “Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor.” He is a good man and a beautiful writer. But I cannot agree, as some have said, that he is an original thinker. For anyone who has closely followed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and knows something of its history, it requires no particular originality to recognize that the claims of both sides have substantial call on justice. As an American Jew and a strong supporter of Israel, I have long appreciated that the Palestinians have a compelling story to tell. But the fact is I’m no longer interested in hearing it. How can I be, given the Palestinians’ unremitting intransigence, their rejection without counteroffer of generous Israeli proposals for a two-state solution, the Palestinian Authority’s pension payments for the murder of Israeli men, women and children, and the Holocaust denial and gross anti-Semitism of Mahmoud Abbas, the supposedly moderate president of the PA?Mr. Halevi is keenly aware of all of this and acknowledges that he, too, sometimes no longer wants to listen to the Palestinians. But his book presents itself as an effort to start a dialog between people on the two sides, in the hope that if they can come to understand the perspective of The Other, they will perhaps be able to make the painful sacrifices that will be required by the only possible solution to the conflict – partition of the land that both sides justly believe belongs only to them. Halevi tries at length to explain to his supposed Arab interlocutor how Palestinian actions cause Israelis to despair of the possibility of peace and cause them to view as a fool’s game the making of concessions. In the conversation between neighbors that he envisions, Halevi makes the Israeli case very effectively. Palestinians, however, have shown absolutely no inclination to hear it. The more useful audience for his book would be liberals (including Jews) who espouse the fashionable and facile belief that peace would be possible but for Israeli intransigence. Although I have often found such attitudes to be impervious to facts and argument, Halevi’s book should make an impression on those with an open mind.That, however, is not Mr. Halevi’s proclaimed goal. And as a stimulus to revive the moribund “peace process,” his book is likely to have minimal effect. Rather than well-meaning encounters between Israelis and the few, mostly-invisible Palestinians susceptible to being swayed, steady, unrelenting pressure – and the loss of support from the U.S., Europe and Arab countries – is much likelier someday to produce a Palestinian leader willing to run the risks of real peace. To preserve the possibility of a peace settlement for future generations should the Palestinians’ toxic political culture ever yield to pragmatism, Israel should refrain from the construction of new settlements in the West Bank (as opposed to allowing natural growth of existing ones).Until the advent of that distant day, which neither we nor our children are likely to see, Israel will have to continue living by the sword. Mr. Halevi’s making his book available for free download in Arabic is a nice gesture, but it is not likely to have many takers.

I found this book eloquent, genuine and very easy to comprehend. Mr. HaLevi is upfront with his readers, staring he is representing his Jewish point of view but he wishes to engage in a real dialogue. I read the new paperback edition that includes several responses from Palestinian readers and other Arab neighbors, so I was able to “hear” from both “sides”. I applaud the initiative Yossi Klein HaLevi undertakes and I respect what all voices have to say. For me, this book was somewhat disheartening because it seems peace is going to be very hard to reach as both Jews and Palestinians are so fundamentally committed to their own narratives that it would be impossible to set aside their beliefs. Yes, there are many paths to compromise and yes both parties would need to relinquish land but I’m not sure either people are willing to disavow their “claims” on “history.”

This was an amazing book. Halevi has helped bring words to the very same thoughts I have been having for many years. He has really captured the very essence of the issue - neither side can see the other's story. While there is a strong group among Israelis who are willing and able to see the Palestinian narrative, the same cannot be said for the Palestinian side. I hope that Halevi is able to reach some on the other side who are willing to not just listen, but to accept that the Jewish narrative and ties to Israel are genuine, historic, and extremely strong and that if they want to even have a chance at peace they must accept those facts and help others to accept them as well.

This should be required reading for anybody who claims to understand Israel and Palestine. Takes a nuanced approach that forces the reader to examine preconceived notions and get out of their comfort zone in order to see any possible solution to this conflict. Even better in the second edition which includes some Palestinian and Arab response letters.

This is a short book that I recommend reading for anyone interested in the conflict between Jews and non Jews living in Palestine/Israel. I recommend it more strongly for anyone who feels vehemently partisan about one side or the other. Yossi Halevi is the sanest thinker on this I've ever heard. If any parts offend your sensibilities, please hear him out and finish the book