Recommended Books, Films, and Websites
Literature
The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy. John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt. Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux, New York, 2007. This is must-read for those who have been wondering why the overall majority of members of the US Congress kowtow to what must be one of the most influential, successful, and dangerous lobby groups in U.S. history. Meticulously researched, and well-written by acclaimed scholars at two prestigious American universities.
Once Upon A Country: A Palestinian Life. Sari Nusseibeh. Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux, New York, 2007. This captivating memoir of Al-Quds University President and Palestinian philosopher Sari Nusseibeh presents a moderate voice to advocate dialogue and non-violence with Israelis. His steadfast adherence to peaceful means to protest Israeli’s occupation of Palestine reveals courage, intelligence, and wry humor.
In Search of Fatima: A Palestinian Story. Ghada Kharmi. Verso, London, 2002. This is a Palestinian physician’s memoir of dislocation and loss of identity following the 1947 U.N. Partition Plan. Dr. Kharmi writes poignantly of her family’s forced uprooting from their home in Jerusalem. Her story details the life of refugees who cannot return, yet who do not feel at home in the new country.
Drinking The Sea At Gaza: Days and Nights in a Land Under Siege. Amira Hass. Henry Holt, New York, 1999. Well-known Haaretz journalist, Amira Hass lived for two years in Gaza and writes compellingly about it. There is a striking intensity in Ms. Hass’s writing that captures the resilience and savoir-vivre of Gaza’s residents. With this book, Amira Hass won the International World Press Freedom Award.
The Question of Palestine. Edward W. Said. Vintage Books, New York, 1992 (originally, 1979). This publication contains a collection of insightful essays by the renowned Palestinian scholar. Said was the first major academic advocate for the Palestinian cause. Although composed some time ago, the eloquently written essays have lost none of their urgency or relevance.
From Oslo To Iraq and The Road Map: Essays. Edward W. Said. Bloomsbury, London, 2004. These brilliantly composed essays originally appeared in Al Ahram, Al Hayat, and The London Review of Books and trace Said's growing anger and despair but unwavering dedication to the Palestinian cause.
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine. Ilan Pappe. OneWorld Publications, Oxford, 2006. This is an account of the Naqba by one of the Israeli new historians taking a fresh look at the data. Pappe adds his voice to the growing chorus of historians debunking Zionist mythology that for too long has passed for history.
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time. Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Penguin, New York, 2006. This is a story about winning hearts and minds of the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan not by dropping bombs, but by building schools. Mountaineer Greg Mortenson built the first school in a Pakistani village in the 1990s. After 9/11 while the U.S. military waged war, Mortenson, true to his convictions, continued with his community school building efforts, even up to the present time. His story, written by journalist David Relin, describes the incredible experiences of this unusual individual who keeps his promises.
Film:
Paradise Now. Produced by a team of Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers, this movie penetrates the mind and life of a young Palestinian “would-be” suicide bomber. We saw this film in a Tel Aviv movie theatre, and with the other 30 viewers, were transfixed for several minutes after the film ended. There was absolute silence in the theatre.
The Inner Tour. This is an Israeli-directed film of a group of West Bank Palestinians who take a three day bus tour to revisit the places where some of them once lived. The film is a moving account of the mixing up of realities brought about by the profound experience of displacement.
Websites:
Jewish Voice for Peace (www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org) We frequently consult this website for news about events not mentioned in the mainstream media.
Haaretz (www.haaretz.com) While we lived in Gaza, Haaretz gave us a minute-by-minute update on events in Gaza. We still consult the website regularly for the insightful contributions by Amira Hass and Gideon Levy.