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In 2003, Susan Nathan moved from her comfortable home in Tel Aviv to Tamra, an Arab town in the northern part of Israel. Nathan had arrived in Israel four years earlier and had taught English and worked with various progressive social organizations. Her desire to help build a just and humane society in Israel took an unexpected turn, however, when she became aware of Israel's neglected and often oppressed indigenous Arab population. Despite warnings from friends about the dangers she would encounter, Nathan settled in an apartment in Tamra, the only Jew among 25,000 Muslims. There she discovered a division between Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs as tangible as the concrete wall and razor-wire fences that surround the Palestinian towns of the West Bank and Gaza. From her unique vantage point, Nathan examines the history and the present-day political and cultural currents that have created a situation little recognized in the ongoing debates about the future of Israel and the Middle East. With warmth, humor, and compassion, she portrays the daily life of her neighbors, the challenges they encounter, and the hopes they harbor. She introduces Arab leaders fighting against entrenched segregation and discrimination; uncovers the hidden biases that undermine even the most well-intentioned Arab-Jewish peace organizations; and describes the efforts of dedicated individuals who insist that Israeli Arabs must be granted the same rights and privileges as Jewish citizens. Through her own courageous example, Nathan proves that it is possible for Jews and Arabs to live and work peacefully together. The Other Side of Israel is more than the story of one woman's journey; it is a road map for crossing a divide created by prejudices and misunderstandings.… (more)
A completely one-sided view of the Israeli-Palestinian situation with absolutely no room for varying opinions or any factual documentation by the author. The author is a Jewish woman who makes aliyah to Israel from England in her fifties leaving behind her two grown children and heads to Rananna then lives in Tel Aviv. Then she decides to move to Tamra, a totally Arab town where she will be the only Jew. She recalls her time living there and gives her perspective that Israel is persecuting Arabs and denying them basic rights. This book would have been much better if there had been some documentation to back up her beliefs and not just her opinions which are incredibly one-sided. ( )
The writing comes across like a senior thesis or term paper for a class in one's major that was expanded from an argumentative essay written in one's sophomore year that received a high mark. Not having lived in Israel, I'll reserve judgement on that situation not having seen anything firsthand. ( )
Information from the Swedish Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
Vägen till den andra sidan Israel saknar skyltar.
Quotations
Information from the Swedish Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
Vittnesmål från värnpliktig Israelisk soldat, stationerad i Hebron på Västbanken: "Den morgonen kom en rätt stor grupp till Hebron, omkring femton judar från Frankrike. De var alla religiösa judar. De trivdes, de njöt verkligen, och jag tillbringade hela passet med att följa den här gruppen judar runt och försöka hindra dem från att förstöra stan. De strövade kring, plockade upp varenda sten de såg, började kasta in dem genom arabers fönster och välta allt som kom i deras väg. Detta är ingen skräckhistoria: de tillfångatog ingen arab och dödade honom och så, men det som störde mig var att någon kanske hade sagt till dem att det fanns en plats i världen dit en jude kam komma med hela son vrede mot det arabiska folket och helt enkelt göra vad han vill. Komma till en palestinsk stad och göra vad man vill, och hela tiden finns det soldater som täcker ens rygg. För det var ju mitt jobb, att skydda och se till att inget hände dem."
Last words
Information from the Swedish Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
För att omfamna den Andre, som egentligen är vi själva.
In 2003, Susan Nathan moved from her comfortable home in Tel Aviv to Tamra, an Arab town in the northern part of Israel. Nathan had arrived in Israel four years earlier and had taught English and worked with various progressive social organizations. Her desire to help build a just and humane society in Israel took an unexpected turn, however, when she became aware of Israel's neglected and often oppressed indigenous Arab population. Despite warnings from friends about the dangers she would encounter, Nathan settled in an apartment in Tamra, the only Jew among 25,000 Muslims. There she discovered a division between Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs as tangible as the concrete wall and razor-wire fences that surround the Palestinian towns of the West Bank and Gaza. From her unique vantage point, Nathan examines the history and the present-day political and cultural currents that have created a situation little recognized in the ongoing debates about the future of Israel and the Middle East. With warmth, humor, and compassion, she portrays the daily life of her neighbors, the challenges they encounter, and the hopes they harbor. She introduces Arab leaders fighting against entrenched segregation and discrimination; uncovers the hidden biases that undermine even the most well-intentioned Arab-Jewish peace organizations; and describes the efforts of dedicated individuals who insist that Israeli Arabs must be granted the same rights and privileges as Jewish citizens. Through her own courageous example, Nathan proves that it is possible for Jews and Arabs to live and work peacefully together. The Other Side of Israel is more than the story of one woman's journey; it is a road map for crossing a divide created by prejudices and misunderstandings.
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