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Title: The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East
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Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
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| The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Bloomsbury USA Moving, Tragic, Real | This is a sublime work of art, made all the more so by its complete factual accuracy. Sure, Sandy picks and chooses the facts he'll present, as any historian does, but every thought, every moment, comes only from historical records and interviews. And perhaps it's this plain "just the facts, ma'am" approach that makes the story so much more filled with pathos and tragedy.
I know of no other book on this subject that so clearly shows the suffering on both sides of the aisle. Most books are either clearly Zionist or focus on al Nakba and the suffering of the Palestinian people. Sandy doesn't take the easy road. He presents the longing and angst- and hopes- of both peoples. He shows us the struggles and poverty of Dalia's family, and their rejoicing on finally finding a home. He shows us Bashir's family's delight in the land, and the horror of seeing it stripped from them. And he shows us the greater suffering of the Palestinians in the last 50 years, as more and more land, life, and dignity are stripped away.
Through this history we see the Principle of Violent Mimicry, where we become that which we hate, as first the Israelis model Nazi practices, and then the Palestinians learn from the Israelis that only violence and terrorism can solve their problems. We see a clash of cultures, with Dalia locked in European Cartesian paradigms of "I think therefore I am,", and Bashir birthed into a narrative of "I reside therefore I am." And through it all we wonder- can there be any hope for change, for peace, for justice? Sandy gives us some glimmer of hope of reconciliation, but it is clear that it is not an easy hope- for this is real life, and not a Saturday morning special. This is gritty historical narrative, and more than ever, after reading this book, I think our only path out of this morass is the one blazed by South Africa. | | The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Bloomsbury USA A Courageous Friendship | The Lemon Tree is a true gem amid the harsh cacophony of literature surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This compelling true story weaves together two histories--at once the histories of two families and two peoples--connected to the same house and the same land.
In 1936, Ahmad Khairi built a home for his young family in the Palestinian town of Ramla, which was then part of the British Mandate. As Ahmad's children, including his eldest son Bashir, grew up in this lovingly built house--with its majestic lemon tree in the backyard--the Eshkanazi family faced an uncertain future in Nazi-aligned Bulgaria. Though they could not have imagined it at the time, the two families' lives would become deeply connected even as history places them on opposite sides of a volatile conflict.
The encounter begins when Bashir, who as a child was forced to flee Ramla during the 1948 war, travels back to his childhood home following the Six Day War in 1967. To his surprise, he is warmly welcomed inside by Dalia Eshkanazi, an Israeli college student whose family of Holocaust survivors immigrated to the newly formed state when she was an infant. It is the beginning of an incredible friendship that perseveres in spite of the impassioned political disagreement and painful history that stands between them.
Tolan takes no liberties with the history, basing the story on extensive interviews and archival research. The Lemon Tree reads part like a vividly detailed novel and part like a history text, placing the moving stories of Dalia and Bashir within several decades of rich historical context. By blending these personal and historical narratives, the story offers a unique window into the conflict, beyond the political complexities and ideological abstractions. Tolan's retelling is sensitive to both narratives, empathetically portraying the traumas, insecurities, and yearnings of each side.
While The Lemon Tree offers inspiring proof that reconciliation and dialogue are possible, the book leaves open the question of how much these personal connections can impact the conflict. Although she sympathizes with Bashir and other refugees, Dalia fears an influx of Arabs and clashes with him over the right of return. Bashir, for his part, never recognizes Israel and insists that recent Jewish immigrants should "go back where they came from." Accused by Israel of being in the PFLP, Bashir is arrested in connection with a terrorist bombing; he denies involvement and is eventually released, but Dalia believes he is guilty. Later, Bashir reveals a hidden childhood trauma that sheds light on his enmity toward Israel. Both, especially Bashir, continue to show a fundamental mistrust for the other side.
Almost miraculously, they are able to sustain their friendship despite all this, and the affection and caring between them is genuine. While giving no easy answers, their story stands as a ray of hope for the possibility of coexistence in spite of a difficult history. | | The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Bloomsbury USA Putting a Human Face on the Israeli Palestinian Conflict | | This is a readable account of the evolution of the Israeli-Palestinian situation during most of the 20th century. It uses a brilliant device of following a Palestinian who left his home as a refugee child when the Israeli state was established, and an Israeli who moved into that same house and grew up there. Of comparable ages, the two turned out to be exceptional individuals who established a long lasting if improbable friendship. The evolution of their lives, and the final use of the house with the lemon tree as a center for Jewish-Arab dialog, provides a counterpoint to the more traditional history focusing on politics and conflict. Those who are looking a peace-bringing solution to the conflict will be disappointed with this book, but those seeking ways to understand and empathize better with both sides of the conflict will like this book very much indeed! | | The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Bloomsbury USA Ignore this book | | This is a deeply flawed, biased , and even dangerous book as it has a veneer of credibility. Some aspects of history are accurate and the beginning of the book presents some almost balanced ,parallel views of what happened to the lives of two families who inhabited the same house after the War of 1948 . However,at the end of the book, the author lapses into a slanted polemic that is strongly biased toward the Palestinians. Throughout, the author recounts the imprisonments of S. Khairi the Palestinian protagonist as though he is an innocent , wrongly imprisoned by the Israelis. Real details of his work in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestinian and its terrorist activities are not provided, and would be instructive . The authors selective inattention to detail is deplorable. Don't waste your time reading this book. | | The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Bloomsbury USA Great read - proof that history is never balanced | | This well written book provides a wonderful insight into the Paletinian narrative. It takes a real human story to provide context to historical events and dates. Its fundamental weakness is its own belief that it is providing a balanced insight into the both the Israeli and Palestinian narrative. The books presumes that Israel is required to be the active agent towards resolving this complex battle, while the Palestinians are required to wait for that to happen. It emphasizes Israel as being a post Holocaust phenomenon, and gives an understated voice to the 3000 year historical connection that Jews have retained to the land, especially the Jewish (approx) 1000 years of full or semi-sovereignity of that land, crucial to the Jewish self-narrative. It frequently levels criticisms at Israeli actions, and is seldom critical of the Palestinians. While there are some strong and well articulated references to a left wing, pro- Zionist paradigm, and some representation of a nationalistic right wing pro-Zionist narrative, it almost ignores or grossly understates the myriad of other Israeli perspectives that fall in-between, and most probably represents most of Jewish Israel. The voice of the approximately 50% of Israeli Jews who herald from Arab lands are silenced. This is a good read to better understand how the Palestinians interpret their historical reality, how the broad left understands the concept of a balanced point of view, and to learn more about a cruel and complex relationship between Israel and the Palestinians. | | The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Bloomsbury USA Product Description | In 1967, Bashir Al-Khayri, a Palestinian twenty-five-year-old, journeyed to Israel, with the goal of seeing the beloved old stone house, with the lemon tree behind it, that he and his family had fled nineteen years earlier. To his surprise, when he found the house he was greeted by Dalia Ashkenazi Landau, a nineteen-year-old Israeli college student, whose family fled Europe for Israel following the Holocaust. On the stoop of their shared home, Dalia and Bashir began a rare friendship, forged in the aftermath of war and tested over the next thirty-five years in ways that neither could imagine on that summer day in 1967. Based on extensive research, and springing from his enormously resonant documentary that aired on NPR’s Fresh Air in 1998, Sandy Tolan brings the Israeli-Palestinian conflict down to its most human level, suggesting that even amid the bleakest political realities there exist stories of hope and reconciliation. |
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