Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor

By: Yossi Klein Halevi

Narrated by: Yossi Klein Halevi

Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.

Historical and Personal

Loved the historical and political background stamping the letters with emotional commitment to the land, his personal experiences, and empathetic openness toward Palestinians.

Israel 101 - but for Jews

The author wrote this for our neighbors “across the hill”. I don’t share his optimism as I do not think the Arabs will ever be reconciled to our return to our ancestral lands. It’d be nice, but I don’t think explaining our story will help. That’s the sort of method we take with convincing other Jews of our opinions, and in effect this “letter” is a missive that’s asking Arabs to be more like Jews in their empathy for “the other”. Rather, I believe where this book best blazes a trail is with those Jews in Israel and elsewhere who are ambivalent about the country, due to empathy for “the other”. I have not encountered a more accurate description of the conflict as Israeli Jews see it and feel it. To read this book will help in gaining the understanding for why so much effort has gone into making peace, and why it keeps failing. Most importantly, it offers an excellent sense for outsiders for why, after all the failures, Israelis find it difficult to throw their hands up in desperation. For those who see Israel in a bad light, read this book. If you’re honestly interested in learning about how this conflict appears on the ground to us, rather than pat political bromides designed to reinforce what you think you know about how we see it, you will be enriched by the time you finish. I doubt you or anybody will get more from it, but it can’t hurt, right?

Excellent

If you're looking for an encapsulation of the Israeli (Jewish) and Palestinian conflict, look no further. Mr. Halevi's letters address communication issues and longstanding, entrenched narratives that are far from pragmatic. His letters are factual yet empathetic. They are not at all patronizing. If you have an opinion concerning the Israeli/ Palestinian conflict, read or listen to this book.

Worth the listen

A thoughtful narrative of Israel’s history and it’s current conflict with Palestine from an Israeli’s point of view. The author is transparent in that this is the story from Israel’s side and invites the listener to a conversation.

Honest, raw

I appreciated the slower & thoughtful way the author read his book in consideration of those listeners for whom English is not their primary language.