Samantha Brody
Oct 27, 20192 min
When it comes to Israel education, finding reading material can be overwhelming. Everything either seems too dense, too basic, or just plain boring. But not to fear! There are plenty of great options for reading material about Israel, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, history, and advocacy. Here are a few of my most-recommended reads for anyone interested in reading about Israel:
1. Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor by Yossi Klein Halevi
In this book, Halevi writes a series of letters to an anonymous Palestinian living near his home, of whom he has never encountered. The letters highlight the incredible differences in the perspectives of him and his neighbor, but he also manages to find many things in common with him and even comes to a point of understanding. It is a beautiful portrait of the dichotomy between Israelis’ and Palestinians’ lives and captures many of the ideological struggles that are at the core of the conflict. Some versions even include responses from Palestinians with varying reactions, but all of whom express the struggle and longing for peace for everyone involved in this conflict.
2. Side by Side by Sami Adwan, Dan Bar-On, and Eyal Naveh
Though seemingly another book on Israeli history from the title, Side by Side has a unique twist: the left side of each page describes the Israeli narrative of history, while the right side is from a Palestinian perspective. It’s rare to read about the same events from two entirely opposing points of view, and it gives the reader a unique peek into the understandings of Israeli and Palestinian people and historians of their own history.
3. Israel: A History by Anita Shapira
Shapira (very thoroughly) describes the history of the State of Israel from the emergence of Zionism in Europe through the modern day. It is not missing the difficult parts of Israeli history and provides significant details on moments and ideas which are often glossed over in introductory Israel education.
4. The Case for Israel by Alan Dershowitz
In his infamous book, Dershowitz discusses the many arguments against Israel’s existence and provides evidence-based replies to each of them. This book does an incredible job of preparing its readers for advocacy and gives insight into the arguments against Zionism and Israel’s actions.
5. Catch-67: The Left, the Right, and the Legacy of the Six-Day War by Micah Goodman
Goodman explores the various ways in which Israeli politics is stuck on the aftermath of the Six Day War and the possible ways of reducing it. He concludes that, while unsolvable, there are possible steps toward peace or at least deescalation and provides answers to a seemingly unanswerable dispute.
So there you have it! From historical timelines to opinions and solutions, these five books are some of the best in the genre. Read up, and educate yourself!