2018-04-03
The tantalizing proposition of Halevi’s book, never belabored but always peeking from between the lines, is that faith might unite these two warring tribes whereas reason only fanned the flames of discord.” — Tablet Magazine
“By providing an honest, soulful and balanced recap of two emotional narratives, Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor has given us a spiritual roadmap, if not to peace, then at least to hope.” — Jewish Journal
“A clarion call, not to arms but to empathy…a profound and original book, the work of a gifted thinker…[an] urgent and heartfelt message.” — Daphne Merkin, Wall Street Journal
“One of the best one-volume introductions to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.” — Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic
“Refreshingly honest...In explaining Israel to the Palestinians, [Halevi] appeals to a certain ideal, a higher ambition, a sense of wonder and beauty.” — The Forward
“I was enlightened by the extraordinary insights that filled page after page, often on topics I thought I knew quite well. I was also moved by the haunting beauty of the superbly crafted language, by the many passages that speak to my deepest yearnings, and especially by coming to know better the extraordinary soul of the author.” — Mosaic
“Eloquent and important.” — Jewish Boston
“Yossi Klein Halevi wants to extend an olive branch to his Palestinian neighbors, and does so, in his incredibly compelling and heartfelt book Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor .” — Jerusalem Post
“A powerful, challenging, and deeply moving plea for human understanding across one of the most tragic divides in modern politics.” — Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
“Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor conveys the urgency and poetry of the Israeli story in a way that is accessible to any reader. I hope everyone will read these beautiful letters—Palestinians and Jews and anyone else interested in understanding who the Jews are and why we returned home.” — Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Executive, Jewish Agency for Israel
“A poetic and moving account…heartfelt, empathetic.” — Publishers Weekly
Yossi Klein Halevi wants to extend an olive branch to his Palestinian neighbors, and does so, in his incredibly compelling and heartfelt book Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor .
By providing an honest, soulful and balanced recap of two emotional narratives, Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor has given us a spiritual roadmap, if not to peace, then at least to hope.
A clarion call, not to arms but to empathy…a profound and original book, the work of a gifted thinker…[an] urgent and heartfelt message.
One of the best one-volume introductions to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
Refreshingly honest...In explaining Israel to the Palestinians, [Halevi] appeals to a certain ideal, a higher ambition, a sense of wonder and beauty.
Eloquent and important.
A powerful, challenging, and deeply moving plea for human understanding across one of the most tragic divides in modern politics.
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
I was enlightened by the extraordinary insights that filled page after page, often on topics I thought I knew quite well. I was also moved by the haunting beauty of the superbly crafted language, by the many passages that speak to my deepest yearnings, and especially by coming to know better the extraordinary soul of the author.
Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor conveys the urgency and poetry of the Israeli story in a way that is accessible to any reader. I hope everyone will read these beautiful letters—Palestinians and Jews and anyone else interested in understanding who the Jews are and why we returned home.
The tantalizing proposition of Halevi’s book, never belabored but always peeking from between the lines, is that faith might unite these two warring tribes whereas reason only fanned the flames of discord.
Personal and historical, tough-minded yet thoroughly open-hearted, Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor is a beautiful, readable, remarkably insightful book. It does not propose to solve the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but it approaches it from the right direction, opening a door to a place of possibility where mutual understanding might – just might – begin.
International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
When it came to Israel and Palestine, to Muslims and Jews, I had long come to feel that there couldn’t be much new under the sun. How happy I am to be proven so wrong. Halevi’s book is a gift and a challenge, a gorgeously composed, deeply personal accomplishment animated by this simple gesture: I will share my convictions, because I wish for you to share yours. Then, and only then, can we find a durable peace. These letters overflow with faith, conveyed by Halevi’s sincerity and humility. You, like me, may find yourself disagreeing from time to time, and even strongly so. But you will never find yourself unmoved. There are, of course, always those who are willing to talk, if only we’d listen. What Halevi demonstrates is far more unusual: There are also those who are willing to listen, if only we’d talk.
Halevi’s book, a collection of letters addressed to his Palestinian counterparts, functions as a new attempt at discourse that starts on a grassroots level. His language is beautiful. So is the idea behind the book: radical, unceasing empathy for the other — combined with an unadulterated, unmitigated dedication to one’s own people and one’s own land.
Yossi Klein Halevi is a very brave man...Halevi’s new book, Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor, builds on what he discovered in his earlier quest: that this spiritual common ground could lead to mutual acceptance. I hope the book reaches its intended audiences both in the Middle East and around the world.”
Powerful and eloquent.... Capturing the enduring Jewish love of the land of Israel and the magic as well as the dilemmas of Zionism, the letters are highly compelling. There is no one better suited to tell the story of Israel and the Jewish people than Halevi—and not just to Palestinians. An inspired reading of the Israeli soul, Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor should be recommended to non-Jews and Jews alike.
Yossi Klein Halevi narrates a sober, heartfelt examination of one of the world's oldest conflicts. In doing so, he transforms a personal book into an even more intimate experience for the listener. Halevi is precise and measured in his delivery. These are deliberate choices that allow the listener to focus on the historical facts and the emotional, often difficult-to-hear anecdotes that are intertwined throughout. The author takes us on his unique journey as a Jewish Israeli citizen who tries to see the conflict from the perspective of the Palestinians. His somber narration underscores the difficulty of his task as an objective observer and of his self-appointed role as a mediator in this historically entrenched dispute. M.R. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Yossi Klein Halevi narrates a sober, heartfelt examination of one of the world's oldest conflicts. In doing so, he transforms a personal book into an even more intimate experience for the listener. Halevi is precise and measured in his delivery. These are deliberate choices that allow the listener to focus on the historical facts and the emotional, often difficult-to-hear anecdotes that are intertwined throughout. The author takes us on his unique journey as a Jewish Israeli citizen who tries to see the conflict from the perspective of the Palestinians. His somber narration underscores the difficulty of his task as an objective observer and of his self-appointed role as a mediator in this historically entrenched dispute. M.R. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
