Colonel (Ret.) Richard Kemp
My Brother’s Keeper gives the reader an unrivaled perspective on the workings of a twenty-first-century government in war and peace and is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand the security, politics, and leadership of the State of Israel and the unexampled challenges it faces.
Michael Oren
An incisive view inside Israeli politics at the highest level and a unique insight into Israel’s relations with the United States during a turbulent period, My Brother’s Keeper will be a primary source for students and supporters of Israel.
Natan Sharansky
My Brother’s Keeper is an essential read for anyone interested in the intricacies of the Israel-U.S. relations, a vital partnership that continues to shape the world we live in.
Working in the prime minister's office, Ari writes both as a participant and the observer about the strained relationship between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Obama, woven into the security events of the summer of 2014. In his book, Ari Harow masterfully unveils the intricacies of this unique alliance, revealing both the shared values and interests, but also the challenges that have bound our two nations together.
Kirkus Reviews
2023-12-06
An insider’s account of Benjamin Netanyahu and his government in a time of crisis.
Though Harow’s book is unquestionably timely, given the renewed hot war with Hamas, the narrative centers on the military operation that gives the book its title. In 2014, Hamas terrorists kidnapped and murdered three Israeli teenagers, leading to a fierce Israeli response that included aerial and naval bombardment of Gaza and, soon after, an invasion by the Israeli Defense Forces. According to Harow, a former chief of staff to Netanyahu, he was just the right man for the task, “an alpha male who was perfect for the job of prime minister.” But Netanyahu had to contend not just with Hamas but with Barack Obama, who hoped to broker peace in the region, a nuclear deal with Iran, and, eventually, the creation of a Palestinian state. “The Obama White House did not want to see an escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas,” Harow writes, “but it offered no other solution to defend the population of southern Israel and preserve our national integrity.” In the end, Hamas’ actions were self-destructive, bringing American arms to bear in the region while helping heal some of the rift between Obama and Netanyahu. Furthermore, notes the author, Netanyahu, though known to be abrasive, has also shown attributes of a shrewd diplomat, maintaining an uneasy status quo relationship with Putin’s Russia while also exploiting the desires of surrounding Muslim nations to improve their standing with the U.S. Harow is unapologetic in his support for Netanyahu and a hardliner in defense of Israel (“Evil [has] to be shown no quarter”), but, allowing for that, he also offers a revealing look at how the Israeli government works within what he characterizes as “a fractious nation.”
A useful aid to understanding today’s headlines as well as Israel’s recent past.
