|
In 2003, Susan
Nathan moved from her comfortable home
in Tel Aviv to Tamra, an Arab town in the northern part of
Israel. Nathan had arrived in Israel four years earlier and
had taught English and worked with various progressive social
organizations. Her desire to help build a just and humane
society in Israel took an unexpected turn, however, when she
became aware of Israel’s neglected and often oppressed
indigenous Arab population. Despite warnings from friends
about the dangers she would encounter, Nathan settled in an
apartment in Tamra, the only Jew among 25,000 Muslims. There
she discovered a division between Israeli Jews and Israeli
Arabs as tangible as the concrete wall and razor-wire fences
that surround the Palestinian towns of the West Bank and Gaza.
From her unique vantage point, Nathan examines the history and
the present-day political and cultural currents that have
created a situation little recognized in the ongoing debates
about the future of Israel and the Middle East. With warmth,
humor, and compassion, she portrays the daily life of her
neighbors, the challenges they encounter, and the hopes they
harbor. She introduces Arab leaders fighting against
entrenched segregation and discrimination; uncovers the hidden
biases that undermine even the most well-intentioned
Arab-Jewish peace organizations; and describes the efforts of
dedicated individuals who insist that Israeli Arabs must be
granted the same rights and privileges as Jewish citizens.
Through her own courageous example, Nathan proves that it is
possible for Jews and Arabs to live and work peacefully
together. The Other Side of Israel is more than the story of
one woman’s journey; it is a road map for crossing a divide
created by prejudices and misunderstandings.
|
