A Gaza Doctor's Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity

The book was terrific. Why did they send me two copies. They only charged me for one. I will give my extra copy to a Jewish person who does not belive the Palestenians are mistreated. I dare you to read this book without sheddng a tear. I have been to Israel 4 times. Israel will always be in my heart and soul, but when I think they are Wrong I will let them know--My beloved Israel. YOU are WRONG, and being stubborn like the Taurus your zodiac sign you were born under. This situation is not making G-d very happy.

The voice of this doctor struggling against the political machinations in his homeland, represents a sincere and startling perspective of a Palestinian who thrives against all odds. He promotes peace and understanding, even in the face of unimaginable loss. Even in the face of his horrifying reality he pushes forward with hope and forgiveness. His grace and example redefine expectations and raise the bar for us all.

The author must be a very good person to be able to absorb such suffering and loss, not to mention injustice, and emerge a peacemaker who could forgive even the loss of his own children. Should be required reading for all.

This is probably the most powerful book that I have ever read. It is a frank unbiased account of life in a part of the world that I have never understood. The idea that a human being could survive the horror and tragedy and come out the other side without hate is remarkable. I have highly recommended this book to many. Our world needs more individuals like Dr Abuelaish. I am honoured that he has, at the moment, chosen Canada for his new home.

This is really a good read about a Palestinian doctor who goes through many hardships growing up in the Jabalia Camp. Even though he suffers, he vows not to hate the Israeli people. We read this in our bookclub and everyone really enjoyed it.

this man is a real hero who has chosen to not resort to hate even after losing a daughter and a niece to violence. He chooses to be filled with love and compassion and understanding and tolerance and forgiveness. He is an incredible role model. I got chills just reading the book.

I find that this book is very touching. I got the book because of a class. Our assignment is to read it and write a book report. When we were first told that we would have to do a book report and what about, I was thinking that the book would be boring. I find that even if it starts to be boring, it gets better again. I think that he had every right to hate but always tried to find better things. I am noticing that I'm starting to turn bad things into positive.

this is a harsh read but one full of hope. The title of not hating comes out in all circumstances and losses; written by a doctor who suffered unimaginable loss as a Palestinian from Israel's opposition. It was hard to put the book down even though the author suffered one loss after another.

A truly inspirational book. I simply could not put it down. What this doctor has had to endure and still managed to have hope for peace is just truly amazing. This book has really open my eyes on the conflict Arab-Israeli conflict. A must read for all.

I found this a remarkable record of life for a Palestinian farming family after the British decided to give away their land. The report was quite factual and descriptive without making emotional value judgements. He has tried to leave out anger, revenge or hatred and just tell his story.
Considering that the Israeli attack of the Gaza strip ended the lives suddenly and violently of three of his much loved daughters his forbearance is inspirational and remarkable.
The book is well written and very interesting, as here is an account of a man who moves backwards and forwards between the Israeli and Palestinian people. He has a strong belief that both peoples should be able to live in harmony and that this is what the majority of people of both countries wish. He also suggests that if more women were educated and encouraged to take leadership positions such terrible slaughter would cease.

My eyes have been opened to the trials and the oppression By the government of Israel and especially the military forces. By the government's actions t o limit travel , food ,water , the a pathetic health care of Palestinian people.

It gives another point of view of the Israeli/Palestinian situation in a very objective manner. I would highly recommend it to those who wish to get a non political, more humane evaluation from both sides.

Because the description of the living conditions were so squalid I had difficulty believing the story. Once I realized it was true the compassion began to flow for both sides. I hope that this becomes a widely read book.

I first saw Dr. Abuelaish on Democracy Now with Amy Goodman. The sound of his voice coming over the airwaves, live, on Israeli TV, speaking to his friend the journalist immediately after having had his house shelled by the IDF in which his daughters and niece died is unforgettable. Then, after seeing him more recently on DN, I decided to get his book. The book starts with the period of time immediately before Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli invasion of Gaza in 12/2008-01/2009. Dr. Abuelaish's wife has just died of leukemia and his extended family has gone to the beach to be together. The book then goes back in time and briefly details his childhood growing up in a refugee camp and the hardships thereof, with his trying to work as a child to help support his family and also do well in school, which he excelled at/loved. He mentions where his family came from (an area now in southern Israel) and his grandfather's farm, land which was confiscated in the '48 War and which his family still has the deed to--and now beongs to Ariel Sharon. Then after the '67 War, the IDF came into his camp in Gaza with their bulldozers and started flattening houses, and the Israeli occupation began. During his teen years, Dr. Abuelaish worked as a teenager in Israel for a Jewish family who treated him well, went to college, got married, and to medical school in Egypt. Eventually he returned to Gaza, worked as a physician in Gaza, did several studies/internships abroad in OB-GYN (and later in public health), and became, I believe, the first Palestinian physician to work in an Israeli Hospital, clearly well respected by his Israeli colleagues and making close friendships there along the way. The book is only somewhat political, thougth he does speak some of the hardships imposed by the occupation, and now blockade, of Gaza, the endless hours of trying to manuever the checkpoints and get from point A to B, spending one's life at the mercy of Israeli soldiers who can and do jerk Palestinians around, just because, being the occupiers, they can, and Israeli bureaucracy. He also talks much of his children, especially his daughters, and their studies and dreams for when they grow up. Then comes the day that the family finds Israeli tanks parked in front of the residence where Dr. Abuelaish and his brothers live with their families, causing great fear and concern. Dr. Abuelaish calls someone in Israel, and a higher-up in the IDF is contacted, and the tanks eventually leave. Soon they are back--I believe the next day--and that is when they decide to shell his home, killing his 3 daughters and a niece and seriously wounding other family members, changing the lives of him and his surviving children forever. The response by Israel to this brutal act was the usual response given by Israel when it commits war crimes: they said there were snipers on the roof or in the area, that shrapnel taken from the wound of either his niece or daughter was from a Qassam (Hamas) rocket, etc., all lies of course, all in keeping with the "most moral army in the world" claim that Israel repeatedly makes. Eventually the IDF says it was a "mistake." Dr Abuelaish does question in his book why the tanks were stationed in front of his house, but he never really asks the question or comments on whether he thinks the IDF purposely targeted his family, which I found frustrating. Perhaps he knows and just doesn't want to go there, for whatever reason. I can understand that he didn't want this book to be overtly political but, instead, more of a tribute to his beautiful daughters and an essay in forgiveness and bringing the two sides together. But I found that somewhat frustrating in light of all the usual voices of self-serving propaganda coming from American mainstream media and American politicians who will not even acknowledge or give a voice to the findings of all the human rights orgs--Amnesty International, HRW, and Israel's B'Tselem, as well as the Goldstone Report that documented the war crimes that took place during this assault, including Israel's use of the chemical white phosphorus, firing it on Palestinian hospitals, schools--civilians. I have a lot of respect for Dr. Abuelaish. First he lost his wife to leukemia. Then 4 months later he loses 3 of his daughters and a niece to Israeli aggression. To not be full of bitterness and to be able to forgive--or choose not to hate those repsonsible for his daughters' death is monumental generosity. And I agree with him--which is a recurring theme throughout this book--that Israelis/Jews and Palestinians need to get to know one another better, that programs such as the one he sent his daughters to in New Mexico and others like it are a good way for the children of both sides of this conflict to learn about one another's lives and the dreams, goals, etc. they share, and find a common humanity. He has clearly taught his children well. But the Israelis who support the brutal policies of occupation of the West Bank and the seige on Gaza--the land confiscations the demolition of Palestinian homes and destruction of their fruit trees/crops, and preventing the entrance and exit of basic necessities like food and medicine, and fuel to stay warm, are not a minority in Israel, and that is why they elect the governments they do, who continue these decades'-long policies of occupation. How exactly do you talk to people who believe that their right to live free and without oppression is more important than yours is?

This is an amazingly inspirational memoir by a Palestinian doctor, born in a refugee camp in Gaza, and who, after his wife died, then lost 3 of his daughters when the Israelis fired into his home in the Gaza strip. His daughters died simply because they had been sleeping against "the wrong wall" that evening.

Although angry and deeply grieving the death of his 3 daughters, Dr Abuelaish felt no hatred towards the Israelis who had conducted the unprovoked attacks. His live interview on Israeli television just hours after their deaths captured world attention not just on the plight of the Palestinians living in the Gaza but also astonished by the absence of calls for revenge, a call which many would have expected. Instead, he called for peace and cooperation between the 2 sides, for an understanding and acceptance of each other as individuals deserving of respect.

His memoir doesn't shy away from the tough moments in his life. The hardship and starvation he went through as a child in a poor refugee village, an eldest son having to care for his family because of his father's illness, and because, as a second family, his father's first wife and their relations made sure that his family were despised and shunned in their village. His determination and the mentoring by some teachers allowed him to do well enough to earn scholarships to the University of Cairo to study medicine.

Despite the continual humiliations he was forced to endure as a Palestinian living on what Israel believed to be their land, he was fortunate at one point in his young life, to work for a kind Israeli farming family who treated him as any other young child, who offered him kindness and more importantly, respect as a human being. He said it was this moment that he started to question why Palestinians were treated differently and why they were not afforded the same living conditions as the Israelis over the border.

As a doctor, he continued to excel in his work and among doctors he found the equality he sought as a child. He was the first Palestinian to work in an Israeli hospital. He never lost his objective in treating all patients equally and respectfully regardless of nationality and race, and while he was angry that Palestinian hospitals continued to be poorly equipped because of lack of funding and also because of embargoes by the Israelis, his anger was already directed at unfair policies.

As a reader, I am appalled at what he's had to go through in his life's journey, and at the same time, I am inspired and humbled by this amazing man. If we had more individuals like him in governments around the world, I do believe we'd have a better and safer world.

A most powerful and anguished plea for a non-violent way forward through the last 60 years of violence, blame and senseless loss between Israel and Palestine. Like Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela, Izzeldin understands that violence can never lead to peaceful co-existence. Even after his 3daughters and a niece were killed by an Israeli bomb as they were studying in their room in 2009, Izzeldin still refuses to hate. A must read for anyone who longs and hopes for peace.

I actually haven't read it yet as it arrived to my US address - but I will be there in a month and look forward to reading it then. I have seen several interviews with the author which is what prompted me to order the book.

The news is full of Palestinians and Israelites at war again with the Gaza Strip and now Jerusalem being bombed daily; it is a continuation of the war described by the Gaza Doctor in his book written in 2009.

He writes of the war from the standpoint of recent news; in reality it has been ongoing for thousands of years and as the hatred is passed from one generation to the next,like logarithm mathematics it increases ten fold with each generation.

The author describes how a peaceful agreement might be reached between the two countries; it is both idealistic and unrealistic. I believe the hatred has morphed into an viral emotion that cannot be eradicated. Like mass hysteria, it can only be stopped by extraordinary means.

This war is a thing to be very fearful of as it draws in more border countries who have vested interests in maintaining their own safety. Battle lines are redrawn to include the newcomers.

The good Doctor pleads for peace and human dignity between the two countries; all of us hope it will be so, but by now do not expect it to happen. Read the book and feel the sadness this husband, father and physician felt three years ago, and things are far worse today. With the threat of nuclear warfare, we all may all be faced with trying to not hate.

When you are writing your own story there is always a bias. Writing the book and public speaking help but the real solution is the change in leadership. YOu will only do that by voting or running for office.

I appreciated having yet another peek at what day-to-day events Palestinians must live with (my last one was the film "The Gatekeepers" viewed through the store's visual rentals). Had no idea that crossing the border takes so long, & would be physically/mentally draining for an every day kinduva being. Hadn't read a 1st hand account of how suddenly your house can be plowed over to make a highway larger (so Israeli tanks can move easier) However, I found myself yearning for more about everyday life within the Gaza community-- which wouldn't be everyday for most of us. Most of all I yearned for a vulnerable offering of what led him to 'not hate'. No, I don't want quotes from the Koran, the Torah, the Bible to tell me this. I was hungry for inside information not just tidbits. I want to experience how a person integrated/integrates spiritual material into everyday life. And if you can't do this, ok, really that's ok, but how about eliminating the abundance of conceptual hairballs? I got weary of reading this name & that (along with the person's important affiliation) I got tired of experiencing what I suspected was mutual back-scratching. My goodness, what about the common Palestinian? To 'not hate' when displaced into a camp, one must go through a lot of rage and hate before dissolving into not-hate ('though t's not a permanent state, nothing is, so how does the author work with his feelings?) Abuelaish's experience calls for (no, it screams for) a heartfelt, vulnerable accounting. An editor, or ghost writer, maybe both, could've helped by asking questions, digging deeper, working with this doctor and his story which is compelling if ever set free. . Maybe Mr. Abuelaish's effort will encourage others to write their story in a way that is a sensitive-telling. PS: I definitely wanted to like this book as soon as I saw its title & read the cover. I was so grateful to finally sit down & start to read. But the writing became burdensome & I slogged through 'til the end.

I read this book immediately after Ari Shavit's My Promised Land. While Shavit's work tells the history of 20th century Zionism with a guilty conscience, he largely ignores Palestinian politics, including the election of Hamas to power in 2006. While Shavit brings to light massacres that occurred in 1948, the Palestinian struggle is mostly evident in the background. I highly recommend reading both books successively.

Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish is a contemporary of Shavit, so much of the writing covers the same periods. Abuelaish shows us what it's like to grow up in a Gaza refugee camp-- far from the colonialist ideas of the Zionists, they are without electricity, radio, television. Abuelaish had never seen the bright lights of the city until taken on a smuggling trip to Cairo as a boy. He was a driven entrepreneur and an even more motivated student, devoting his life to obstetrics when he saw he could save lives and improve the lives of others through simple means. As a boy he spent time with an Israeli family and it was in a hospital that he witnessed men and women working together for the first time. He deals with Arab superstitions about women and infertility, that the "unfruitful tree should be cut." His research endears him to Israelis and he is able to bridge major divides. Being a Palestinian doctor who delivers Israeli babies sometimes makes him enemies on both sides.

Abuelaish was able to travel abroad and get a sense of the world most Palestinians do not. Just before the 1991 Gulf War he finished a residency in Saudi Arabia where he witnessed Palestinians being laid off and discriminated against. Being a voice for peace and reconciliation, he attended a dialog after 9/11, using the platform of health care as a way to bridge the gap. He earned a health policy management degree from Harvard in 2003. He eventually worked in Afghanistan for the WHO. After attempting to run for a Palestinian parliamentary position with the PLA, against Hamas, he eventually ran independently after the threats and intimidation from the PLA became a burden; he lost the race and suffered humiliation of going into debt and having others steal money from his campaign.

This makes him quite a bit different than the Palestinians we in the US might see on the news queing up at an Israeli border checkpoint, where they work to weed out smugglers, angry partisan, illegal migrant workers, etc. But Abuelaish documents the cruelty of the checkpoints. A Fulbright scholar denied an exit visa to study abroad, critical medicine and food kept from reaching the occupied territories, loved ones unable to reach others in need on the other side, opportunities and dignity lost.
He remembers a day as a boy when Ariel Sharon bulldozed homes in the Gaza refugee to make the streets wide enough to be easily navigable by tanks. Any expression of outrage or anger is constantly met with arrest, or worse.

The frustration with the Israeli checkpoints reaches a head when he was leaving for a job interview in Kenya and Europe in 2008; suddenly, all Palestinians were banned from traveling and, despite assurances from authorities, Abuelaish is caught up in Israeli red tape. While he is away, his wife is diagnosed with cancer and fades quickly. While re-entering Gaza from Jordan, the distance of a few miles again becomes hours waiting at checkpoints while Israeli computer glitches hold him for screening and his wife lays dying. This is just maddeningly frustrating for a reader, mental torture for the good doctor. When she dies in an Israeli hospital, he needs paperwork to bring his wife's coffin back to be buried-- more red tape and more frustration.

Just four months later, in 2008, Israeli troops invade Gaza. His family is holed up in their apartment watching Israeli bombs and tanks obliterate their neighborhood. His daughters jury-rig a cellphone charger which provides them a lifeline both to friends abroad and eventually the larger Palestinian diaspora calling for information. Most importantly, he provides nightly updates to an Israeli news broadcast. The connection saves their lives once when an Israeli commander mistakenly had a tank outside their door about to blow it apart. Toward the end of the siege, the Israelis mistakenly target his house and his three daughters and niece are obliterated, just after speaking on the evening news. Israeli news carried the aftermath live on air, and his tragedy brought the war home to many Israeli households and government ministers for the first time. He later started the Daughters for Life foundation to provide scholarships for women to study abroad. His family had already resolved to move to Canada during the siege, and his daughters were never allowed to fulfill their dreams.

The Israelis later admitted the bombing was a mistake before then making a host of insulting excuses. Ultimately there were no apologies or compensation. But Abuelaish explains why he does not seek revenge-- it could not bring his daughters back and would simply make the situation work. Instead, he works for peace. He compares himself both to the biblical Job and to Martin Luther King, Jr. He is deeply religious. He has a dream of peaceful coexistence in Palestine and using health care and education to bridge the divide. He admits that he chooses to see the world through rose-colored glasses. He bemoans the increasing culture of death on both sides, the disregard for or indifference to life he sees among young people today. He chooses to remain an optimist, to make the world a better place where he can.

The book is the remarkable autobiography of a remarkable Palestinian. The human tragedy is really missing from many other books over the same period. It really paints the picture of life under occupation well. The downside is that he seems to avoid some of the talk of the PLA-Hamas rivalry and some of the terrorist acts actually committed against Israel that draw the army into places like Gaza to end missile strikes, tunneling, and more. The book closes with thoughts on his daughters and Dr. Abuelaish's own advice for life and wisdom. That could have been left out and been made a better book. 4 stars out of 5.

In this heartbreaking (yet strangely uplifting) memoir, Abuelaish relates his life--growing up in poverty in a Palestinian refugee camp, slaving so that he could raise enough money to go to medical school, and his rising career coincident with his growing family. Despite losing 3 daughters and a niece to an Israeli military action, Abuelaish preaches that love, not hate, is required to bring peace. Abuelaish's story is engrossing and tragic, yet I couldn't help but think about all of the suffering Palestinians who don't have a voice. If life is so hard for someone who has powerful connections, what must it be like for those who have no one to help them? This is a must-read for people who think Palestinians are all about terrorism and throwing rocks--people who likely wouldn't touch the book with a 10-foot pole. It's also a fantastic read for someone who is sympathetic to both sides of the conflict, but who wants to hear a personal story. I DO wish I could read the story of someone who isn't highly connected, but this is a fantastic start. And Abuelaish's enduring message of love make a monumental memoir.

I Shall Not Hate is truly a book worth reading. The raw emotional passion that Abuelaish feels throughout the book is self-evident in this unapologetic, unpolished work about one man's hope for a new way forward for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Abuelaish, a Palestinian physician, is an advocate that the people of Palestine and the people of Israel need to come together in mutual respect and put the past in the past if there is ever going to be peace between the two countries. The military option has clearly not worked, and the conditions in which the Palestinians are forced to live is beyond harsh, some might even go as far as to say in humane, could make anybody want to seek vengeance. But Abuelaish doesn't see the endless cycle of revenge as an answer even after all the humiliation, and everyday hardships that comes with the tight border controls; even after the tragic deaths of his wife (cancer) and the deaths of his daughters and niece and the hands of the Israeli army, Abuelaish is a fervent believer that the only way forward is through forgiveness and respect. I Shall Not Hate is book that needs to be read by those wanting a deeper understanding of what is at stake in this war and why the world's current solutions won't be enough to bring peace to such a troubled people. Abuelaish's hope for a better future is truly inspiring.

I shall not hate by Izzeldin Abuelaish
Reviewed by Moirae the fates book reviews.

By turns inspiring and heart-breaking, hopeful and horrifying, I Shall Not Hate is Izzeldin Abuelaish's account of an extraordinary life. A Harvard-trained Palestinian doctor who was born and raised in the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip and "who has devoted his life to medicine and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians" (New York Times), Abuelaish has been crossing the lines in the sand that divide Israelis and Palestinians for most of his life - as a physician who treats patients on both sides of the line, as a humanitarian who sees the need for improved health and education for women as the way forward in the Middle East. And, most recently, as the father whose daughters were killed by Israeli soldiers on January 16, 2009, during Israel's incursion into the Gaza Strip. His response to this tragedy made news and won him humanitarian awards around the world. Instead of seeking revenge or sinking into hatred, Abuelaish called for the people in the region to start talking to each other. His deepest hope is that his daughters will be "the last sacrifice on the road to peace between Palestinians and Israelis." (Synopsis provided by goodreads)

I became interested in this book after I participated in the Holocaust remembrance week, a week that reflected on the tragic time and had an ending message of a much needed peace.
This book was written by a man who lost everything even with his daughters being killed in an attack, he vowed to himself not to hate. That says so much about him, to be able to go through that and not hate the person or persons that carried out the attack is amazing.
Abuelaish credits his Muslim faith with his ability to not hate, he is calling for an end to the violance and the hatred on both sides of the conflict.
His story is both sad and moving, there were many times in this book I cried. The description he paints of the attack is truly one of the saddest things I have ever read. Abuelaish writes in a way that reader feels like they are there with him in his memories seeing what he is describing. I highly recommend this book to everyone. This is a book that should be taught in schools all over the world. I shall not hate is truly one of the best books I have ever read.

Overall rating ***** 5 out of 5 stars
Cover art I liked the cover art.
Obtained I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review thank you Michelle.

I read quite a lot of books about Israel and Palestine. This book is one of the best and should definitely be put on your "must read" list if you are interested in this subject. Actually, this is a great read even if you aren't all that interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

I find Dr. Abuelaish to be an unbelievably remarkable gentleman. His thoughtfulness and his ability to see beyond his own personal pain are reminiscent of Mohandas Gandhi. This book is both inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time.

If you are looking for a book that gives you the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, this isn't it. This is mostly Dr. Abuelaish's personal journey that is chronicled here, but it's quite a fascinating and amazing journey.

I wish that all Jews and Palestinians would read this book. I tip my hat to Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish for writing this book and being an inspiration to all human beings.

This heartbreaking yet optimistic and remarkable memoir by a Palestinian OB/GYN who lost three daughters in an accidental bombing attack by Israeli Defense Forces in 2008 begins with the author's birth in a camp in the Gaza Strip, seven years after his father's family fled for their lives and abandoned their home during the 1948 Palestinian exodus (Nakba). Abuelaish overcame crushing poverty and difficult odds through hard work, studying at night by the light of a lamp, and won a scholarship to study medicine at Cairo University. Despite the deplorable living conditions in the Gaza Strip, he decided to return there after he completed his training, to serve the people who nurtured and supported him.

Abuelaish was befriended by Israeli citizens in childhood, when he worked and lived with a Jewish family for several months as a teenager, and during the early years of his medical career, when he referred difficult cases to doctors in Israel who were impressed by his knowledge and good will. He became one of the first Palestinian physicians to complete a residency program and serve on the medical staff at an Israeli hospital, where he continued to earn the respect and devotion of his colleagues and patients. Through these interactions he realized that many Israelis did not hate Palestinians and wished to live in peace alongside them, despite repeated wars and the extremist positions of leaders and politicians on both sides.

Abuelaish worked tirelessly in support of the Palestinian people, realizing that medicine could serve as a bridge to connect well meaning Israelis and Palestinians to overcome the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. However, the escalation of the battles between Palestinian insurgents and the Israeli Defense Forces made his goals more impossible to achieve, particularly after the crackdown and bombing campaign that occurred after Hamas took control of the Palestinian Parliament in 2006. After his wife's death in 2008, Abuelaish decided to emigrate with his children, to provide better lives and opportunities for them and to ensure their safety from the escalating violence in Gaza. Unfortunately, just before they were able to leave, an Israeli bomb ripped through the apartment building that he had built for his family, killing three of his daughters and a beloved niece. The tragedy was broadcast live on Israeli television, as he described the aftermath to a reporter by phone just after the bomb struck.

Despite the personal tragedy, Abuelaish, who now lives with his remaining children in Toronto, remains optimistic about the prospects for peace in his homeland, due largely to the many friends he has made in Israel and Gaza. In his opinion, peace will come when leaders and politicians act in the broad interests of Israelis and Palestinians, rather than pursuing narrow goals or listening to the voices of extremists on both sides. He strongly supports an increased role for women in Palestinian society, as he believes that they are more likely to seek a peaceful resolution to the crisis than their often belligerent male counterparts. In honor of his three deceased daughters he has set up a foundation, Daughters for Life, which will provide scholarships for Palestinian women to attend high school and university, and create or support programs aimed to improve the lives of women in Gaza and the West Bank.

The book ends with a touching tribute to his late daughters and beloved wife, a list of lessons that he has learned, and a call to action to ensure that the crisis can be resolved once and forever.

"I Shall Not Hate" is an amazing story, and Dr. Abuelaish's celebration of life and belief in his fellow man in the face of personal tragedy should provide inspiration to everyone that we can solve the world's problems, if we care about our fellow men and women as brothers and sisters and take the time to listen to each other.

I read this book, which I heard about during a CBC radio (The Current) interview with the author and two of his daughters, as a person relatively ignorant about the ongoing issues between Palestinians and Israelis. After finishing it, I feel a bit better informed, having learned such things about Gaza as its size, population density, poverty rate, unemployment rate and living conditions of its inhabitants as well as significant historical and political events and agreements affecting the region, though purely from the Palestinian perspective. I'd certainly be interested to know what Israelis think about Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, a multi-lingual (Arabic, Hebrew, English) fertility specialist, described by an Israeli colleague as, (p x) "forward-looking and full of hope," and his efforts towards a peaceful solution to the problem. In January of 2009, the recently widowed father of eight lost three daughters and a niece near the end of the several-week-long Gaza War when an Israeli tank shelled his home. An Israeli journalist he'd been updating regularly about the situation on the ground in Gaza took a call from the doctor moments after the attack that was broadcast on live television. The station continued airing the heart-wrenching conversation for several minutes (available for viewing at YouTube under the title, "Gaza Doctor - Israel," along with successive interviews and Israeli finger pointing, shedding further light on the situation), after which information provided by its staff helped rescue workers locate and transport survivors to the hospital. This short (under 200 pages) pricey (nearly $40) book is broken up into seven chapters (several quite lengthy) that provide information about Abuelaish's ancestors, upbringing as part of a large family living in primitive conditions in a refuge camp, education and training as a doctor, marriage and family life, and significant events in the region. He repeatedly details the logistics and difficulties involved in obtaining passage through Israeli checkpoints, a sometimes harrowing, often time-consuming and always frustrating process that he endured daily while working at an Israeli hospital as a fertility specialist and recounts events leading up to his loved ones' deaths. But the story's most amazing aspect is this family's decision to forgo talk that might incite further violence, forgive, and speak overwhelmingly in support of peace, a task made easier, at least for his daughters, by knowledge they gained at Creativity for Peace, a camp in New Mexico whose mission, according to their site, is to "...nurture understanding and leadership in Palestinian and Israeli adolescent girls and women so that they aspire to and take on significant roles in their families, communities, and countries that advance peaceful coexistence," in spite of his suffering. Dr. Abuelaish has come to the conclusion that that (p 6), "...medicine can bridge the divide between people and that doctors can be messengers of peace," (p 167), "Hatred is an illness. It prevents healing and peace," and, in closing, shares Martin Luther King, Junior's wise words, (p 193), `"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."' The surviving children reside in Toronto, where Dr. Abuelaish is employed as an associate professor at the University of Toronto. Also good: Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder and The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad.

Every once in a while you read a book that really sticks with you. I Shall Not Hate by Izzeldin Abuelaish is one of those books.

Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish has survived more heartbreak and suffering than any one man should ever have to endure. A Palestinian doctor who was born and raised in the Gaza Strip, Dr. Abuelaish has devoted his life to treating all patients on both sides of the Palestinian/Israeli border. Following the sudden death of his wife from cancer in late 2008, Dr. Abuelaish and his eight children were still trying to piece their lives back together when another tragedy struck. On January 16, 2009, Israeli shells hit his home, killing three daughters and a niece. Yet through it all, Dr. Abuelaish still holds to his beliefs and steadfastly maintains that he will not hate.

It's hard to read this book and not think of recent headlines covering the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. When I heard of the latest clashes, I did notice myself truly paying attention to the number of people injured and killed on both sides. For me, this book has forever put a human voice to those casualty numbers we sometimes hear and always quickly forget.

This book was difficult to read on many levels, but that should not deter others from reading it. First, as a person who has never traveled to Middle East and has not be raised in the Muslim faith, this book was complicated when it came to names of places and events as well as when trying to understand distances and historical references. I would have liked to have seen many more maps and translation guides to explain the culture and the region. Secondly, this book was obviously very tragic, sometimes beyond words. On sheer human heartbreaking terms, this is a family that lost a mother, three sisters and a niece all within the span of a few short months.

However, for all of the difficulties I had reading this book, I would still recommend I Shall Not Hate. As the title indicates, Dr. Abuelaish chooses to live his life as a model for all citizens of this planet. And for that reason, his story transcends politics and religion. His is a human story of what can happen and how each of us has a choice in how we respond.

I received this book complimentary from Library Thing in exchange for an honest review but the opinion is all mine.

Such horrific tragedy has been bestowed upon this family living in the Gaza Strip. Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish lost his wife to leukemia, three of his daughters and a neice in a bombing of his home and suffered irreparable grief.

The story is heartbreaking is asad and full of struggle and pain. However, it is Dr. Abuelaish's response to the loss of his children that made news and headlines around the world as well as winning him humanitarian awards. Most people would seek revenge in this instance but not Dr. Abuelaish, instead he called for the people of the Middle East to begin talking to each other, to learn to settle things and treat each other as they are, brothers in humanity. Palestinian, Israeli, Egyptian, Jewish or whatever does not matter, we are all human with the same feelings and emotions.

Dr. Abuelaish's biggest wish is that his daughters will be the LAST sacrifice on the road to peace between Palestinians and Israelis.

This is a book that we can ALL learn something from. If YOU think YOU have a hard life, read this book and see how deeply ashamed you feel for complaining. My wish is for Dr. Abuelaish's wishes to come true, that peace will be restored in the Middle East and with that the knowledge that his daughter's did not die in vain.

I'd like to thank the author so much for sharing it. I'd also like to thank him for not giving up on humanity as he lived through it.

I won't provide a complete summary of the book, you can read that elsewhere, but this is the true-life story of Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish who tells of his life in Gaza. His life of love and loss from his struggle to educate himself as a child, to gaining his degree in medicine, into fatherhood, to where his life is now. All of this while calling home a country whose borders are controlled by a government who hates him, just because he was born on the wrong side of that border.

Whether or not you share his faith, or agree with his lifestyle, I hope we can all learn a lesson or two from Dr. Abuelaish, and perhaps also put into perspective some of our own struggles, frustrations, and anxieties.

This is a review of an ARC edition given to me at Goodreads.

For all the injustice, hatred, tragedy, unfairness and mistrust Dr. Abuelaish has endured, it is edifying to see him maintain his faith that good can come from evil, and that we are all more alike than different. He is a strong advocate of replacing negativity with dialogue and understanding in Palestinian-Israel relations. A devout Muslim, his faith in God and humanity sustained him through unspeakable ordeals and he continues to maintain the hope that through dialogue, understanding and peace will prevail.

A thought-provoking and extraordinary book which should be read by many so as to learn the true situation of the Palestine Israel conflict, seen with honesty from inside the Gaza strip.

First, I have had the opportunity to read several memoirs in this past month. Most have been excellent..a couple, not so! Abuelaish's, though, is the most poignant. This book is up-lifting and heart-wrenching at the same time. In looking at the Isreal-Palestine(Gaza Strip) issue, we are always informed and/or taught the history of the yet,at least for me, I have never seen it personalized. I think another part that totally blew me away was Abuelaish's ability to not point fingers or place blame...He held both countries (and certain citizens) accountable. That was a real concern for me going into the book. I think the other thing that this book "taught" me is perspective. What I think is horrible in regards to bad things going in my life, I need to keep in perspective for there are others who have had to survive much bigger losses, such as the loss of 3 beautiful daughters, in there own. Simply an amazing, amazing man! DO NOT SKIP OVER THE fOREWARD (as I usually do)..it is a critical part to the book and understanding the character of Dr. Abuelaish.

Second, this book is a short read..literarally it is 258 pages, I believe. I read it in one sitting. But totally engrossing.

Finally, thank you to Dr. Abuelaish and to Bloomsbury books for allowing me to win this book. This was either my second or third try to win it and I was getting ready to order it from the library. This book is def. one for pause for thought.

An amazing account of an incredibly tolerant, aware, and patient man surviving eternal brutality for the sake of his devotion to establishing lasting peace in the Gaza Strip. It's not for the author's historical accounting, not for his rhetoric (which may strike the reader as overly-simplistic), and not for his biased siding with his Palestinian neighbors (which he simply does not do; in fact, he fairly criticizes some of them). The merit due the book owes to the author's constant emphasis on the human face of the conflict--past the politics and religion associated with it. I Shall Not Hate is a moving account whose literary merits stumble only at the presence of tedious detail and sometimes awkward sentences.

This is the second novel I have read that speaks to the Israeli/ Palestinian discord. The second book that has come to shed some light for me on the native Palestinian perspective. The inhumane way the people in the Gaza have been left to live is beyond unjust. The sanctions and depleted resources they have been left with to make work in their day to day life seems daunting and insurmountable. This region at first look is bleak and hopeless. But, what the doctor shares is while there are men and women on both sides of the divide working and desiring peace there is hope. The average citizens of this region want peace. The challenge is as always the politicians and leaders with their agendas are the blockade to this region living together in peace. So many inspiring quotes. I will go back and write many of them down in my journal. Educational and inspiring read.

I remember hearing somewhere that the more you understand your enemies, the harder it is to hate them. Since Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, an infertility specialist from the Gaza Strip, has worked in Israel and with Israelis for most of his life, he finds it impossible to hate them only because they are Israelis and he is a Palestinian. But that hate should have returned full force after the death of his daughters and niece by an Israeli bombing. Abuelaish had a choice about how to react to his tragedy, and he chose what less than one in a thousand men would have chosen: he refused to make an enemy of Israel. Because hate will not bring his family back. Hate is getting us nowhere, Abuelaish says, and it’s time to work for peace. He’s been doing that for ages- now it’s our turn.

Abuelaish doesn’t start with his daughters’ deaths and move from there, though. Instead, in the simplest, most matter-of-fact manner, he describes his difficult childhood in a refugee camp and his struggle to get an education. He doesn’t ask us to feel sorry for him but guides us to his real point: that there are good and bad people on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides. We see an Israeli soldier taking the Abuelaish family land one minute, and the next we’re hearing about the kindness of the Israeli family Abuelaish worked for in his youth. Abuelaish also doesn’t paint himself as a divine prophet sent to reform the world; he has his own flaws that he discusses often in these pages. He believes himself just as flawed and just as worthy as any of his countrymen- he’s just been blessed with an open mind.

Dr. Abuelaish is also a huge promoter of women’s education and welfare. He constantly tells us that he’d never have gotten anywhere without his mother pushing him to do his best, and he also points out the difference between male and female views of the Israel-Palestine conflict: “It’s easy to find a thousand men in favour of war; it’s difficult to find five women who are inclined that way.” “The mother is the school,” he also says, and he believes that if women are given the same chances as men, their children- the entire country, even- will benefit from it.

Although I agree with this position and strongly support Abuelaish’s outlook and ideals, I had a hard time getting through portions of his memoir. Overall, I liked the Gaza doctor’s unpretentious voice, but when he started talking about the little details that don’t have much to do with his overall theme, like smaller aspects of his job, his travels, and the conflict, I hit some dry spots and had a hard time keeping up. But even so, the book was well worth the read to get Abuelaish’s perspective on animosity. If a man can endure what he has and still be a good man, then the world ought to be a lot fuller of good people than it is.

But if I’ve learned anything from “I Shall Not Hate”, it’s that there are more good people than everyone thinks.

A brilliantly written narrative "I shall Not Hate" provides not only a rare glimpse into life inside Gaza strip, but also makes those of us in the free world realize how lucky we are to be able to lead a life where we take freedom to live at will for granted. In a gripping tale, the author shares his experiences of growing up in a refugee camp inside Gaza, his journey to realizing his dream of becoming a Doctor, the struggles he had to endure along the way and thereafter. The author shares in intricate detail how tightly interwoven are his personal life and the changing Israeli-Palestine relations, and how he dealt with multiple personal tragedies in his life some of which are direct results of this change in political landscape. This book is an absolute page turner filled with its message of love, hope, and world peace. If the author's message of "something good comes out of bad" is taken to heart by everyone who reads this book, the world will be a better place! A very inspiring read overall!!

This is a powerful and important book. Abuelaish tells a story of optimism against all odds: he grew up in the Gaza Strip, where it was struggle just to survive, but managed to succeed in school and become a doctor despite all the obstacles he faced. Rather than developing a deep hatred against the country that had caused him so much suffering, he retained a firm belief in Israelis as people and remained convinced that it was possible for Israelis and Palestinians to live in harmony. Even more amazingly, he maintained this belief and optimism even after three of his daughters were killed in an Israeli assault on Gaza. He of all people might be expected to turn to despair and hate, and yet he manages to look forward to a better future. This is an honest story that certainly isn't short on horror, but the underlying sense of hope makes all the difference. It's a very refreshing read, and highly recommended to anyone with an interest in the Middle East.

I met Dr. Abuelaiesh at a dinner given by Julie Ratner in East Hampton last night. He has a remarkable grasp of the balance between anger at injustice and rejection of violence and hate as a response.
How many of us would be able to face the death of four innocent children blown up in their bedroom by two Israeli fired tank shells without seeking revenge or falling apart into despair. This man did neither. Instead he sought the light and the way toward peace so that his daughters in heaven (because he is a devote Muslim) would not witness a lack of effort on his part to prevent any other child from being the victim of war. He wants his children and all children to live in a better world where they can live in peace and fulfill their promise.
He does not blame the Israeli's but he insists on individual responsibility for injustice. If you see some action toward someone or some policy of your government that is unjust you cannot avoid responsibility if you say nothing, you must stand up. In many small ways all of us abdicate our moral responsibility when it comes to politics. We do not have the power individually to stop something we know isn't good and we keep quiet.
Dr. Abuelaish doesn't expect that the powerless sacrifice themselves to obtain justice. He does expect us the more protected and relatively more comfortable, to abandon our cynicism about doing anything, to stop doing nothing and hiding from our moral responsibility. He expects us to lose the fear of doing the right thing and speak out against injustice either collectively or individually when possible. Fear should not prevent us from saying something is wrong when we know it is.
As to hate he regards it as a poison that not only destroys a person psychologically but also brings harm to everyone else including the innocent children who were reduced to body parts before his own eyes in the bedroom of his home in Gaza.
You cannot read this book without feeling that war is not the way out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He makes a powerful moral argument against the use of violence of any kind to resolve conflicts whether in Iraq, Afghanistan, or elsewhere in the Middle East and no matter which side uses it.
This is a remarkable memoir from a decent honest human being. This book may open your eyes about what it is to be both a devote Muslim and a proponent of peace in the Mideast. You may begin to question the notion that all religious Muslims are proponents of violence.
Dr Abuelaish has started a foundation in his daughters' memory whose purpose is to provide poor bright young women in the Mideast with the possibility of a university education. He feels women especially mothers and young people can bring about a change toward peace.
His medical practice is in the area of correcting infertility problems and obstetrics.

As to myself I have many relatives in Israel and visit them frequently.

What would you do if your whole world came crashing to your feet in a matter of minutes? Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish experienced this when three of his daughters were killed in an attack from the Israeli military. The book "I Shall Not Hate" is the true story of how Dr. Abuelaish, a palestinian doctor who worked in Israel, found forgiveness in the ruins of his life. At a very young age, he became a successful doctor and married a woman who he cared for deeply. But, once she passed away from a horrible disease, he assumed the roles of being both parents to his children. When the Israeli military launched an attack on the Gaza strip, he and his children were forced to hide inside their small apartment for a matter of weeks. When the military eventually atacked his shelter, his daughters Mayar, Besso and Aya were killed immediately. In a world of inequality and prejudice, Dr. Abuelaish found the strength to forgive the Israeli people for taking his daughters' lives, and continued to move forward with his other children and family. Written from his point of view, "I Shall Not Hate" is a book I recommend to anyone who has problems with forgiving others for the small mistakes they may make. Dr. Abuelaish is a compassionate, intelligent man who writes directly from his heart. I would give this book a 9 out of 10, and I strongly suggest this book to high school and college students to want to have more knowledge on what life is like in other countries rather than America.

Dr Abuelaish was born with a very rare genetic disorder. He was born without the hatred gene. From this point of view he is better than most of us. His book was very inspiring for me . I was captivated by his personality since i saw him on the peek of his tragedy on the Israeli Channel 10 in the moments when his three daughters and their niece were killed .He was a remarkable man then and is on his entire life. He has the chance of working in an Israeli hospital,beeing the first Palestinian who did so. In my humble opinion i think his path should be continued,i will want to see more good Palestinian doctors specializing in Israeli hospitals. At the end of his book he says that hatred is a chronic disease which unfortunately spreads very quickly. I recommend this book to all those, Israelis and Palestinians who were not yet touched by this disease . And yes i think the Israeli goverrnment owns him an apology,much more than-for political reasons- it apologized to the Turks for Marmara .

Izzeldin Abuelaish gives details into the experience of a Palestine living in Gaza caught between two seemingly relentless sides. He manages to keep a hopeful outlook towards the future despite experiencing unimaginable horrors. While I could only feel sorrow reading about his life, I find inspiration through this man. He has lost much but remains steadfast in his attempt to bring peace between two sides that wreaked havoc on his family.

We call a person who loses his parents an "orphan".

We call a person who loses a spouse a "widow" or "widower".

But what do we call someone who loses a child? Let alone three?

I met Dr. Abuelaish in April 2009, less than three months after his childrens' tragic death, when he spoke at Busboys and Poets in Washington DC. His message of accepting humanity in order to have peace, as well as his promotion of women to positions of influence and authority, were both moving and convincing. We spoke briefly and I got his business card (he was still living in Gaza).

I then did the research. Found the Youtube link that showed the raw footage of his indescribable conversation with the Israeli journalist when his house was bombed. I updated my blog with his story. This link has raw footage:
[...]

Just recently, Dr. Abuelaish mailed me a copy of his book (I donated to his foundation). I wasn't sure what to expect. The best word I can find to describe what I read is "astounding".

Since I already knew the story of his children, the most moving chapter for me was the one on his wife's illness and death, I could not hold back the tears.

I am the child of parents who were displaced from Poland. People of my religion have been displaced for centuries. I am convinced that it is not enough to merely give statistics to show injustices - you need the personal stories. Dr. Abuelaish not only tells it remarkably, he retains an uncanny optimism about what can and should be done to remedy the current stalemate between Israel and Palestine. I'll let you, the reader, see this for yourself, but in brief I can say that he says what I have been blogging all along: That it is only the leadership that is stopping peace - most of the people of that region are accepting the coexistence of the 2 peoples in 2 states.

I agree with other reviews that say that this book needs to be in schools, translated into many languages, discussed, whatever. I hope his message supercedes the ones we hear out of the Middle East today, from both sides. We need to build trust by individual example, one person at a time, and the 2-state solution will resolve itself. If you think this is naive, ask yourself: "Are the current ways working?"

A difficult read, but worthwhile and one of the most balanced looks at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict I've read. A great look at how healthcare and healthcare professionals can bridge the divide between people and play a great role in peace movements. The author is an inspiring and incomprehensible example of how hatred can be overcome in the worst circumstances.

If the world were full of more people like this, who love life, who love learning, who love loving enough to shirk grief in favor of joy and progress, we wouldn't have the problems we do. Here is an example of how to live, and why, without regret or hatred. It's remarkable and important to read. It does digress and diverge into politics occasionally. A bit of that could be edited out. The politics serve as a backdrop to help anyone who doesn't understand why people become suicide bombers that, actually, it makes perfect sense IN CONTEXT. So actually, the book provides the context for the insanity we see on TV. If you don't get it, and you want to get it, get this book.

I finished I Shall not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey by Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish in one evening.

As biography of a person involved in a conflict, it is not heavy on historical details and analysis. But it's moral challenge is in the title. "I shall not hate." Add to that, "I shall be thankful. I shall continue working. I shall hope. I shall treat the survivors. I shall act for justice."

Reading the book produced in me shame for my not adopting these attitudes when I have encountered much, much, much smaller challenges.

That said, the book is not solely or primarily self-help or motivational.

I consider myself a pro-Palestinian actvist, and I have to evaluate this book from that perspective as well. I would certainly think Dr. Izzeldin would consider this book to have political implications.

Dr. Izzeldin has a secular view of Palestinian liberation, as reflected by his recollections of material conditions at different points in his life. He was born in Gaza to a refugee family in 1955, and they had no running water. Fifty years later, they had limited, intermittent running water which had risks of contamination. He lists in some detail the material conditions in which Gazans lived in the period between the Israeli "withdrawal" and the Gaza War of 2009. He describes, effectively, in sprit-crushing detail, the process the Israelis forced on Gazans to cross into Israel and return home. For Dr. Izzeldin, liberation entails improvement in these living conditions, and, to the extent that Palestinians can achieve these despite their expulsion from their homes and Israeli occupation, they must strive to do so. In other words, in the words of the Arabic proverb,

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That which cannot be achieved in its entirety should not be abandoned in its entirety.

The secular liberation may not achieve an ideal justice, but it is something positive that we can do now, and all other alternatives are worse.

Dr. Izzeldin believes co-existence of Jews and Palesinians is possible. 'He does not take a particular stand on what the political solution would look like, but he bases this belief on his positive interactions with individual Israeli Jews who have treated him fairly. Now I have all kinds of academic reasons why his belief is erroneous. Terms such as "systemic," "Jim Crow," "apartheid," "colonialism" and "ethnic cleansing" could be spewing from my keyboard now along with links to quotes from Israeli Jews, maps of Israeli colonies in Jerusalem and the West Bank and statistics of incarceration, torture and killing to disprove his belief.

But what would my realism/pessimism accomplish? Let's understand one thing. We on the outside, who claim to support the Palestinians, before we support their rights, must support their autonomy, their right to choose their course of action.

Finally, in the last decade of my life, I've come to believe more and more in non-violence, for a variety of personal and intellectual and religious reasons. Dr. Izzeldin does quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. He writes:

I understood down to my bones that violence is futile, a waste of time, lives and resources, and has been proven to beget more violence. It does not work, just perpetuates a vicious cricle.
If he were to talk about non-violence or if he were to publish a book on the topic, I believe he would be an effective and profound advocate of non-violence.

The final chapter, "Aftermath," lays out his ideas for the path to peace. The first step is to tell the truth. We cannot pretend that Israel is not built on the property of the 1947-8 Palestinians. We cannot deny that Israel is oppressing non-Jews throughout Palestine.

Both sides must abandon "rhetoric which trumps the facts on the ground." Women must have a greater say in decisions of war and peace, which means their roles in society must change, a primary goal of the Dr. Izzeldin's Daughters for Life Foundation.

Dr.Izzeldin does not put much stock in negotiations. Rather, the road to peace is in the hands of millions of individual Jews and Palestinians:

... [C]oexistence and co-operation, partnership and sharing at the grassroots level, is the only way forward for Palestinians and Israelis. Rather than talking about peace or forgiveness, let's talk about trust, dignity, our shared humanity, and the one hundred thousand other steps it takes to finally achieve peace and forgiveness. ... [T]here is no "magic" square metre, or hilltop, or valley, that if ceded by one side to the other will bring about peace in the Middle East. Peace can only come bout after an internal shift -- on both sides. What we need is repsect, and the inner strength to refuse to hate. Then we will achieve peace.

I do want to ask Dr. Izzeldin what he thinks about the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, most particularly its academic and cultural components.

Worthy of note is Dr. Izzeldin's emphasis on medicine and public health as uniquely capable of building trust, since these fields force its practicioners and its beneficiaries to view people as humans first, not as members of a different ethnic or religious group.

Most readers will come to this book because of Dr. Izzeldin's tremendous personal tragedy, which I have not discussed in this review because I feel that my words would profane it and his words are readily available.

May Allah jalla jalaalu grant forgiveness to the killed, admit them to Paradise as martyrs, heal the injured, grant patience to the survivors to endure their loss, and forgive me and the rest of the Muslims for our continued betrayal of the Palestinians and other suffering peoples.

It definitely met my expectations. Even though it's compelling message was enormously ignored in the recent Gaza war, I am recommending it to many associates and relatives..

Howard Cort
www.approachestocoexistence.com

I couldn't put the book down!

I feel the other book reviews have done an excellent job so I will not repeat their poignant knowledge expressed. I have tried to keep myself educated with the conflicts in the Middle East. Yet, this book was very different experience for me. Once I started reading I could not put the book down. The book is a personal journey of Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish that I wept in grief, sorrow, hope, and joy for. I also was educated in a very different way in what the psychodynamic/ analytic community calls "Mentaizing"- putting oneself in one's shoes. I did not have judgment politically against any side of the conflicts during his story. I did find myself having empathy and sadness for everyone in this conflict.

There is an a good interview by Steve Palkin on YouTube and another video of Dr. Abuelaish's tragedy as it happened live. Palkin questioned/states Abuelaish's ideas of peace are "very dangerous ideas from the lunic fridge on both sides." I think Palkin asks some very real questions that might have overly optimistic answers from Dr. Abuelaish's. I hope I'm wrong. The book has a few themes that are repetitive. I would recommend to YouTube after reading the book since I do not feel the story and messages is captured well in the videos, but is a good adjunct to the book.

All said- I have felt inspired and found so much humanity from both sides and worldwide. Dr. Abuelaish's journey out of rubble and how he has beaten the odds to successes.... I would of thought impossible.

I am amazed at how little I really knew about Gaza and the reality of the situation. Everyone should read this story to be able to understand what really happens there. Dr. Abuelish is an inspiration for all of us about living and promoting peace in a nightmare of a place.

Very thought-provoking. The only man I know who said similar words is the God-man, Jesus, who from the Cross said, "Father, Forgive them." I could hope that somehow He enabled or influenced such an amazing reaction by Dr Abuelaish. This spirit is certainly an example for all of us.

Until I read this book, I had no idea of what life in the Gaza strip was like. This was a moving book, written without the self pity or retaliatory attitude one would expect. It made me look at the Israel - Palestinian conflict differently!

In some ways an easy read. In other ways a very difficult read. Without a question a necessary read...for every man woman and child affected by the turmoil in the Middle East. The author has more reason to hate than many but explains why it is time to build bridges instead of walls.

I found this book so compelling,did not want to put it down. I did some further reading elsewhere to learn more about the Gaza Strip. I was rather embarressed that I knew so little about the horrific situation there.

Did anyone simply stop and ask, why was Abuelaish's residence 'specifically targeted' with a direct hit, from amongst all those other dwellings in that residential building ?!

Obviously, there was no shooting coming from that particular dwelling, and quite likely from no other in the building, unless of course the tank commander was an atrociously 'lousy aim', really now ?!

What was the Israeli government's 'intent' in having the IDF pummel his residence, in such a manner, at the closing of Operation Cast Lead ?!

Surely there must have been a 'lesson' being drilled home, no pun intended ?!

We may never know ?!

Abuelaish needs to return home and work through his grief which has evidently progressed into a 'complicated bereavement'.

His audiences are not there to be recipients of his therapeutic 'catharsis' nor his superfluous and inexplicit 'sermons'.

Having so little to offer otherwise, he tearily and repetitiously shares his personal tragedies, providing nothing more than some lofty preaching about "human being" this, "humanity" that, "man-made" this, "diagnosis" that, "disease" this, and so forth, ad infinitum.

His 'lack of sophistication' is painfully embarrassing, however people need such an individual, for he serves many different 'uses' to many different people;

*Those who are Righteous, are affirmed by his stance.

*Those needing to feel Hope, are provided an illusory faint glimmer.

*Those who may feel Guilt, are acquitted by his so-called forgiveness.

*Those uncomfortable with Anger, are reassured by his supposed denial of it.

*Those, wanting to espouse their Cause, namely Zionist Israel, parade him as a tacit supporter. And here you have this simpleton of a person, Abuelaish, allowing himself to be co-opted by his oppressors. His 'naivete' is truly baneful.

Although undoubtedly a good person with noteworthy humanity, he also unfortunately, represents a textbook example of;

Identification With The Aggressor

This is the 'Unconscious' process in which a person adopts the 'perspective' of an abuser or captor.

There is nothing necessarily all that 'noble' about these individuals.

On the contrary, persons such as he, have lost a portion of 'self-identity', and no longer retain their distinct sense of 'individualism'.

Having been 'accepted' by his oppressors to work amongst them, he undoubtedly came to see 'their' light, so to speak.

Of course, he, like any normal person, becomes emotionally angry when having had to contend with the injustice he experienced.

Presumably too, like any normal person, he experiences, from time to time, a conscious expression of this very same emotion, in the form of 'hatred'.

Understandably, in his case, and to his credit, he has 'not generalized' this hatred, nor should he.

However, to simply deceive himself, and others, into thinking that he has neither anger nor hate, borders on 'hypocrisy'.

He would have garnered more respect if he merely acknowledged these, and then put them in proper perspective, namely 'angry at injustice' and 'hatred for it's display'.

Someone should ask his daughters if they Hate being dead ?!

World renowned French Jewish anthropologist, Claude Levi-Strauss (1908-2009) once said;

"I have never known so much naive conviction allied to greater intellectual poverty"

For even the much revered Mahatma Gandhi didn't view himself as idealistic;

"I have learned one supreme lesson through bitter experience, and that is to Conserve My Hatred. Just as heat can be conserved and then transmuted into energy, so can our Controlled Anger be transmuted into a power which can move the world"

The messages of this book are clear and are reiterated several times. However, the writer never goes beyond stating his positions-- love being a doctor, life in Palestine is terrible, family is a blessing, and he does not hate. It is amazing that he does not hate, but this book does not give any real insight to anything. I say shame on the editor for the poor quality. This book reminded me of how 5th graders write--statements without description, support, or elaboration. I would not recommend this book.

This man had every reason to hate but instead he chose another way, to love others through being a doctor, by using his skills to heal. It shows that we can all change our thoughts if we want to, and go down another road. Anyone who has an interest in the middle east, and the conflict there should read this book, as well as Christians, to learn that we have to hear both sides of a story. But above all we have to love each other.

Never eally got the book! Just a few pages, I guess to test-read. I now have to check if I payed for the whole book or just for the few pages. I will be extremely careful to order any othe book through the store.
Rolf Nissen, M.D.

This is an incredible journey, a must read for those who pray for peace in the Middle East! I’d recommend this book to everyone, especially for those who want to understand world affairs and the human beings that are tragically caught in the crossfire.