Rating: 
Summary: Strangers in the House
Review: A former political activist in the occupied territories looks back on his youthful struggle to come to terms with his father, as well as with an idealized Palestinian past and an unrealized Palestinian future. Shehadeh, a lawyer and a writer who now lives quietly in the West Bank town of Ramallah, founded the internationally respected human rights organization Al Haq, which mounted legal challenges to Israeli settlements on the West Bank and exposed the treatment of Palestinians in Israeli prisons. Raja's father, Aziz Shehadeh, was also a prominent lawyer and a political activist. A refugee from Jaffa following the 1948 conflict, Aziz came to believe that recognizing Israel was the only way to maintain a Palestinian nation. He was condemned by Arab nationalists and also drew fire when he became the defense attorney for those accused of assassinating King Abdullah of Jordan. He was murdered in 1985, not for his political beliefs but probably over a minor legal wrangle. All this lays the foundation for Raja's reflections on his childhood, during which family members incessantly recalled their former comforts and refused to confront the reality of the Israeli takeover. Chapters about Raja's education in London and India reveal the emotional conflict between father and son, as well as Raja's efforts to find a role for himself in the political struggle between Palestinians and Israelis. Partly as a result of his disillusionment with the Israeli investigation of his father's murder, he affiliated with the first intifada and became a legal advisor to the Palestinians at the Madrid peace conference in 1991. He left "in despair a year after they began." Shehadeh also describes eloquently the devastation of the biblical hills surrounding his home as Israeli bulldozers make room for settlements. A memoir both political and personal, offering a human and humane perspective on one Palestinian's life.
Rating: 
Summary: Smoke but no Fire...
Review: A great book showing the struggles that the Palestinians go through in their every day life in Palestine. How Israel was able to find herself a home out of no where, claim it and get all the support to stay.The book tells how things even got worse by the arabs who kept on waiting to get involved, how all the dreams were only on paper, and how only talking about solutions and victory has to be followed by actions. It also demonstrates how the Palestinains themselves did not have a great vision from the beginning, and how with time they have lost everything they believed they will get back. Now they find themselves in a worse situation than they were almost 40 years ago, when they only wanted to fight back against an enemy who is much more prepared, and recognized in the world. One more aspect the book shows is how emotional people can be, not wanting to hear what is the truth, and how that can lead to a very sad and unjustified crime. Beautifully written, not another history book, Shahadeh takes you through his daily struggle in the area, with his father, society, and himself to give you the best and cleares picture.
Rating:
Summary: A must read!
Review: An amazing reflection of the author's life in occupied Palestine. A non-bios and educational book of the daily life of Palestinians, and the oppression they face due to the Israeli occupation. A must read if you want to get the real picture about what goes on in that region, away from the propaganda of the media. The book also describes the personal life of the author, especially his relationship with his father. The author blends the two subjects very well making the book both entertaining and educational
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous -- a must-read
Review: Like his earlier book "Samed," this is a fabulous book. Raja Shehadeh writes about life under occupation with great nuance and perception. He gets far beyond the headlines we all see (suicide bombers, Israeli shootings etc.) and shows the toll that the past 50 years of conflict have taken on the daily life of Palestinian people -- the daily little perversions of one's worklife or family life that don't make headlines but are so grueling and demoralizing. He writes beautifully about his relationship with his father... about his own process of growing up. As someone who is Jewish and has spent time in Israel, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the Israeli/Palestinian conflict on a human level. If we had leaders on both sides who were like Shehadeh, I believe we could easily end this tragic conflict.
Rating:
Summary: A Courageous Man
Review: Shehadeh's book is perhaps the only one to lay out the multi-faceted nature of the Israeli-Palestinian-Arab conflict. Or, as Shehadeh, puts it so eloquently a conflict between Palestinians, Israelis, the "inside" and the "outside". For me, the most touching moment of the book came when the young Shehadeh heard the PLO radio denounce his father for daring to work for a two-state solution. "A.S.," it declared, "you are a traitor, a despicable collaborator. You want to surrender and sell your birthright. We know how to deal with the likes of you. A. S. you shall pay for your treason. We shall eliminate you. Silence you forever. Traitor. Collaborator. Quisling." The PLO quite simply could not afford to lose the funding it received from the surrounding Arab states to create a peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians and also to ensure that Israel would no longer "be the subject of fiery speeches in which the people's rage could be articulated and released-they would be distracted from dealing with all that was wrong at home." The PLO simply could not afford peace because it wasn't being paid to bring about either peace or an independent Palestinian State; it was being paid to keep the Palestinians miserable and angry. To ensure that the Palestinian plight remained a distraction for the Arabs earning for democracy. Shehadeh's father dared to stand up to the PLO and its backers. He was murdered. And now, his son is carrying on his father's work. It is our job to make sure that Raja's life lasts longer than his father's.
Rating:
Summary: A Courageous Man
Review: Shehadeh's book is perhaps the only one to lay out the multi-faceted nature of the Israeli-Palestinian-Arab conflict. Or, as Shehadeh, puts it so eloquently a conflict between Palestinians, Israelis, the "inside" and the "outside". For me, the most touching moment of the book came when the young Shehadeh heard the PLO radio denounce his father for daring to work for a two-state solution. "A.S.," it declared, "you are a traitor, a despicable collaborator. You want to surrender and sell your birthright. We know how to deal with the likes of you. A. S. you shall pay for your treason. We shall eliminate you. Silence you forever. Traitor. Collaborator. Quisling." The PLO quite simply could not afford to lose the funding it received from the surrounding Arab states to create a peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians and also to ensure that Israel would no longer "be the subject of fiery speeches in which the people's rage could be articulated and released-they would be distracted from dealing with all that was wrong at home." The PLO simply could not afford peace because it wasn't being paid to bring about either peace or an independent Palestinian State; it was being paid to keep the Palestinians miserable and angry. To ensure that the Palestinian plight remained a distraction for the Arabs earning for democracy. Shehadeh's father dared to stand up to the PLO and its backers. He was murdered. And now, his son is carrying on his father's work. It is our job to make sure that Raja's life lasts longer than his father's.
Rating:
Summary: A civilian's perspective
Review: The author effectively tells the Palestinian-Israeli story from a civilian's perspective. Too often in war we forget about the innocent bystanders in a conflict. Most of the time the vast majority of people living in an area, caught up in a war, are just trying to live and raise a family. Shehadeh helps us understand that the vast majority of Palestinians are trying to do just that, but they can't since they have been displaced. Heart-wrenching.
Rating:
Summary: A civilian's perspective
Review: The author effectively tells the Palestinian-Israeli story from a civilian's perspective. Too often in war we forget about the innocent bystanders in a conflict. Most of the time the vast majority of people living in an area, caught up in a war, are just trying to live and raise a family. Shehadeh helps us understand that the vast majority of Palestinians are trying to do just that, but they can't since they have been displaced. Heart-wrenching.
Rating:
Summary: Strangers in the House
Review: There is no doubt that Raja Shehaded is a well meaning and peaceful man. The Mid East would be a land of milk and honey if most of its inhabitants shared his noble aims. However, Shehaded mistakenly blames the present Israeli conflict for the central reason behind the rage of the Palestinian Arabs. The author's father was likely assassinated by militant Arabs because he advocated cooperation and coexistence with Israel. And yet, the author ironically still fails to concede that a large number of Palestinians will not be satisfied until the Jewish state is driven into the sea. Shehaded complains about the restrictions placed upon the movement of Palestinian citizens while virtually ignoring Israel's legitimate concerns to curtail violence. His charges of harassment and humiliation ring somewhat hollow when the whole situation is taken into context. Why doesn't Shehaded react more strongly against the murderous militants who force Israel to enact such draconian measures? He also seems to downplay their virulent anti-Semitism. Raja Shehaded argues that peace mostly depends upon Israeli willingness to compromise. The Palestinians who have opted for death and destruction are portrayed as more than willing to lay down their arms once a just settlement is reached. Many categorically reject such a sanguine prediction. Bernard Lewis, for instance, in his most recent book, What Went Wrong?, is convinced that the whole Arab world is wallowing in rage and bitterness due to its falling behind the West. The Palestinians are merely a microcosm of wider Arab anger over the failure of the Muslim world to achieve anything significant in the last 400-500 years. Eric Hoffer's seminal work, The True Believer, points to the yearning of some people to seek a nihilistic cause to assuage their existential need for meaning. Eventually returning to a life of everyday normal concerns is a near impossibility. Admittedly, though, Shehaded has a valid point when objecting to the added Israeli settlements in the so-called occupied (the term disputed would be more accurate) territories. The author is right on target for blaming Israel for exacerbating an already volatile situation. Shehaded may jump to some erroneous conclusions, but he still is a voice for reasonableness and compromise. Unfortunately, the evidence indicates that few Palestinians care to listen to this decent and life affirming man. One can only hope that Raja Shehaded's influence dramatically increases in the immediate future.
Rating:
Summary: Author misunderstands real reason behind Palestinian rage
Review: There is no doubt that Raja Shehaded is a well meaning and peaceful man. The Mid East would be a land of milk and honey if most of its inhabitants shared his noble aims. However, Shehaded mistakenly blames the present Israeli conflict for the central reason behind the rage of the Palestinian Arabs. The author's father was likely assassinated by militant Arabs because he advocated cooperation and coexistence with Israel. And yet, the author ironically still fails to concede that a large number of Palestinians will not be satisfied until the Jewish state is driven into the sea. Shehaded complains about the restrictions placed upon the movement of Palestinian citizens while virtually ignoring Israel's legitimate concerns to curtail violence. His charges of harassment and humiliation ring somewhat hollow when the whole situation is taken into context. Why doesn't Shehaded react more strongly against the murderous militants who force Israel to enact such draconian measures? He also seems to downplay their virulent anti-Semitism. Raja Shehaded argues that peace mostly depends upon Israeli willingness to compromise. The Palestinians who have opted for death and destruction are portrayed as more than willing to lay down their arms once a just settlement is reached. Many categorically reject such a sanguine prediction. Bernard Lewis, for instance, in his most recent book, What Went Wrong?, is convinced that the whole Arab world is wallowing in rage and bitterness due to its falling behind the West. The Palestinians are merely a microcosm of wider Arab anger over the failure of the Muslim world to achieve anything significant in the last 400-500 years. Eric Hoffer's seminal work, The True Believer, points to the yearning of some people to seek a nihilistic cause to assuage their existential need for meaning. Eventually returning to a life of everyday normal concerns is a near impossibility. Admittedly, though, Shehaded has a valid point when objecting to the added Israeli settlements in the so-called occupied (the term disputed would be more accurate) territories. The author is right on target for blaming Israel for exacerbating an already volatile situation. Shehaded may jump to some erroneous conclusions, but he still is a voice for reasonableness and compromise. Unfortunately, the evidence indicates that few Palestinians care to listen to this decent and life affirming man. One can only hope that Raja Shehaded's influence dramatically increases in the immediate future.
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