The Wall Between: What Jews and Palestinians Don't Want to Know about Each Other

by Raja Khouri, Jeffrey Wilkinson

A groundbreaking book that offers concrete ways for Jews and Palestinians to speak (and listen) differently to each other.

The Wall Between is a book about the wall that exists between Jewish and Palestinian communities in the Diaspora. Distrust, enmity, and hate are common currencies. They manifest at university campuses, schools and school boards, at political events, on social media, and in academic circles. For Jews, Israel must exist; for Palestinians, the historic injustice being committed since 1948 must be reversed. Neither wants to know why the Other cannot budge on these issues. The wall is up.

These responses emanate, primarily, from the two “metanarratives” of Jews and the Holocaust and the Nakba. Virtually every response to the struggle, from a member of either community, can be traced back to issues of identity, trauma, and victimhood as they relate to their respective metanarrative. This book examines the role that propaganda and disinformation play in cementing trauma-induced fears for the purpose of making the task of humanizing and acknowledging the Other not just difficult, but almost inconceivable. The authors utilize recent cognitive research on the psychological and social barriers that keep Jews and Palestinians in their camps, walled off from each other. They present a clear way through, one that is justice-centered, rather than trauma-and propaganda-driven.

The authors have lived these principles and traveled this journey, away from their tribal traumas, through embracing the principles of justice. They insist that commitment to the Other means grappling with seemingly incompatible narratives until shared values are decided and acted upon. This book is a call to justice that challenges the status quo of Zionism while at the same time dealing directly with the complex histories that have created the situation today. The book is both realistic and hopeful—a guide for anyone who is open to new possibilities within the Israel-Palestine discourse in the West.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

161 pages, Paperback

Published October 3, 2023

Reviews

[Sarah Sawaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gifted by a lovely friend. Good perspective during a challenging time.

[Barbara McVeigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prescient in its publication, an important book to read at this time. How to talk about seemingly intractable issues? I was lucky to hear the two authors speak recently about the book and share their personal journeys in their personal and professional relationships.

[Sally Woodard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned so much from this book. I learned even more by searching the internet everytime i came across historical references of which I had no previous knowledge.
The Palestinian/Israel relationship is so complex.
The solution comes through communication, listening and sharing. I am inspired by the authors and hope that i can listen to others as well as they listen to each other.
It does not have the answer to the conflict - at least not the black and white, 2 state or 1 state plan laid out. It just outlines the sort of information that really needs to be heard in order for any chance for a lasting solution that respects both sides.

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. There was some excellent info and perspectives in this books but there was also important topics missing or dismissed and statements made without sources. I was also sometimes unsure who the target audience was exactly as the book slipped back and forwards into speaking more to non-Jews/non-Palestinians in the West, rather than the two diaspora groups it claims to be addressing. Maybe I crave more focus there. In the end, I hope this is the first of many books like this to be written and I’ll return to excerpts in the future.

[mattbarnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the concept of the book was quite interesting and relatively engaging, the writing was poorly executed. The authors belabour the same talking points over, and over, and over, and over… once you are about halfway through the book, you’ve probably read the same rephrased paragraph about a dozen different times. A solid book overall but not a great book.

[Deirdre B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book. The authors have taken an educated approach to a very complex topic, with a vision towards peace. It’s a read that has the power to help shift paradigms, and influence change.

[Mimi Schweid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Passages that will keep me up at night;

The debate must never be about who was more victimized by their respective histories, as both groups have experienced victimization, and still do. While Jews have experienced centuries of oppression at the hands of the powerful, Zionism, particularly from 1948 forward, gave Jews the power over another, weaker, opponent: the Palestinians. With a combination of military might, technical and social ingenuity, and the support of Western countries, especially the United States, Israel became a thriving nation-state and a formidable foe to anyone who would threaten it. (pg 64)


"In many ways, the picture we have painted of the present Israel- Palestine discourse in the West is fairly bleak. We have outlined how this has happened and, we trust, made the case for why it is necessary to change course. In the last section of the book, we make the case for a brighter and more hopeful discourse, one driven by "values-forward thinking." If you have been convinced that our discourse must change, or even if you already knew that, then Part IV is our partial remedy for the current toxicity in the struggle over here about the struggle over there." (pg 110).

I'm very happy I read this book. It was a lot of information in away that was easily digestible but not always easy to read. I'm grateful the book exists and hope with the knowledge from this, I can have further conversations involving this topic with more information on my side.

[LunaSanguine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has some weaknesses: in some moments it has a weird both side ism - quite contrary to other parts where the book highlight that there is a very real power imbalance with Israel being way more powerful than Palestinians. In some places it also felt like the book kinda minimizes problems of antisemitism in the West.
Also this book was published very obviously before October 7 2023 and that makes it obviously outdated in some regards.
And yet I feel like this is a very valuable book because it has a calm, empathetic way of speaking with the reader that might open some doors for dialogues.
I love that the book includes questions for book clubs and the like. These questions are also aimed at the goal to understand different perspectives and find common ground.
Generally I feel like this book is a good gift for your pal who wants to protect Jews from antisemitism (which is a really good intention) and falls in the trap of not seeing or minimizing Palestinian suffering.

[gabriella · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This reality does not diminish the fact that in order for real change to occur, we have to deal with— and care for— each other.”

education and an open mind is the path towards true freedom and justice. this book helped me tremendously in taking the steps towards seeing the other in ways i haven’t before, coming from someone who is pro-palestine. everyone, from either side, please take the opportunity to read this very short, concise book that helps build empathy for all!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Super accessible discussion on Palestine/Israel, written by a Canadian Palestinian and a Canadian Israeli who have been in thoughtful dialogue on the topic for years.

The authors work to thoughtfully present the history, fears, and trauma that fuel both parties, with a goal of breaking down the Othering that occurs to justify conflict. Throughout the book, they do no claim to present "absolute truth" but rather is "working through contradictions in the narrative" (e.g., "Zionism is the realization of a Jewish homeland. Zionism is the destruction of Palestinan society"). Ultimately, the authors do not condone the conflict and hope this book can help break down the wall between Palestine and Israel (both literally and figuratively).

Despite being short, this is a book worth taking in slowly, with pauses to digest.

[Cal D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an interesting read that skims the surface of the history of Israel and Palestine and a discussion of Jewish and Palestinian narratives.

It was interesting to learn about the psychology behind why folks feel so strongly on issues and how propaganda has exacerbated tensions.

I found the takeaways from this book to be relevant to many polarizing issues that we’re dealing with today.

I find myself feeling hopeless and helpless with so many of the conversations happening in the U.S. and I felt a little less hopeless after reading this book.

[John Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

All well and good to change narratives to build relationships between Jew and Palestinians as the authors urge. The hard truth of the present is two peoples living on one small slice of territory. This reality they did not tackle.

[Patricia Sonntag · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book about a very complex challenge.

[James Adair · Rating 4 out of 5]

A difficult read, it challenges your conceptions and the ideas you hold even as an outsider to the struggle

[Mike Funergy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was wonderful.

As someone who grew up with a strong narrative (Jewish in North America), something never quite sat right for me, which was an unpopular opinion in my community. But reading the other side didn't sit right either.

This is the first time I've read something that made sense to me, and it was really amazing to see the same issues shown from both sides. I could finally see why both sides never sat with me - they were arguing about the same thing from a different perspective, with neither side acknowledging the other perspective.

Great insights, especially for those like me who grew up with one of the two narratives without the other.

[Rob Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Co-written by a Jew and a Palestinian Arab, this book explores the history of the conflict between these two historically marginalized groups from the perspective of each. While the co-authors are both academics, the book does not read like a text book. I had wanted to understand more about the long history of this conflict, and this book did not disappoint. I now have a far greater understanding of the conflict from both perspectives, as well as a sense of what it is going to take to finally resolve it and move forward. Spoiler alert: It won't be easy.

[Ilana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I was expecting more balanced writing. The narrative was offensive. The authors kept repeating that Israel's right to exist lies solely on the basis of the Holocaust. They repeatedly excused any form of Palestinian resistance as inseparable from Palestinian existence. They also kept framing pro-Israel as this Goliath in Western culture without acknowledging the millions of dollars invested by Qatar and other nations to propagate anti-Israel propaganda, particularly in colleges and universities. Finally, this book obviously was written in 2023 prior to October 7th and the aftermath of that massacre... or what these authors would probably busy call justified resistance.

[niko · Rating 4 out of 5]

holds the reader's hand very gently through the emotional/psychological dimensions underlying the Israel/Palestine conversation in the diaspora. useful framings to have on hand for the next dinner with your liberal relatives who don't love the genocide but also think college activists are being too mean about it.

[Ethan Melville · Rating 5 out of 5]

as a jew this helped me discover the path forward in a community i have felt ostracized from, i hope to use this book to help others understand the palestinian struggle.

[Jenni]

Read over the summer. Might be forgetting a significant impression but I think I just thought it was fine -- nothing remarkable.

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written less than a year before the October 7th attack, the authors--a Palestinian and a Jew--aim "to challenge the narratives that have been so embedded that we are not really hearing each other at all." The metaphoric "Wall" of the title has been dramatically fortified since this was published, and it feels urgent to step back and understand how these radically polarized stories about Antisemitism, Zionism & the Nakba, and Palestinan resistance have emerged from issues of identity, trauma, and victimhood. The authors make a strong case about why it is so hard to see past these stories to recognize that another version exists on the other side of the proverbial "wall." They are not naive about the obstacles to a peaceful common understanding, nor are they blind to the imbalance of power and propaganda that sustains the divisions between Israeli Jews and Palestinians. They do a nice job laying out the competing narratives, and tracking how the wall became "hardened" and "weaponized." Sometimes the ideas get a bit repetitive, and the goal of articulating a way forward that is justice-based is less successful than the goal of illuminating the way Jews and Palestinians are tied to their competing narratives. The authors do have some tangible suggestions for approaching this topic in a way that breaks the cycle of tribalism and propaganda. I still value the idea of stepping back to understand and truly listen to the "other," and that feels essential if we are to find a way forward through this horrible, horrible historical moment.