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Crossing Mandelbaum Gate: Coming of Age Between the Arabs and Israelis
Crossing Mandelbaum Gate is a vivid memoir of an American boy growing up in the midst of the Arab-Israeli conflict, three major wars and three decades of political upheavals in the Middle East. Set in Jerusalem (1956-1958), Beirut (1970), Saudi Arabia (1962-1965), Amman and Cairo (1965-1967), Bird's book explains through a blend of memoir and history why the Western experience in the Middle East has been so turbulent. Through Bird's Zelig-like presence, the reader experiences the Suez War of 1956, the June 1967 War and the Black September hijackings of 1970 that led to the Jordanian Civil War. Bird's memoir shows how all of these momentous events led to the rise and tragic downfall of a secular Arab nationalist ethos -- only to be replaced by the rise of a fundamentalist, politically reactionary Islamist movement. The narrative history tells the stories of such illuminating figures as life-long Jerusalem resident George Antonius, author of The Arab Awakening, and his charismatic wife; Jordan's King Hussein and his CIA connections; the businessman Salem bin Laden, Osama's older brother and a family friend; Saudi kings Faisal and Khalidl; President Nasser of Egypt; and Leila Khaled, the striking young Palestinian radical who hijacked one of the Black September planes.
The son of a U.S. Foreign Service officer, Kai Bird spent his formative years with the Arabs, but he ended up marrying the only daughter of two Holocaust survivors. This Shoah survival story becomes a part of Bird's own personal narrative, and provides him with a deeper understanding of the historical relationship between the destruction of European Jewry and the Arab-Israeli conflict. This extraordinary memoir by a Pulitzer-prize-winning historian sheds new light on all the wars of the Middle East fought in the name of identity.
The son of a U.S. Foreign Service officer, Kai Bird spent his formative years with the Arabs, but he ended up marrying the only daughter of two Holocaust survivors. This Shoah survival story becomes a part of Bird's own personal narrative, and provides him with a deeper understanding of the historical relationship between the destruction of European Jewry and the Arab-Israeli conflict. This extraordinary memoir by a Pulitzer-prize-winning historian sheds new light on all the wars of the Middle East fought in the name of identity.
448 pages, Unknown Binding
First published June 29, 2010
43 people are currently reading
1298 people want to read
About the author
Kai Bird
10 books603 followersKai Bird is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist, best known for his biographies of political figures. He has also won the National Book Critics Circle Award for biography, the Duff Cooper Prize, a Woodrow Wilson Center Fellowship, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He is a Contributing Editor of The Nation magazine.
Bird was born in 1951. His father was a U.S. Foreign Service officer, and he spent his childhood in Jerusalem, Beirut, Dhahran, Cairo and Bombay. He finished high school in 1969 at Kodaikanal International School in Tamil Nadu, South India. He received his BA from Carleton College in 1973 and a M.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University in 1975. Bird now lives in Miami Beach, Florida with his wife, Susan Goldmark, and their son, Joshua.
Bird was born in 1951. His father was a U.S. Foreign Service officer, and he spent his childhood in Jerusalem, Beirut, Dhahran, Cairo and Bombay. He finished high school in 1969 at Kodaikanal International School in Tamil Nadu, South India. He received his BA from Carleton College in 1973 and a M.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University in 1975. Bird now lives in Miami Beach, Florida with his wife, Susan Goldmark, and their son, Joshua.
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March 8, 2020
Yossi Klein Halevi wrote a book, "Letters To My Palestinian Neighbors" to share his history and perspective of the conflict with the Palestinians. I am a firm believer that we need to deal with the facts on the ground today to address and resolve the conflict; however, understanding the history and perspective of the other side is important to understand those on the other side and their motivations. And "Crossing Mandelbaum Gate" is an excellent book for those who support Jews and Israelis to understand the Palestinians.
Kai Bird is a person who grew up the son of parents who worked in the Foreign Service who were assigned to many different assignments throughout the Middle East and India. In the 50's he spent many formative years in Jordanian East Jerusalem; however, as a privileged child, he was allowed to cross over to Israeli West Jerusalem every day to attend school. Curiously, he never commented on why he did not go to school in East Jerusalem.
Obviously he formed many strong connections to Palestinians. He also has a unique perspective on Arabs in general. After East Jerusalem, his parents were assigned to Saudi Arabia and then Egypt. He also spent a year at University in Beirut. So he probably in a better position to understand Arabs and present their perspective to an English speaking audience than most.
And that perspective is most enlightening. It is not done in a confrontational position, it is just sharing his view of the events in the Middle East and Israel through a different lens. His sympathy for the Palestinians and Arabs is quite apparent; however, not judgemental. For example, his view of The Six Day War is that Israel was the aggressor and that Nassar and Egypt really did not really want to go to war. He downplays the closing of the Straits of Tiran by Nassar, what the world recognized as a causus beli, stating that shipping from Eilat through the straits was inconsequential. I do not think he was making excuses, I think he was simply stating the Egyptian perspective.
And it is not as if he were not impacted by the terror in the Middle East. His girlfriend at the time was one of the passengers who was hijacked by PFLP, the event that initiated Black September. Her life was threatened when her plane was hijacked and rerouted to an abandoned airbase in Jordan. She spent three days as a victim. And later, Kai meets the spokesman for the hijackers. So Kai had a real sense of the best and worst of what was occurring in the Arab Middle East.
In fact, he does in the third part of the book attempt to connect with Jews and a Jewish/Israeli perspective. He ends up marrying the daughter of Holocaust survivors. He then explores his wife's parents' journey of survival through the Holocaust to America. In what I think is the most powerful part of the book he connects his wife's mothers' trip back to the house she grew up in that was stolen from her by the Nazis to a Palestinian who decided to abandon his home in Rechavia, a neighborhood in West Jerusalem. After the reunification of Jerusalem, Dr. Kalbian also went and visited his former home.
He attempts to present history through the lens of growing up in the Middle East. Some of it was very informative. Although I did know some of the background of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, he definitely filled in much for me. He also filled out much of my knowledge of Black September when the PLO was purged from Jordan. All these raise questions on what would have happened if the United States did not intervene? Would the Saudi's still be in control of Saudi Arabia? Would they have continued to fund the Wahabi's who exported their virulent form of Islam throughout the Middle East and the world? Would there have been an Osama Bin Laden? If King Hussein fell in September 1970 would Jordan have become the Palestinian State? We will never know the truth, but we do see the consequences of what happens when decisions are made to stick with what you know instead of seeing how events will play out.
I find the book fails when he puts on his journalist's hat. Today, many journalists feel they have to provide not only facts but provide judgment on them. I am not naive to think that facts are not presented through a perspective lens; that is why I read the book. However, it is when he brings in his judgment to the book, he demonstrates his ignorance and bias.
Since I am not as familiar with the histories of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, I noticed the judgments; however, I was unable to evaluate their veracity. I was able to have a better read on the establishment of the State of Israel. He is obviously well-read on many international subjects including Zionism and Israeli history. He seems to have only selected books that support his perspective of the world. He chose to read the Israeli historian Tom Segev, who presents a different picture of the history of the Jewish state than most. And yet, when Tom Segev came to the conclusion that there is viable partner for peace today, Kai seems to dismiss Segev. He also, through his employment meets Hillel Kook whose perspective of Israel is one of a secular state and in turn judges and dismisses many of the activities that went on in the early days of Zionism. He associates Chaim Weizmann solely with "messianic Zionism," not a religious belief, but the belief that all Jews should return to Israel; however, one of Chaim Weizmann's advisors was Ahad Ha'am, the detractor of "messianic Zionism." He never even mentions Ahad Ha'am who came before Hillel Kook who had similar beliefs that Jews in America would not make Aliyah. As a matter of fact, he never mentions Ahad Ha'am who predated Hillel Kook by half a century.
He presents pivotal events such as the Altalena and Deir Yassin out of context and extremely one dimensional. For all the history and research he put into the other parts of his book, this was extremely disappointing. Although he attempted to balance out the book in the end, it is clear that his understanding of Zionism and Israeli history is extremely one-sided. He made a connection to Judaism and Israel through marriage, has been involved with the Reform movement and now has a Jewish son. Understanding his perspective on Zionism and Israel is actually a mirror of how those around him in the media and in his life view them.
I did not mind his views on Zionism and Israel because I have read much in these areas. I did not pick up the book to learn about these issues. I read it to learn of the perspective of Arabs, Palestinians and the world that supports them. And in this area, the book was an incredible read. I would caution those who don't have a strong understanding of Zionism and or Israeli history that they supplement this book by reading others. I believe the best book on this subject to start with is "Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn" by Daniel Gordis.
Lastly, I will say that Kai Bird is an amazing author and the book is incredibly well written. He has won the Pulitzer Prize with Martin Sherwin for "American Prometheus" about Robert Oppenheimer. I now want to read that; however, I have to believe this book was a labor of love for Kai Bird since he was involved in the events in a very personal way. And from that point of view, I believe he put even more into this book.
I would highly recommend this book to any person especially Jews and Israelis who do want to understand a different perspective of how they look at events in the Middle East.
Kai Bird is a person who grew up the son of parents who worked in the Foreign Service who were assigned to many different assignments throughout the Middle East and India. In the 50's he spent many formative years in Jordanian East Jerusalem; however, as a privileged child, he was allowed to cross over to Israeli West Jerusalem every day to attend school. Curiously, he never commented on why he did not go to school in East Jerusalem.
Obviously he formed many strong connections to Palestinians. He also has a unique perspective on Arabs in general. After East Jerusalem, his parents were assigned to Saudi Arabia and then Egypt. He also spent a year at University in Beirut. So he probably in a better position to understand Arabs and present their perspective to an English speaking audience than most.
And that perspective is most enlightening. It is not done in a confrontational position, it is just sharing his view of the events in the Middle East and Israel through a different lens. His sympathy for the Palestinians and Arabs is quite apparent; however, not judgemental. For example, his view of The Six Day War is that Israel was the aggressor and that Nassar and Egypt really did not really want to go to war. He downplays the closing of the Straits of Tiran by Nassar, what the world recognized as a causus beli, stating that shipping from Eilat through the straits was inconsequential. I do not think he was making excuses, I think he was simply stating the Egyptian perspective.
And it is not as if he were not impacted by the terror in the Middle East. His girlfriend at the time was one of the passengers who was hijacked by PFLP, the event that initiated Black September. Her life was threatened when her plane was hijacked and rerouted to an abandoned airbase in Jordan. She spent three days as a victim. And later, Kai meets the spokesman for the hijackers. So Kai had a real sense of the best and worst of what was occurring in the Arab Middle East.
In fact, he does in the third part of the book attempt to connect with Jews and a Jewish/Israeli perspective. He ends up marrying the daughter of Holocaust survivors. He then explores his wife's parents' journey of survival through the Holocaust to America. In what I think is the most powerful part of the book he connects his wife's mothers' trip back to the house she grew up in that was stolen from her by the Nazis to a Palestinian who decided to abandon his home in Rechavia, a neighborhood in West Jerusalem. After the reunification of Jerusalem, Dr. Kalbian also went and visited his former home.
He attempts to present history through the lens of growing up in the Middle East. Some of it was very informative. Although I did know some of the background of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, he definitely filled in much for me. He also filled out much of my knowledge of Black September when the PLO was purged from Jordan. All these raise questions on what would have happened if the United States did not intervene? Would the Saudi's still be in control of Saudi Arabia? Would they have continued to fund the Wahabi's who exported their virulent form of Islam throughout the Middle East and the world? Would there have been an Osama Bin Laden? If King Hussein fell in September 1970 would Jordan have become the Palestinian State? We will never know the truth, but we do see the consequences of what happens when decisions are made to stick with what you know instead of seeing how events will play out.
I find the book fails when he puts on his journalist's hat. Today, many journalists feel they have to provide not only facts but provide judgment on them. I am not naive to think that facts are not presented through a perspective lens; that is why I read the book. However, it is when he brings in his judgment to the book, he demonstrates his ignorance and bias.
Since I am not as familiar with the histories of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, I noticed the judgments; however, I was unable to evaluate their veracity. I was able to have a better read on the establishment of the State of Israel. He is obviously well-read on many international subjects including Zionism and Israeli history. He seems to have only selected books that support his perspective of the world. He chose to read the Israeli historian Tom Segev, who presents a different picture of the history of the Jewish state than most. And yet, when Tom Segev came to the conclusion that there is viable partner for peace today, Kai seems to dismiss Segev. He also, through his employment meets Hillel Kook whose perspective of Israel is one of a secular state and in turn judges and dismisses many of the activities that went on in the early days of Zionism. He associates Chaim Weizmann solely with "messianic Zionism," not a religious belief, but the belief that all Jews should return to Israel; however, one of Chaim Weizmann's advisors was Ahad Ha'am, the detractor of "messianic Zionism." He never even mentions Ahad Ha'am who came before Hillel Kook who had similar beliefs that Jews in America would not make Aliyah. As a matter of fact, he never mentions Ahad Ha'am who predated Hillel Kook by half a century.
He presents pivotal events such as the Altalena and Deir Yassin out of context and extremely one dimensional. For all the history and research he put into the other parts of his book, this was extremely disappointing. Although he attempted to balance out the book in the end, it is clear that his understanding of Zionism and Israeli history is extremely one-sided. He made a connection to Judaism and Israel through marriage, has been involved with the Reform movement and now has a Jewish son. Understanding his perspective on Zionism and Israel is actually a mirror of how those around him in the media and in his life view them.
I did not mind his views on Zionism and Israel because I have read much in these areas. I did not pick up the book to learn about these issues. I read it to learn of the perspective of Arabs, Palestinians and the world that supports them. And in this area, the book was an incredible read. I would caution those who don't have a strong understanding of Zionism and or Israeli history that they supplement this book by reading others. I believe the best book on this subject to start with is "Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn" by Daniel Gordis.
Lastly, I will say that Kai Bird is an amazing author and the book is incredibly well written. He has won the Pulitzer Prize with Martin Sherwin for "American Prometheus" about Robert Oppenheimer. I now want to read that; however, I have to believe this book was a labor of love for Kai Bird since he was involved in the events in a very personal way. And from that point of view, I believe he put even more into this book.
I would highly recommend this book to any person especially Jews and Israelis who do want to understand a different perspective of how they look at events in the Middle East.
February 28, 2011
This is a pretty interesting memoir. His parents were "arabists" with the Foreign Service for his entire life. He talks about he and his family knowing Salem, the brother of Osama bin Laden (apparently polar opposite), living for a time in the same neighborhood as Zarkawi, knowing both the old and the divided Jerusalems. What he has to say about all of these subjects and people is intriguing. He grew up with a knowledge of the suffering and injustice of the Palestinians that most Americans then and now don't have. Not long before meeting his Jewish American future wife, though, he notes his "...passion for the plight of the Palestinians was already tiring." That's the other interesting fact, that his wife is Jewish American daughter of Holocaust survivors. An interesting mix, as no story of either the Nakba or the Nazi Holocaust can avoid discussion of Palestine and Israel and vice versa.
He has an interesting insight as a Foreign Service child before meeting his wife and entering journalism. He seems a bit embarrassed about his early sympathy for Palestinians and acknowledges Palestininan propaganda and referred to that period as a time when he was a partisan. He rightly condemns Palestinian violence and Nazi violence and again, rightly is disgusted by it. He also makes clear his opposition to comparing the Holocaust with the Palestinian experience, which Finklestein would take issue with, but that's another book. In the careful retelling of his wife's parents' and grandparents' ordeals in the Holocaust, he is very detailed. The telling of the arrival of Jews to Palestine and Jewish terrorist groups' murder of Palestinians and immediate takeover of their homes is not really given as much detail, care or disgust. I realize the Holocaust was on a bigger scale and he has more connection to this narrative by marriage, but the crimes were savage and Palestinians didn't deserve to be kicked out. I guess there are only certain times when a journalist may break with the code and condemn criminals- the Holocaust and 9/11 being two biggies; the Nakba clearly not being one.
He does observe many many times where peace could have been achieved between Israelis and Palestinians, but Israelis were the ones who missed the opportunity. In the usual American or Israeli telling, Barak offered the Palestinians a generous offer to which they refused and so this is why Palestinians are in such a mess now; Bird at least doesn't abandon support for Palestinians for the far right narrative of "making the desert bloom" and "there is no such thing as Palestinians." Also revealed are many times we could have stepped in to help, but failed. In fact, we stepped in to help royal families (Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and in Egypt we supported anti-Nasser influences supposedly to combat Communism that led to the Muslim Brotherhood's strengthening, not to mention Iran...) more often - which also led to negative developments in that country and the Israel/Palestine issue.
Today, the notion of Israel as a secular, democratic and possibly binational state is still controversial, but strangely even more taboo. You can be called an anti-Semite, Holocaust denier, or condemned for calling for the destruction of Israel if you dare talk about the possibility of Israel and Palestine that way. Bird describes how the Jewish voices who wanted a multicultural, secular state lost to the messianic Zionists who by their own admission consigned themselves to constant state of war. This was rather interesting as I had assumed Jews were fairly united in wanting a Jewish state in particular.
a quote:
As Avishai observes in his deeply incisive book The Hebrew Republic: "You cannot live in Hebrew and expect no repercussions from its archaic power. You cannot live in a state with an official Judaism, in addition to this Hebrew, and expect no erosion of citizenship. You can, as most Israelis do, speak the language, ignore the archaism, and tolerate the Judaism. But then you should not expect your children to understand what democracy is." (p369-370)
A very truthful take on the matter.
One state was considered at the beginning and I still see this as the best way for all to have rights and live in peace.
http://www.thenation.com/article/hebr...
http://www.kaibird.com/index.php?page...
He has an interesting insight as a Foreign Service child before meeting his wife and entering journalism. He seems a bit embarrassed about his early sympathy for Palestinians and acknowledges Palestininan propaganda and referred to that period as a time when he was a partisan. He rightly condemns Palestinian violence and Nazi violence and again, rightly is disgusted by it. He also makes clear his opposition to comparing the Holocaust with the Palestinian experience, which Finklestein would take issue with, but that's another book. In the careful retelling of his wife's parents' and grandparents' ordeals in the Holocaust, he is very detailed. The telling of the arrival of Jews to Palestine and Jewish terrorist groups' murder of Palestinians and immediate takeover of their homes is not really given as much detail, care or disgust. I realize the Holocaust was on a bigger scale and he has more connection to this narrative by marriage, but the crimes were savage and Palestinians didn't deserve to be kicked out. I guess there are only certain times when a journalist may break with the code and condemn criminals- the Holocaust and 9/11 being two biggies; the Nakba clearly not being one.
He does observe many many times where peace could have been achieved between Israelis and Palestinians, but Israelis were the ones who missed the opportunity. In the usual American or Israeli telling, Barak offered the Palestinians a generous offer to which they refused and so this is why Palestinians are in such a mess now; Bird at least doesn't abandon support for Palestinians for the far right narrative of "making the desert bloom" and "there is no such thing as Palestinians." Also revealed are many times we could have stepped in to help, but failed. In fact, we stepped in to help royal families (Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and in Egypt we supported anti-Nasser influences supposedly to combat Communism that led to the Muslim Brotherhood's strengthening, not to mention Iran...) more often - which also led to negative developments in that country and the Israel/Palestine issue.
Today, the notion of Israel as a secular, democratic and possibly binational state is still controversial, but strangely even more taboo. You can be called an anti-Semite, Holocaust denier, or condemned for calling for the destruction of Israel if you dare talk about the possibility of Israel and Palestine that way. Bird describes how the Jewish voices who wanted a multicultural, secular state lost to the messianic Zionists who by their own admission consigned themselves to constant state of war. This was rather interesting as I had assumed Jews were fairly united in wanting a Jewish state in particular.
a quote:
As Avishai observes in his deeply incisive book The Hebrew Republic: "You cannot live in Hebrew and expect no repercussions from its archaic power. You cannot live in a state with an official Judaism, in addition to this Hebrew, and expect no erosion of citizenship. You can, as most Israelis do, speak the language, ignore the archaism, and tolerate the Judaism. But then you should not expect your children to understand what democracy is." (p369-370)
A very truthful take on the matter.
One state was considered at the beginning and I still see this as the best way for all to have rights and live in peace.
http://www.thenation.com/article/hebr...
http://www.kaibird.com/index.php?page...
June 18, 2010
The last chapter makes the book.
I chose to read this book because I am on a quest to learn about Arab history and the Arab mind, and those intersecting with Israel would be a bonus, or so I thought. I was disappointed. I didn't learn much about either the Arab mind or it's history. The book is Kai Bird's memories and experiences, mostly childhood, of growing up in Arab-controlled West Jerusalem where his father was an American Foreign Service officer. He also lived in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and attended some college in Lebanon. Because he grew up with the Palestinians his bias is very definitely with them, and he makes no apologies about this.
I don't think he even used the word "Muslim" until the last 5 pages of the book. How do you understand anything about the Arabs and leave out their Islamicism? He mentioned the events that concerned Israel in a very detached and cardboard kind of way. When he said the Israelis invaded Lebanon, for example, he glossed over the fact that the Palestinians were camped along the border and attacking Israel from there. Leaving out the Israeli side of events was a serious lack.
One interesting idea I gained from the book is this: In the 1970 Jordan "civil" war, as he calls it, when actually the Palestinian refugees caused so much ruckus in Jordan that the Jordanians had to run them out, he writes about the road not taken. If Israel had let the Palestinians over-throw King Hussein’s monarchy and take over Jordan, as they were about to do, then the Palestinians would have a country and the whole Palestinian-Israeli question may have been solved. It would have been the "Jordanian solution" as the answer for Palestinian self-determination. Right-wing Israelis (Moshe Dayan, Shimon Peres, Ariel Sharon) wanted to actively support the PLO in it’s drive to transform the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan into the Republic of Palestine. As it was, Golda Meir, Abba Eban, and Yitzhak Rabin saw King Hussein as the most moderate of the Arab leaders and thought he might someday conduct a separate peace deal with Israel, and their views prevailed.
That insight offered in the "Black September 1970" chapter and the last chapter, "The Hebrew Republic" are all that make the book worthwhile, in my opinion. The last chapter described the Holocaust and was very moving and meaningful. It also described the making of Israel and some important Jewish writers and thinkers such as Victor Navasky and Hillel Kook, a. k. a. Peter Bergson.
I chose to read this book because I am on a quest to learn about Arab history and the Arab mind, and those intersecting with Israel would be a bonus, or so I thought. I was disappointed. I didn't learn much about either the Arab mind or it's history. The book is Kai Bird's memories and experiences, mostly childhood, of growing up in Arab-controlled West Jerusalem where his father was an American Foreign Service officer. He also lived in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and attended some college in Lebanon. Because he grew up with the Palestinians his bias is very definitely with them, and he makes no apologies about this.
I don't think he even used the word "Muslim" until the last 5 pages of the book. How do you understand anything about the Arabs and leave out their Islamicism? He mentioned the events that concerned Israel in a very detached and cardboard kind of way. When he said the Israelis invaded Lebanon, for example, he glossed over the fact that the Palestinians were camped along the border and attacking Israel from there. Leaving out the Israeli side of events was a serious lack.
One interesting idea I gained from the book is this: In the 1970 Jordan "civil" war, as he calls it, when actually the Palestinian refugees caused so much ruckus in Jordan that the Jordanians had to run them out, he writes about the road not taken. If Israel had let the Palestinians over-throw King Hussein’s monarchy and take over Jordan, as they were about to do, then the Palestinians would have a country and the whole Palestinian-Israeli question may have been solved. It would have been the "Jordanian solution" as the answer for Palestinian self-determination. Right-wing Israelis (Moshe Dayan, Shimon Peres, Ariel Sharon) wanted to actively support the PLO in it’s drive to transform the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan into the Republic of Palestine. As it was, Golda Meir, Abba Eban, and Yitzhak Rabin saw King Hussein as the most moderate of the Arab leaders and thought he might someday conduct a separate peace deal with Israel, and their views prevailed.
That insight offered in the "Black September 1970" chapter and the last chapter, "The Hebrew Republic" are all that make the book worthwhile, in my opinion. The last chapter described the Holocaust and was very moving and meaningful. It also described the making of Israel and some important Jewish writers and thinkers such as Victor Navasky and Hillel Kook, a. k. a. Peter Bergson.
March 13, 2019
The author, the son of a U.S. foreign service officer, grew up as an ex-pat in the Middle East and eventually married an American Jew, the daughter of Holocaust survivors. In this way, he has had the opportunity to view the Israeli/Palestinian conflict from both sides. The Mandelbaum Gate, which separated the Israelis and the Palestinians was a metaphor for this.
This book contained a lot of interesting information not just about Israel and the Palestine but also about Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan....as well as history Israel beginning with Jews resisting the British Mandate in Palestine... through reading this history, missed opportunities for peace surface and it becomes clear that the way things are today was not necessarily foreordained.
I'm interested in continuing to read about this region and it's history as the more I learn the more it seems like there is ever more to learn...
This book contained a lot of interesting information not just about Israel and the Palestine but also about Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan....as well as history Israel beginning with Jews resisting the British Mandate in Palestine... through reading this history, missed opportunities for peace surface and it becomes clear that the way things are today was not necessarily foreordained.
I'm interested in continuing to read about this region and it's history as the more I learn the more it seems like there is ever more to learn...
June 22, 2022
super interesting good information about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the authors POV
March 20, 2017
I was hoping for more personal experiences but nonetheless a very informative book about the Middle Eastern conflict.
February 24, 2023
I really enjoyed Kai Bird’s writing and his personal story, which is very interesting. He takes a thorough look at modern middle eastern history. Since the book was published 13 years ago, I would be curious to know if his feelings about Israel have changed given the explosion of antisemitism not just in the US but around the world. It would be useful, I would think, if he could write a second edition with an update.
August 10, 2024
This is a fascinating memoir by a guy who, though American, grew up in the Middle East, in countries like Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia. He gives a perspective to the conflicts in the region that only someone really objective who actually lives there could give. Great book that I HIGHLY recommend!
January 31, 2014
i read this simul with nina simone stopped singing The Day Nina Simone Stopped Singing and is about author growing up in jerusalem (he moved there as a tot in 1956, you know, suez war blah balh ) his dad was an oregonian (eugene, same as me) and if you ever wondered how the "middle east", palastine, jordan, egypt, syria, levant etc for ever get and be so fucked up, you can just read this book and wonder, how any of that could even be anymore. they been trying to kill each other, put each other in hell, the reservation, the camp, the red line, the wall, the gate, every day for centuries and centuries (though that may not matter as much as if you will survive tuesday i suppose) . and yes, they are all still there, growing olives, herding sheep, building planned cities (along with the walls and tanks)
so i'm gonna paste nina simone ideas here again, as its the same damn thing over and over.
this btw is super well written and a joy to read (as you cry and pound head against wall)
another winner from the feminist press (if ya ever just want to reach down in the sack and snag a good book with your eyes closed, you can't go wrong hardly with FP) about growing up in lebenon. it aint pretty. funny how humans can make life and culture about as miserable, dangerous, sad, unsustainable, bigoted, greedy, ugly, sadistic, unhopeful, heartbreaking, deathly...just look at baltics, balkans, oklahoma, south dakota, ukraine, st petersburg, buchenwald, inner mongolia, bolivia
and in this story;s case, levant.
but despite it all individuals, families, clans, tribes, nations still embrace love, empathy, art, food dance nourishment of the body and soul, to keep 'this machinery of joy" running and laughing and drinking and singing and fucking and having kids and writing books, despite ourselves.
for a good look at lebanon, israel, palastine,and syria, this book is good place to start.
so i'm gonna paste nina simone ideas here again, as its the same damn thing over and over.
this btw is super well written and a joy to read (as you cry and pound head against wall)
another winner from the feminist press (if ya ever just want to reach down in the sack and snag a good book with your eyes closed, you can't go wrong hardly with FP) about growing up in lebenon. it aint pretty. funny how humans can make life and culture about as miserable, dangerous, sad, unsustainable, bigoted, greedy, ugly, sadistic, unhopeful, heartbreaking, deathly...just look at baltics, balkans, oklahoma, south dakota, ukraine, st petersburg, buchenwald, inner mongolia, bolivia
and in this story;s case, levant.
but despite it all individuals, families, clans, tribes, nations still embrace love, empathy, art, food dance nourishment of the body and soul, to keep 'this machinery of joy" running and laughing and drinking and singing and fucking and having kids and writing books, despite ourselves.
for a good look at lebanon, israel, palastine,and syria, this book is good place to start.
March 21, 2011
Unlike some books of a historical nature, which may be little more than listings of dates and events to be memorized, this book blends historical facts with the author's personal perspectives. Kai Bird manages to give life to the modern history of the Middle East by incorporating his memoirs as someone who was raised in the region. Bird is not only a historian and Pulitzer Prize winning author, but is the son of an American Foreign Service officer, and spent his formative years living in Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and surrounding Countries. His background enables him to merge his personal perspective into the history of the region including the Suez War, the Six Day War of 1967, and the Black September hijackings in 1970. His perspectives enable us to see the history of the region in a more personal way, and to see both sides of the key issues, which too often are missing in TV news and newspapers reports. Crossing Mandelbaum Gate is thus an insightful look into the modern Middle East.
Not as broad in context, but a possible companion book for interested readers could be "The Lemon Tree", by Sandy Tolan.
Not as broad in context, but a possible companion book for interested readers could be "The Lemon Tree", by Sandy Tolan.
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August 22, 2011What has happened to historical revisionism about the Zionist-Arab conflict demonstrates the truth of the cliché that there can be too much of a good thing. Clearly, the tidal wave of pro-Zionist and pro-Israeli writing, in Israel and the West, in the wake of the Holocaust and the somehow miraculous (and fitting) birth of the State of Israel was bound to be overtaken by a more critical and balanced appreciation. Read more...
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July 31, 2010KOBOBOOKS
Reviewed by The Independent
Reviewed by The Independent
October 12, 2014
While I do not always agree with the political conclusions Bird draws from his life experiences, I do enjoy the journey with him.
January 21, 2021
I came into this book with pretty low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised. The back-of-the-book premise of "I grew up in the Arab world, but my wife is Jewish, so therefore I can see both sides of the conflict" made my eyes roll, and I wasn't particularly looking forward to the memoirs of an FSO kid. But this book succeeds precisely because Kai Bird does a good job of making the story about the Middle East, not about himself. His life simply provides a framework to discuss the Middle East; his father's first posting was in East Jerusalem, so he opens with a discussion of the Nakba and early Arab Nationalism. Then the family moved to Dharan, so he talks about the power struggle between liberals, monarchists, and the ulema in Saudi Arabia. When Kai is enrolled in a prep school in Egypt, the story moves moves to Nasser and the rise and fall of his pan-Arab nationalism. And when he later studies abroad in Beirut, the book centers around the Palestinian terrorist and plane-hijacking campaigns of the 1970s.
The history is pretty good; I enjoyed both the history I was already familiar with (the Nakba and Nasser's Arabist crusade) and what was relatively new (the intricate conflicts within the Saudi royal family about the role of liberalism and religion. But what makes this book stand out is the wide cast of personalities that Bird introduces us too. Over the course of his childhood, Kai and his family meet an impressive array of Middle East notables; the wife of the intellectual George Antonius, the older brother of Osama Bin Laden, and Kai even went to school with Ayman al-Zawahiri. Stitching together all of these biographies presents an impressive and nuances history of Middle East Politics.
That's the good, so let me end with the bad. First, the prose is terrible. Stones in glass houses etc etc but I find it incredible that this guy is an awarding winning author but writes prose that wouldn't pass muster in high school. Bird seriously needs an editor
Secondly, I think Bird gets Israeli (and Jewish) politics all wrong in his final chapters. This is where his focus on historical personalities leads him astray; he views Israeli politics through the lens of Hillel Kook, an Irgun activist with a fairly idiosyncratic worldview. Kook believed in a strong delineation between "Hebrews" and Jews; he denied the importance of significant communal ties between Diaspora Jews and the citizens of Israel, and supported a thoroughly secular state. Although Kai rightly points out that most Israeli Jews chafe under the religious power of the Rabbinate, he vastly overestimates the appeal of Kook's worldview. Secular Israelis still place importance on the Jewish identity, even if they are far from observant. Furthermore, a secular Israeli does not imply an Israel more hospital to Palestinians. The secular right-wing tradition to which that Kook was associated with has proved to be even more vicious and hostile to Palestinians both within Israeli and in the Occupied Territories. An identity based on Jewish ethnicity (rather than religious) still makes no room for Arabs
Additionally, I do not think Bird really grasps the nature of the Diaspora connection to Israel. Following Kook, Bird labels Diaspora Zionism as an absurdity. In his telling, Diaspora Jews are content in their homelands, and Israel need only be for Holocaust survivors and their descendants. And this criticism does hit the mark for American Zionism; it is a bit of a contradiction in terms that American Jews support Zionism despite having no intention to move to Israel. But Bird has missed the wider world outside of America. For a variety of reasons (most of them tragic), the Jewish population of any country that is not Israel or the US has plummeted since WWII. Over 90% of Jews now reside in those two countries. Israel is not just home to the descendants of Ashkenazi pioneers and holocaust survivors; Jews from the Middle East, South America, and Europe have all flocked there. Outside of the US, the diaspora has not proven to be as content and happy as Bird assumes.
Finally, Bird is wildly overoptimistic about the sustainability of the Israel/Palestinian status quo. He insists peace is right around the corner, pointing to the corrupting effect the occupation has on Israeli society. He's right that the occupation is corrosive to Israel as well, but that does not imply that it cannot last. The Palestinians have been abandoned by their allies, as Arab states have either made their peace with Israel or are consumed with other problems. With the sharp reactionary turn in global politics in the decade since this book's release, the prospects for the survival of an indefinite apartheid become more and more likely
The history is pretty good; I enjoyed both the history I was already familiar with (the Nakba and Nasser's Arabist crusade) and what was relatively new (the intricate conflicts within the Saudi royal family about the role of liberalism and religion. But what makes this book stand out is the wide cast of personalities that Bird introduces us too. Over the course of his childhood, Kai and his family meet an impressive array of Middle East notables; the wife of the intellectual George Antonius, the older brother of Osama Bin Laden, and Kai even went to school with Ayman al-Zawahiri. Stitching together all of these biographies presents an impressive and nuances history of Middle East Politics.
That's the good, so let me end with the bad. First, the prose is terrible. Stones in glass houses etc etc but I find it incredible that this guy is an awarding winning author but writes prose that wouldn't pass muster in high school. Bird seriously needs an editor
Secondly, I think Bird gets Israeli (and Jewish) politics all wrong in his final chapters. This is where his focus on historical personalities leads him astray; he views Israeli politics through the lens of Hillel Kook, an Irgun activist with a fairly idiosyncratic worldview. Kook believed in a strong delineation between "Hebrews" and Jews; he denied the importance of significant communal ties between Diaspora Jews and the citizens of Israel, and supported a thoroughly secular state. Although Kai rightly points out that most Israeli Jews chafe under the religious power of the Rabbinate, he vastly overestimates the appeal of Kook's worldview. Secular Israelis still place importance on the Jewish identity, even if they are far from observant. Furthermore, a secular Israeli does not imply an Israel more hospital to Palestinians. The secular right-wing tradition to which that Kook was associated with has proved to be even more vicious and hostile to Palestinians both within Israeli and in the Occupied Territories. An identity based on Jewish ethnicity (rather than religious) still makes no room for Arabs
Additionally, I do not think Bird really grasps the nature of the Diaspora connection to Israel. Following Kook, Bird labels Diaspora Zionism as an absurdity. In his telling, Diaspora Jews are content in their homelands, and Israel need only be for Holocaust survivors and their descendants. And this criticism does hit the mark for American Zionism; it is a bit of a contradiction in terms that American Jews support Zionism despite having no intention to move to Israel. But Bird has missed the wider world outside of America. For a variety of reasons (most of them tragic), the Jewish population of any country that is not Israel or the US has plummeted since WWII. Over 90% of Jews now reside in those two countries. Israel is not just home to the descendants of Ashkenazi pioneers and holocaust survivors; Jews from the Middle East, South America, and Europe have all flocked there. Outside of the US, the diaspora has not proven to be as content and happy as Bird assumes.
Finally, Bird is wildly overoptimistic about the sustainability of the Israel/Palestinian status quo. He insists peace is right around the corner, pointing to the corrupting effect the occupation has on Israeli society. He's right that the occupation is corrosive to Israel as well, but that does not imply that it cannot last. The Palestinians have been abandoned by their allies, as Arab states have either made their peace with Israel or are consumed with other problems. With the sharp reactionary turn in global politics in the decade since this book's release, the prospects for the survival of an indefinite apartheid become more and more likely
July 15, 2017
The View Without the Gate
The perspective offered here by Kai Bird represents his unique personal experience having lived in Jerusalem at the very beginning of the Israeli - Palestinian dilemma. This unique perspective raises difficult questions for us in the western world.Christians, Jews and Muslims stand to benefit from the settlement of the Palestinian rights question.
His argument is only fairly balanced in that he gives disproportionate weight to the question of “Palestinian suffering.” Having been this unique witness during the birth of the Israeli nation, I can understand his point of view. However, the suffering of the Palestinian side is complicated and compounded by multiple “missed opportunities” on their side to assert their rights at the bargaining table. To their detriment the Palestinians “opted out.” Their losses only mounted with the launch of failed wars against the Israeli nation.
The loss of the Mandelbaum Gate is a symbol of the failure on both sides to maintain a constructive dialog among all of the members of the larger Palestinian - Israeli community. The cycle of lost wars,missed opportunities at constructive dialog will continue until both sides recognize their common human dignity. Unfortunately, I believe the cycle of violence will continue as both sides are not ready to meet each other on a common humanity.
The perspective offered here by Kai Bird represents his unique personal experience having lived in Jerusalem at the very beginning of the Israeli - Palestinian dilemma. This unique perspective raises difficult questions for us in the western world.Christians, Jews and Muslims stand to benefit from the settlement of the Palestinian rights question.
His argument is only fairly balanced in that he gives disproportionate weight to the question of “Palestinian suffering.” Having been this unique witness during the birth of the Israeli nation, I can understand his point of view. However, the suffering of the Palestinian side is complicated and compounded by multiple “missed opportunities” on their side to assert their rights at the bargaining table. To their detriment the Palestinians “opted out.” Their losses only mounted with the launch of failed wars against the Israeli nation.
The loss of the Mandelbaum Gate is a symbol of the failure on both sides to maintain a constructive dialog among all of the members of the larger Palestinian - Israeli community. The cycle of lost wars,missed opportunities at constructive dialog will continue until both sides recognize their common human dignity. Unfortunately, I believe the cycle of violence will continue as both sides are not ready to meet each other on a common humanity.
January 14, 2024
An excellent book on Arab-Israel conflicts from an expatriate’s perspective. The writing is mesmerizing and engaging. It interleaves personal experiences and relationships with historical figures and geo-politics. Though fact based in describing the history events the author is not shy in stating his viewpoint. I find the book gives me a better understanding of US and other Arab’s roles in the conflicts. The account on the black September and the speculation of the road not taken are eye opening. The parallels between Jewish people being deprived of their property and systematically expelled in the 2nd world war (and throughout history) and Palestine forcibly removed from their home after 1948, between the incorporation of religious right to shovel up the government (or crown) in Saudi and Israel are jarring.
Sadly, no amount of fact finding or sharing on their own can resolve the conflicts and save lives. The author mentioned some 2-state solution and projected a sliver of hope at the end of book but pessimism seems to prevail.
Sadly, no amount of fact finding or sharing on their own can resolve the conflicts and save lives. The author mentioned some 2-state solution and projected a sliver of hope at the end of book but pessimism seems to prevail.
April 30, 2024
Topical (I read mid-Gaza war) and fascinating, the author uses his peripatetic (State Department Dad) childhood and later adulthood as a framework for a solid background read on Arab-Israeli relations. He doesn't skip over his family's and his own shifting sympathies in a pretence of objectivity, which makes the book more human and trustable. Much as I appreciate the deep, deep history read, I'm rating as 4 stars rather than 5 because he just jams way too much in there - he touches on one historical figure and all of a sudden you're reading not just his or her life story but seven different figures that intersect at one time or another. The names become hard to track after doing this a few times. I had to take a breather and come back. It is worth it for a better understanding of current events, although as it is based on the author's life and experiences it's not a history reader either. I think it rates the time and effort.
August 24, 2018
What an amazing life story and insight into the history of the region from a keen prospective.
I grew up during this era but living in the US the news and information about the events that shaped the current middle east were not readily available and probably very slanted. Also, the main focus for me and my contemporaries was the Viet Nam war. So as horrible as the news was about Black September and the Olympics I don’t think I understood the ramifications of what these events meant.
I’m grateful for Kai Bird’s detailed insight to not only his experiences but of those close to him and the main characters who influenced the times.
I grew up during this era but living in the US the news and information about the events that shaped the current middle east were not readily available and probably very slanted. Also, the main focus for me and my contemporaries was the Viet Nam war. So as horrible as the news was about Black September and the Olympics I don’t think I understood the ramifications of what these events meant.
I’m grateful for Kai Bird’s detailed insight to not only his experiences but of those close to him and the main characters who influenced the times.
December 28, 2024
Clear-headed assessment of a complex situation.
Kai Bird provides a perspective only available to one who has lived among the peoples of Palestine during the years before the ‘67 war. My father was “the Consul General who relaxed by standing on his head”, and I attended schools on both sides of the border, crossing through the Mandelbaum Gate many times from 1957 to 1959. Kai’s conclusions about the ways out of the morass that is the Arab-Israeli conflict are clear-headed and unassailable.
Kai Bird provides a perspective only available to one who has lived among the peoples of Palestine during the years before the ‘67 war. My father was “the Consul General who relaxed by standing on his head”, and I attended schools on both sides of the border, crossing through the Mandelbaum Gate many times from 1957 to 1959. Kai’s conclusions about the ways out of the morass that is the Arab-Israeli conflict are clear-headed and unassailable.
July 15, 2020
One must concentrate while reading this to keep places, names, times, sentiments straight but perspectives I don't normally encounter about the Middle East. Some chapters (particularly his in-law's history) are more approachable and faster read. Some, partially for me because of unfamiliar names, demand a slower pace. Kai Bird, takes on many challenges at a young age - most have had a great education.
February 6, 2021
Fantastic. Bird intertwines his own personal experiences with the politics and history of the countries and regions that he has lived and visited which creates a fascinating, engaging and insightful read. I would highly recommend for those interested or study the Middle East as he writes clearly about key issues and conflicts of the region throughout history.
September 1, 2023
Very interesting book, rooted in personnal story and interviews, was easy to read. I am not a specialist on the topic but I found it insightful and easy to understand, like a history class given by an opinionated but passionate teacher, who also is critical of his evolving point of view throughout the years of his life.
September 28, 2023
Listened to the audiobook read by the author and found it interesting, surprising, informative, and insightful.Bird’s father was a foreign service officer and from age 4 Kai lived in the Middle East with an occasional time in the US.
June 5, 2019
A must-read for an understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian crisis that has been going on since before World War II. Too many missed chances for peace and wrong-headed American policies.
April 17, 2020
Amazing insights into the Middle East conflicts.
July 9, 2020
A memoir from a writer who grew up in the Middle East and who has understanding and sympathy for both Israelis and Palestinians. That's what we need.
could-not-finish
December 20, 2023More of a history book than a memoir. It is a long and detailed book that did not grab me enough to keep going. I would like to possibly come back to it because it is interesting content.
August 26, 2015
An excellent memoir combined with historical events as Kai Bird described his life growing up as a diplomat's son living in the Middle East from 1956 to 1978. He was an American in the region as an outsider and witnessed first hand what was happening to the Palestinians living around him. I like the way he broke down the regions’ historical events as it affected his life and the lives of his family. It goes back and forth in his narrative depending on the topic of discussion – Early Palestine, Egypt under Nasser’s regime, the Saudi Kingdom and how it achieved sole power in Arabia and the book ending with the Jewish holocaust. This is the first time I had ever heard of political factions in Israel’s calling for a “Hebrew State.” Since I never heard of the word Shoah, I wasn't sure what it meant in describing the lives of his Jewish wife's parents surviving the holocaust in Europe during WW2! I was also not aware that many holocaust survivors did not permanently relocate to Israel after the war in 1945. According to the author, as many as 800,00 Jews left Israel by 1950. It helps to explain the foundation of the events that led to 9/11
He advocates for a Palestine state and would like both the Arabs and Jews to co-exist equally. He writes of Jewish settlements located so closed to Palestine refugee camps but without any interactions. He noted how Jewish settlers behaved and lived as if the displaced Palestinians could be worlds away from their every day life.
Once I started the book, I did not want to stop. It was that good in how he brings the reader to feel what he was going through as a child. To quote media literary critics--a great read!!!
He advocates for a Palestine state and would like both the Arabs and Jews to co-exist equally. He writes of Jewish settlements located so closed to Palestine refugee camps but without any interactions. He noted how Jewish settlers behaved and lived as if the displaced Palestinians could be worlds away from their every day life.
Once I started the book, I did not want to stop. It was that good in how he brings the reader to feel what he was going through as a child. To quote media literary critics--a great read!!!
September 25, 2011
Prior to a recent trip to the middle east, I skimmed online reviews and shelves looking for a book that would provide as objective as possible perspective on the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians. While Kai Bird's book does lean in certain directions throughout the book, his experience as an American child of Arabists who grew up in various parts of the middle east and eventually married a Jewish American woman whose family had its own experiences with the shoah, bolstered by historical facts, gets as close to as possible to a balanced perspective as one can really find in this day and age. it took me particularly long to get through this book because I reread the the first few chapters *after* visiting Israel and particularly Jerusalem. Seeing Jerusalem and getting a taste of Israeli nationalism provided much needed context to Bird's descriptions. There was one sentence that especially resonated with my visit and my growing understanding of a very complex situation: "...I now realize that no one can comprehend the Middle East's Nakba without an understanding of Europe's Shoah. The two events occurred in different places and times, but they are intimately connected and continue to reverberate again each other through the generations." I think that pretty much sums it up.
March 27, 2011
There were times with this book that I yelled at it, was frustrated, wondered what was going on, "argued" with the author--but I sure learned a lot. The author grew up in the Middle East with his diplomat-father and is a passionate advocate of the Palestinian cause--tempered now with what he's learned by marrying a daughter of Jewish Holocaust victims. I think this is a hugely valuable book to read if one is interested in the seemingly intractable problems in the Middle East--but expect to be challenged! I have only a couple of minor quibbles. I'm grateful to the author for much of what I learned about the Palestinians and how they feel about what has happened in Israel--but I wonder 1) why the author chose not to explain what happened to the Jewish inhabitants of the Old City in Jerusalem after the UN cease-fire and 2) how he totally dismisses the complicity of the Palestinian Arabs, especially the Mufti, and the Germans. (At one point the author asserts that the Palestinian Arabs had "nothing at all" to do with the Holocaust--when it is clear they were working WITH the Germans the entire time, intending to "finish" the Jews that got away. Wish the author had dealt with these two pieces of information but this was still an enormously informative book.
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