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Out of Gaza: A Tale of Love, Exile, and Friendship
In Out of Gaza, Katharina Galor, an Israeli Jew, tells the harrowing story of her friend Dima Mansour, a young Palestinian Muslim who survived the Gaza war of 2014 and an illegal escape to be with the man she loved. It is also the story of Galor and Mansour’s deep friendship set against the asymmetry that defines the geopolitical context shaping their lives.
- GenresNonfiction
202 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2025
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About the author
Katharina Galor
11 books3 followersKatharina Galor is the Hirschfeld Visiting Assistant Professor in the Program in Judaic Studies at Brown University and an Adjunct Professor at the Rhode Island School of Design.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 8, 2025
I found his book to be both impressive and bold in its narrative about a friendship between two women whose nations are at war—women who, by all accounts, should be enemies. The exploration of their parallel stories and intertwined lives is well-crafted, revealing numerous coincidences. It brings empathy to a topic often seen only through news headlines, offering a sensitive portrayal of personal stories and the impact on families. The author effectively conveys emotions and fears , while explaining her own complex ideas with clarity. The recounting of her friend's struggles feels authentic, told in simple, relatable language that captures the intimacy of a conversation over dinner. It's akin to listening to a friend share a story passed down through others, adding a personal touch to a complex issue.
November 2, 2025
In 2024, after the events of October 7, I decided to dedicate all of my writing to covering the conflict in Gaza. I have seen so much denial and obfuscation in the media when it comes to the reporting on this tragedy that I have to say I was impressed when this Israeli author acknowledged the complexity of the situation and had the courage to come out and state, right in the preface, that she was plagued by one central question: “How of all peoples can Israelis treat another people the way they treat Palestinians?”
For any Jewish or Israeli writer to step out –especially at this moment in history – and risk one’s personal relationships, put oneself in danger of rampant tribal ostracizing from family and media, and display this sort of intellectual honesty right from the get-go, well, it’s impressive, and the rest of the book did not disappoint.
Katharina Galor’s brilliant new book Out of Gaza, paints an informed and compassionate picture of one woman’s struggle to survive the horrors of apartheid and lay claim to her own agency, often while doing double duty fighting against the strictures and prejudices inherent against women in her own Muslim culture. Galor immediately acknowledges that while their peoples, Jews and especially Palestinian Muslims, share a similar history of oppression, pogroms, ethnic cleansing, and intolerance, she is not currently in the same dire situation that her Palestinian friend, Dima, finds herself.
How, she asks, can someone flying around the globe and going to dinner parties with respected friends and colleagues understand the horrors facing a Palestinian refugee in the aftermath of the Third Intifada? Nevertheless, Galor manages to do precisely that by being an honest and compassionate friend, and a trustworthy narrator capable of relating Dima’s punishing personal ordeal as well as that of the Palestinian and Jewish peoples.
Dima, born in Amman in 1993, was the daughter of two Palestinian refugees who lost their home in the Nakba, the massive ethnic cleansing that chased thousands of Palestinians from their rightful homes. What she endures after this is hard to read about. Both she and her future husband, Amir, are subjected to endless nightmares in their attempt to get to Belgium, get married, and start a life together. Dima’s existence gets a real shake-up at around the time of the Third Intifada, in 2014. As Israeli bombs fall, refugees are huddled into cramped refugee camps. We come to learn of Dima’s family supported Fatah and tried to steer clear of Hamas, which is always a threat that looms as large as the IDF. As we come to see during Amir’s brutal time in the hands of his Hamas captors, they can be every bit as nefarious a threat to the average Palestinian.
The injustices Dima faces on a daily basis are harrowing. Galor does a good job of relaying the horrors of war and the indignities suffered regularly by Palestinians. But even more importantly, she explores, with nuance and insight, how Dima also has to contend with her family and the rigid strictures of conservative Islamic culture. Her marriage to Amir, complicated and delayed by stays in prison and endless bureaucratic hassles, is made even worse by her family’s intransigence.
Seeing an intelligent young woman – one who has already had to give up her most cherished educational dreams – have her life complicated even more by the almost impossible demands of her relatives is exasperating. It really gives the reader an idea of just what a pressure cooker Dima is living in, and her strength and resilience are to be commended.
Reading about Amir’s absurd hassles with red tape and Dima’s harrowing voyage to Belgium, brokered by dodgy characters that she and Amir must deal with constantly, one is stunned that they manage to survive. Galor does an excellent job conveying all this because her work is rooted in compassion and a sincere desire to know and understand the other. What this fine piece of writing reminds us of is that beyond all the “isms” and “ologies” and repressive dogmas lies the reality: if we are to live together with one another, we must come to respect the human dignity of every person on this planet. Out of Gaza: A Tale of Love, Exile, and Friendship by Katharina Galor book is a much-needed reminder of that timeless and unassailable truth.
For any Jewish or Israeli writer to step out –especially at this moment in history – and risk one’s personal relationships, put oneself in danger of rampant tribal ostracizing from family and media, and display this sort of intellectual honesty right from the get-go, well, it’s impressive, and the rest of the book did not disappoint.
Katharina Galor’s brilliant new book Out of Gaza, paints an informed and compassionate picture of one woman’s struggle to survive the horrors of apartheid and lay claim to her own agency, often while doing double duty fighting against the strictures and prejudices inherent against women in her own Muslim culture. Galor immediately acknowledges that while their peoples, Jews and especially Palestinian Muslims, share a similar history of oppression, pogroms, ethnic cleansing, and intolerance, she is not currently in the same dire situation that her Palestinian friend, Dima, finds herself.
How, she asks, can someone flying around the globe and going to dinner parties with respected friends and colleagues understand the horrors facing a Palestinian refugee in the aftermath of the Third Intifada? Nevertheless, Galor manages to do precisely that by being an honest and compassionate friend, and a trustworthy narrator capable of relating Dima’s punishing personal ordeal as well as that of the Palestinian and Jewish peoples.
Dima, born in Amman in 1993, was the daughter of two Palestinian refugees who lost their home in the Nakba, the massive ethnic cleansing that chased thousands of Palestinians from their rightful homes. What she endures after this is hard to read about. Both she and her future husband, Amir, are subjected to endless nightmares in their attempt to get to Belgium, get married, and start a life together. Dima’s existence gets a real shake-up at around the time of the Third Intifada, in 2014. As Israeli bombs fall, refugees are huddled into cramped refugee camps. We come to learn of Dima’s family supported Fatah and tried to steer clear of Hamas, which is always a threat that looms as large as the IDF. As we come to see during Amir’s brutal time in the hands of his Hamas captors, they can be every bit as nefarious a threat to the average Palestinian.
The injustices Dima faces on a daily basis are harrowing. Galor does a good job of relaying the horrors of war and the indignities suffered regularly by Palestinians. But even more importantly, she explores, with nuance and insight, how Dima also has to contend with her family and the rigid strictures of conservative Islamic culture. Her marriage to Amir, complicated and delayed by stays in prison and endless bureaucratic hassles, is made even worse by her family’s intransigence.
Seeing an intelligent young woman – one who has already had to give up her most cherished educational dreams – have her life complicated even more by the almost impossible demands of her relatives is exasperating. It really gives the reader an idea of just what a pressure cooker Dima is living in, and her strength and resilience are to be commended.
Reading about Amir’s absurd hassles with red tape and Dima’s harrowing voyage to Belgium, brokered by dodgy characters that she and Amir must deal with constantly, one is stunned that they manage to survive. Galor does an excellent job conveying all this because her work is rooted in compassion and a sincere desire to know and understand the other. What this fine piece of writing reminds us of is that beyond all the “isms” and “ologies” and repressive dogmas lies the reality: if we are to live together with one another, we must come to respect the human dignity of every person on this planet. Out of Gaza: A Tale of Love, Exile, and Friendship by Katharina Galor book is a much-needed reminder of that timeless and unassailable truth.
August 12, 2025
I struggled with this more than I was anticipating. Out of Gaza has Katharina telling the story of her friends Dima and Amir who escape Gaza during and following the Gaza war in 2014. Katharina and Dima form a friendship online and Katharina is telling the story of Dima and her husband Amir. Amir flees Gaza via "handlers" who help him escape and seesk asylum in Belgium, meanwhile, he has left the woman he loves in Gaza while he gets established and the second half of the book tells us about Dima's trials to get to Belgium with Amir. During this time, they both experience asylum seeking, being held in prisons, and the extensive legal battles they both went through. The premise of the story, and it being told by Katharina who is an Isreali Jew, should have been great and yet...it fell flat.
The issues had a lot to do with the writing style right away, the background that Katharina gave as to the issues in the region often read as tone-deaf and directing a narrative. I also really struggled with Katharina as a sympathetic writer- it often seemed as though she was complaining to her friend, who was in actual prison with no end in sight, and lacked an empathy I was expecting. There was a whole instance where her friend needed additional funds to document that she had financial means to support her schooling (as a method for legally leaving Gaza and going to Italy) and there are pages upon pages of why Katharina didn't want to do it and how suspect she thought it was. Yes, it felt weird because your friend was literally trying to flee a war-zone.
I think I would have DNF'd this book if I wasn't stubborn.
To be published September 1, 2025. thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the early ARC.
The issues had a lot to do with the writing style right away, the background that Katharina gave as to the issues in the region often read as tone-deaf and directing a narrative. I also really struggled with Katharina as a sympathetic writer- it often seemed as though she was complaining to her friend, who was in actual prison with no end in sight, and lacked an empathy I was expecting. There was a whole instance where her friend needed additional funds to document that she had financial means to support her schooling (as a method for legally leaving Gaza and going to Italy) and there are pages upon pages of why Katharina didn't want to do it and how suspect she thought it was. Yes, it felt weird because your friend was literally trying to flee a war-zone.
I think I would have DNF'd this book if I wasn't stubborn.
To be published September 1, 2025. thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the early ARC.
August 21, 2025
Out of Gaza tells the story of Dima, a Muslim Palestinian woman, who attempts to escape to Belgium to be with her husband, Amir. The events unfold from the perspective of the author, an Israeli Jew, while their friendship also grows.
I went into this book with very mixed hopes. I was excited to read a story by an Israeli that had a positive relationship or connection to Palestine and Gaza but also, this book is written by an Israeli. I would have the same fears if an American were writing about someone from Afghanistan or Iraq.
I read the entire book though it continually fell flat. Though I can’t quite put my finger on what it was missing to me, I think it was, in part, missing emotion. Yes, Katharina told us how she was feeling throughout the book and said she was worried about Dima but the feelings weren’t really there in the flow of the book. The focus on Dima and her emotions are the key point of the book. The emotions are there, we’re shown them with Dima’s story. A book just can’t be sustained when half the narrative falls flat. Any recommendations I make to others for this book will come with the flatness warning.
Out of Gaza is being published at a crucial time in history. Stories like Dima’s need to be told and heard. They need to be preserved. Relationships like Katharina and Dima’s are important. Keep building them, keep telling them.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this book with very mixed hopes. I was excited to read a story by an Israeli that had a positive relationship or connection to Palestine and Gaza but also, this book is written by an Israeli. I would have the same fears if an American were writing about someone from Afghanistan or Iraq.
I read the entire book though it continually fell flat. Though I can’t quite put my finger on what it was missing to me, I think it was, in part, missing emotion. Yes, Katharina told us how she was feeling throughout the book and said she was worried about Dima but the feelings weren’t really there in the flow of the book. The focus on Dima and her emotions are the key point of the book. The emotions are there, we’re shown them with Dima’s story. A book just can’t be sustained when half the narrative falls flat. Any recommendations I make to others for this book will come with the flatness warning.
Out of Gaza is being published at a crucial time in history. Stories like Dima’s need to be told and heard. They need to be preserved. Relationships like Katharina and Dima’s are important. Keep building them, keep telling them.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 22, 2025
Out of Gaza is a true narrative of friendship between a Palestinian woman and an Israeli Jewish woman, brought together when the Israeli woman begins taking online Arabic lessons. Over time, their bond grows so strong that the lessons fade into the background—their relationship has become much more than that.
Through their stories, the book provides a window into very different experiences: what it means to be a Jew living in Israel, and what it means to be a Palestinian who spent time as a stateless person in Jordan before choosing to live in Gaza. The contrast—and the parallels—between their lives and family histories helped me better understand aspects of the conflict that I had only a surface-level awareness of before.
That said, I didn’t find the writing style particularly strong. While there is some structure, the narrative doesn’t flow as smoothly as it could, often reading more like a recounting of events and family histories than a cohesive story.
If you’re already well versed in Israeli–Palestinian relations, this may not be the most essential read. But for someone new to the subject, like me, it offered valuable context and insight, and I’m grateful for what I learned.
Through their stories, the book provides a window into very different experiences: what it means to be a Jew living in Israel, and what it means to be a Palestinian who spent time as a stateless person in Jordan before choosing to live in Gaza. The contrast—and the parallels—between their lives and family histories helped me better understand aspects of the conflict that I had only a surface-level awareness of before.
That said, I didn’t find the writing style particularly strong. While there is some structure, the narrative doesn’t flow as smoothly as it could, often reading more like a recounting of events and family histories than a cohesive story.
If you’re already well versed in Israeli–Palestinian relations, this may not be the most essential read. But for someone new to the subject, like me, it offered valuable context and insight, and I’m grateful for what I learned.
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August 6, 2025More like out of touch. I had to DNF bc not the rich American telling a story she needs to research more about first. I'm not rating it because I couldn't even get past 10% of the book. Here you have one friend stuck in prison and the other is sad because she can't tell her all the fun things she's been doing... like girlie read the ROOM. Your "friend" escaped a harsh situation and ended up in PRISON and you want to tell her about your travels to France… The book is tone deaf and I can already tell it’ll be a waste of time based on the author’s word usage.
September 6, 2025
I really wanted to like this book, but the book itself has an identity crisis. It doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. I wish the author would have stuck to one theme or one story or been more focused. It's like she tried to cram too much into one book and it ends up feeling schizophrenic. I found it hard to focus and felt confused about what she was trying to say.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
June 21, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.
DNFed at 41%. As much as I wanted to learn more and understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through this book, I felt bored by the way it was written. Not to say these women’s lives were boring…. But I did learn more about the Gaza situation, so there’s that!
DNFed at 41%. As much as I wanted to learn more and understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through this book, I felt bored by the way it was written. Not to say these women’s lives were boring…. But I did learn more about the Gaza situation, so there’s that!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews