City of Oranges: An Intimate History of Arabs and Jews in Jaffa

by Adam LeBor

A profoundly human take on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, seen through the eyes of six families, three Arab and three Jewish. The millennia-old port of Jaffa, now part of Tel Aviv, was once known as the "Bride of Palestine," one of the truly cosmopolitan cities of the Mediterranean. There Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived, worked, and celebrated together―and it was commonplace for the Arabs of Jaffa to attend a wedding at the house of the Jewish Chelouche family or for Jews and Arabs to both gather at the Jewish spice shop Tiv and the Arab Khamis Abulafia's twenty-four-hour bakery. Through intimate personal interviews and generations-old memoirs, letters, and diaries, Adam LeBor gives us a crucial look at the human lives behind the headlines―and a vivid narrative of cataclysmic change. 
16 pages of photographs; 3 maps

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Middle East, Israel, Politics, Religion, Historical

482 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Adam LeBor was born in London and read Arabic, international history and politics at Leeds University, graduating in 1983, and also studied Arabic at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He worked for several British newspapers before becoming a foreign correspondent in 1991. He has reported from thirty countries, including Israel and Palestine, and covered the Yugoslav wars for The Times of London and The Independent. Currently Central Europe correspondent for The Times of London, he also writes for the Sunday Times, The Econdomist, Literary Review, Condé Nast Traveller, the Jewish Chronicle, New Statesman and Harry's Place in Britain, and contributes to The Nation and the New York Times in the States. He is the author of seven books, including the best-selling Hitler's Secret Bankers, which was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize. His books have been published in nine languages.

Reviews

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

For someone like me, just wading into the history of Israel and Palestine, this is a great beginning. Lebor follows the history of Jaffa, and several generations of family members connected to the city, in order to tell a wider tale about the formation of a Jewish state in the middle east, and all its attendant consequences.

Lebor's very even handed, and doesn't hesitate to outline the corruption and violence committed by Arabs, Jews, Christians, or others (like the British) who would claim some other designation. Neither does he skimp on the acts of friendship, generosity, and peace-building in which every side has engaged, which is what makes the book both endlessly depressing and curiously hopeful. It's a book that gives you an enormous amount to think about, and which lets the inhabitants of Jaffa speak for themselves whenever possible. I valued that.

Three stars shouldn't be taken to mean this book isn't good - it's great. But it's hard to say I liked the book when so much of it focuses on human sacrifice, cruelty inflicted on one group by another, and disaporas of all kinds. I am beyond glad I read it; I recommend it highly; it's not a 'fun read' by anyone's stretch off the imagination.

[Imen Benyoub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, rich, thorough, well researched..highly recommended for those who wish to understand the conflict in general, and delve deep into the history of Jaffa in particular (pre Nakba _today) xx

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel much more confident about having an opinion about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. An excellent resource of thoughtful, humane, and honest about dangerous terrain. Highly recommended not only for informative purposes; its also a great read.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

British journalist Adam LeBor takes the reader beyond the politics, beyond the violence to the people. He follows several Arab (Palestinian) and Jewish families in Jaffa over the generations (roughly 1930s-2000s). I gotta be upfront and say I found it easier to sympathize with the Palestinian plight here, but reluctantly I tried to see things from the other perspective too. I think that's ultimately what this author was trying to do...create a space to listen, and not just your particular echo chamber.

Also, Jaffa is not the West Bank or Gaza. It's now basically Tel Aviv. So one of the particular perspectives we get is not just Palestinian but Palestinian within Israeli, or as the author calls them Israeli Arab. So much (basically all) of the news about Palestine in the West is about the Gaza Strip or the West Bank and terrorism and people blowing themselves up. Here we hear from Palestinians who live in Israel proper, whose family stayed through the Nabka while others fled and became part of the diaspora. And there is the rift here between those who stayed and now seem to close to the Israelis and those who "cut and run" only to blame the ones who stayed.

This is a people-driven story and as such I found it very engrossing and it did leave me more hopeful than say reading about politics or war.

[MC Nugget · Rating 5 out of 5]

NECESITO hablar de este libro en específico.

Este libro me ayudó a comprender mejor el conflicto entre Palestina e Israel, desde una perspectiva más humana ya que se enfoca en las historias de familias tanto árabes (palestinas) como judías (europeas y del Medio Oriente) y de cómo vivieron los desplazamientos y las guerras.

Te pone en sus zapatos, y me gustó que fuera un libro NEUTRAL que no está del lado de NADIE. Simplemente te narra los hechos TAL Y COMO LO VIVIERON estas personas. NO los políticos, no los gobernantes, sino LA RAZA, el pueblo vaya. De todas clases sociales

Y además también relata, cómo se formó el Estado/País de Israel y me ayudó a comprender mejor las fronteras geigráficas de esta región del mundo.

[Yael Waxman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic, heartfelt, educational book. Fell off in the last chapter but should be essential reading for anybody who cares about the conflict and wants to learn for the sake of humanity.

[Kathy Piselli · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always tough to read stories about Palestine pre-Israel. All the "if-onlys". Jaffa is a city that deserves an Edward Rutherford-style account starting at the Stone Age. It seems always poignantly remembered by its pre-1948 inhabitants of every faith. LeBor's account uses such personal stories to tell its history and it's a great way to proceed. He does not gloss over the bad things, which too often happens in English-language accounts. In another book I'm reading about the 1920s Egyptian theater scene it mentions in passing the trouble the Egyptian theater troupes had exporting their successful plays there (the Jews weren't interested in Arabic theater and the Arabs were uncomfortable going to the "new city", meaning Tel Aviv). I would have liked to hear from the city's 1948 defenders and I'm not sure why they were left out; the author seems to know enough Arabic at least to read the newspaper Filastin. But much is included in this book, and it's a story not often told in English. Jaffa is mostly obliterated, but it's still a city worth studying, and remembering.

[Chrissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book! This is a history book, but it also puts a human face on the people living the history. Nevertheless, it remains primarily a "history book". It isn't a light, swift read. At least for me dates and names don't just stick as fast as I want them to. Let me point out that the book description says that it is about 3 Jewish and 3 Arab families. I would instead say it is about several Jewish, Muslim and Christian families. There are lots of family characters to keep track of, but this is no problem because there is a very helpful character list at the front of the book. Maps too are included! How many stars? I guess four.... because of the "human face" factor. So wonderful to read of how sometimes it is possible for friendships to extend over religious divides. Maybe there is hope. How the old domed houses in Jaffa were constructed was also interesting. So there is a lot here beyond just the dry historical facts.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice overview of the Israel-Palestine conflict from the early 20th century to now, most of which I already learned in Middle Eastern history class, but I almost feel like the author's approach was more evenhanded and optimistic. The way he detailed the lives of ordinary, relatively reasonable people in Jaffa and Tel Aviv (no radical Islamists or hard-nosed conservative Israeli Jews) painted a different picture of life in Israel than what we hear in our media, where it sometimes comes off as hell on earth. I think a lot of people in this country would benefit from a gentle, humanitarian introductory course like this, that is so fair and balanced. General U.S. views on the region tend to be misinformed, prejudiced, and one-sided.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting take on the Palestine/Israel issue from the viewpoint of individual families in one place: Jaffa the old town south of Tel Aviv. Understands the suffering of both sides and their respective histories.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and important book, although I cannot fully recommend it. The author attempted a balance between the personal stories and general history for context, but I felt that it was skewed too much towards general history.

[Jurij Fedorov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another history book about Israel this one focusing on Jaffa. It's the south of Tel Aviv today. The official name of the city is Tel Aviv-Yafo for this reason as they are now connected.

Jaffa had a big Arab population before the 1948 civil war where Arab nations attacked Israel as they refused the UN deal to split the area in 2 nations. Jaffa was supposed to become Muslim. They wanted all to be a Muslim state and then expand Islam to the rest of the world. The Jews resisted and it hit Jaffa hard. They had attacked and killed Jews in 1921 and again in 1936 took part in an attack on the British who controlled the Mandate Palestine. So while before these events Jews and Christians were the majority of Jaffa many had to flee to Tel Aviv. Irgun attacked Jaffa and Bosnian Muslims defended the city. When Irgun took it the British bombed the city to get rid of the Jews and let Muslims return yet they held strong. The city was in ruins. Many historical buildings were torn down up until the 1990's when modern architects wanted to keep the Middle East architecture countering the Tel Aviv modern white Bauhaus architecture. And it became and expensive and rich zone again.

The house prices means there is a huge gentrification going on as many can't afford to buy or even live in Tel Aviv. Many don't have the talent to get a proper education. Crime is rampant in these Arab areas of Tel Aviv. The renovations are protecting and improving the historical areas and tourists and artists are flocking to the zones. The junkie and prostitute areas are moving further away each year.

The book goes over single families and lives and their stories then Israel's history and Jaffa's history. Everything is fully historically accurate yet the individual stories do stretch it out. It's still fun to read, but you could cut out 100-200 pages if you removed this fluffy stuff unrelated to history. There could have been more history on Jaffa and especially their industry like oranges and soap. So this is an intro not a full overview. The main history is about the country not town. Yet this part is very good.

[cam · Rating 4 out of 5]

City of Oranges explores the complicated, and frankly, painful creation of the state of Israel through the lens of Muslim and Jewish families in a history that has affected all of its inhabitants. Well researched, well sourced, and well interviewed. Although this history has extremely polarizing views and opinions, I appreciated the focus on the people themselves; their triumphs, grief, victory, love, and struggles is a common theme, no matter their ethnicity, culture, language, or religion. May peace come to all one day.

[Panaes · Rating 3 out of 5]

It gives a good idea of Jaffa’s transformation the last 100 years with politics in the background and selective family histories at the front. For someone that knows nothing about Jaffa and the creation of Israel its a very good introduction. However, it’s very repetitive with a weak narrative.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outstanding book, very readable but excellent history of the origins of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, told through the lens of families on both sides of the divide. I learned so much in a manner that was not at all dry but still very factual.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely terrific narrative history of the Jewish settlement of Palestine and the early development of Tel Aviv, from the perspectives of three Jewish and three Arab families. Much side historical perspective, including the development of the Bauhaus in Tel Aviv.

[Rita Bookreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and scholarly review of history of Jaffa written from both Arab and Israeli perspectives. That wins it 3 stars. BUT the
Final line of book lost two stars - using Herzl’s quote “if you will it, it is no dream” to apply to Palestinian longing - well, that just ruined it all for me.

[Yael Sternberg]

This intricate historical work will not allow a reader to walk away with confidence that one group in this conflict is perfect or the ultimate victim. It is the perfect primer for a beginner or the perfect reminder for someone already in the trenches.

[Paul Watterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very poignant and disturbing read.

Well-written and easy to read.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives a human face to a political nightmare.

[Laavanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was too difficult to read. Got through 1/3 and decided it was just so painful to get through.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remarkable insight into the personal stories and local history of Jaffa’s Jews and Palestinians over the course of more than a century. Every section had revelations.

[Karyl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit, I knew very little about the conflict in Israel other than it seems to me that each side is a little too eager to blow each other up. In City of Oranges, I was treated to a fairly good history of how it all started and why. I really had no idea that prior to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 that there was a call to make a Jewish nation there, that the Zionists had already moved in and were trying to form a country.

I enjoyed reading the personal stories of the people that live there, people on both sides of the questions. And I think LeBor mourns, as does most of the people who had grown up in Jaffa before the state of Israel, the loss of the beautiful Palestinian culture and its multiculturalism. Yet he doesn't sugar-coat the fact that the Arabs in Israel currently are doing themselves no favors by refusing to come to some sort of a peace agreement. He also discusses the humiliation and inequities that non-Jews face in day-to-day lives, just trying to get from point A to point B through military checkpoints.

LeBor is quite fair in his portrayal of the Jewish Israelis and the Israeli Arabs. He doesn't take sides, and he shows the good points and the bad of each group.

LeBor's point, shared by many people he interviewed, seems to be that it's time to move Israel away from being a nation founded on religion, that it's time to govern secularly, so that people of all faiths, who all have roots in that area, can come together and live in peace. Perhaps that will happen in my lifetime. We can only hope.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book overall for what I am looking to learn out of my reading list and it really helped me imgine and understand the next book I started to read "Jerusalem 1913: the origins of the Arab and Jew conflict".

I don't know as a causal piece of fiction if it would wrap me up as much, but that said it well written and a very enjoyable read. It set the tone for what life was like in Palestine in the late 1880's and early 1900's. Jaffa (which sadly again I knew little more than tourist and vague historic information about) sounded like this oasis of a city. It was Eden in an sea of hot sandy desert. It was the center of cultural life and it belonged to everyone. It gave personal accounts from real people who lived there or who's family where living there at various pinnacle points in history.

It effectually illustrated how life can change when majorities are rapidly turned upside down, what wars can do to colonies, and what happens when a tower of babel reaches new heights. It amazed me many times how avoidable most of our current history would have been if we had just did a few things differently .

[Claire Binkley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm still trying to force myself out of intense fear of this whole area, the people and cultures.
It's not been very successful, even though this book's author comes from LEEDS.

Actually, that may have been a corollary problem.
For these reasons, I only rated this book as OK. I do intensely like my Jewish friends, but I try as I may yet still struggle with loving what I fear - and I'm afraid of getting bombed.

Just yesterday the CPUSA held a gathering considering this conflict! I am afraid to pursue it, though, since I'm already trying to force myself out of intense fear of certain dictators and there's only so much fear you can tackle all at once.

Fear induces paralysis.

Perhaps in a few years I could return to this and enjoy the story of the Chelouches.

But right now, I am too scared.
I don't know how the Islamic stuff I reviewed previously was so much more palatable.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In preparation for my upcoming trip to Israel I read this book, recommended to me by a friend. The book is about real Jaffa residents who have lived through the Israeli/Palestinian conflict through the last several generations. I think it does a commendable job trying to present the perceived case of each people/family included in the book. The reader sees the goodness and selfishness and many other motivations of all parties involved. No one is pure and good and much trust has been violated by many parties. This book has broadened my outlook, as I tend to be very pro-Israel. I am more sympathetic with the original residents of Jaffa and see more of the complexity of making the place "home" to such diverse people.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

LeBor gives us a relatively unbiased (on his part) account Jaffa from 1923 through 2007. The narrative is mostly told through accounts and memories of six Jaffa resident families; three Jewish and three Arab (Muslim and Christian).
While the book presents the very different perspectives on events, it offers little analysis and makes no note of the contradictions between various memories and actual facts.
One of my favorite lines from LeBor: when speaking of a Palestinian resident of East Jerusalem under the Occupation - "Life there resembles Joseph Heller's book Catch-22, inspired by Franz Kafka and edited by Ariel Sharon."

[Kevin Preston · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book of stories about a place that is equally fascinating. The continually conflict of Arabs, Muslims, and Jews throughout the history of this beautiful city is fascinating. It's interesting to ponder the founding of Tel Aviv next door to Jaffa. The stories of one community fighting with the offer are painful, but tempered by peaceful interactions of both communities extended to one another. It's a complicated story that exemplifies the difficulties of Israel and Palestine. It's a great book for those who want to understand the conflict of the region in context of historical experiences.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I much prefer fiction over non - but this book beautifully does both. LeBor weaves intimate personal stories of Jewish and Palestinian families, with the history of the "country" in the 20th century. A very informative depiction of the last 100 years, and helpful in understanding the present-day conflict and how it is affecting the entire world. I can't tell you exactly when in 1948 Israel declared itself a country, but I can tell you how it affected the Chelouche or Hammani family. And this seems to be most valuable.

[Ashraf Abbas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book on Palestine & Isreal situation...on how the Palestine citizens are paying the price for the Holocaust, on the damned and brutal silence of US and the West (so called guardians of Demcracy and Human rights) and the unjustifiable cruelties unleashed by the Jews on the Palestine citizens...and on the retaliation/defense efforts by the powerless, weak and fragile Palestinian nation/citizens...the book might seem to biased but a good read for those who can read between the lines and want to know the truth...