Next Year In Jerusalem: Everyday Life In A Divided Land

by Daphna Golan-Agnon, Janine Woolfson (Translation)

Daphna Golan-Agnon has gained international recognition as one of the most courageous and eloquent voices for a more just Israeli society. In this moving memoir, she writes of her early years in a right-wing Israeli household as the daughter of a former member of the Stern Gang, her marriage into the family of the country's most eminent novelist, and her efforts to raise children in a society caught up in violence and instability while working simultaneously for political change. Through anecdotes, interviews and letters, Next Year in Jerusalem provides an insider's view of the milestones of the Israeli peace movement, drawing on Golan-Agnon's experience as co-founder of the pioneering human rights organization B'Tselem and the feminist peace group Bat Shalom. From protests against the Ansar III desert prison, where Palestinian political prisoners languish for months in harsh conditions without trial, to the landmark 1999 Israeli High Court victory to abolish torture, to the devastating tensions that arise even among like-minded Palestinian and Israeli activists, Golan-Agnon candidly portrays the growing movement of Israelis who understand that the occupation, beyond persecuting Palestinians, is destroying Israel from within. Confronting the Palestinian-Israeli dilemma in all its complexity, she remains stubbornly optimistic, never entirely losing hope of a brighter future. Next Year in Jerusalem gives readers a unique, personal view of the joint struggle for peace.

298 pages, Hardcover

First published May 31, 2005

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
3.5 Daphne Golan-Agnon's memoir of her work as an Israeli Human Rights activist is both poignant and sad. Golan-Agnon, a sociologist, was the co-founder and Research Director of B'Tselem, the Israeli equivalent of Human Rights Watch. Her primary focus was the documentation of Human Rights abuses in the occupied territories. She also founded a women's organization to bring Israeli and Palestinian women together to work towards peace.

The book provides a detailed account of her activities as well as her frustrations throughout the 1990s. While I really admired her dedication, I felt that the book would have been stronger if she had provided the reader with more of the historical context of that time period. She refers to outside events, but doesn't fully explain them or analyze their impact. This is a shame because it limits her readership to insiders; Israeli and Palestinians who have lived through this period or outsiders who are very knowledgeable about the history of the conflict.

[Bob Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very well written book with language that flows effortlessly. Assuming that the author's first language apparently isn't English makes this even more remarkable. Even if one does not accept all the conclusions the author proffers, nor accepts the comprehensiveness of the research, nor the validity of the personal anecdotes, this author certainly brings up another point of view for serious consideration in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The issues are complex and the tragedy of families separated, of constant anxiety and fear, of crippling distrust are clearly outlined in this material. There is also hope.
As such, the book warrants reading and discussion.