This exciting, sleek volume is a must-read for anyone committed to world justice and peace. For those who aren’t, I dare you to read it and say you still can’t understand the Israeli-Palestinian conundrum. The goal of the book is to clearly present the “debates about Israel’s past, present, and future that are occurring right now in Israel itself.” Written for teens but eye-opening, as well, for adults, this very personal yet accurate investigation into Israel’s journey to nationhood is a shining addition to the jewels already in Aronson’s crown of non-fiction writing. Aronson effectively puts his Phd in American History to use with analogies between the USA and Israel - for example, both nations’ infatuation with the idea of being destined to inherit and rule certain land. As he wrestles with his own attachment to the State of Israel, he challenges readers to wrestle with complex why’s and how’s that, left unanswered, will bring Israel and the world continued anguish and moral demise. On one hand, he writes, “Israel is the answer to the tragedy of the Holocaust” while on the other, “what of conqueror Israel? Has a brutal side of Israel that was not visible in its early days now emerged full-blown?” By repeatedly weighing the rights a nation gains by conquering versus “the moral rights that belong to all people as human beings”, Aronson leaves us thinking hard about the nature of democracy and evil on any home front and the requirements for achieving justice for all. His bottom line for Israel is, “The idea of Israel was never simply to have land with borders and an army. It was meant to be a place where people could live better lives. For the Israel of hope to exist . . . Jews need to learn how to live with fellow citizens who do not share their religion, history or culture. . . I want to say to those Jewish high school students and those Arab Israelis: You can make your Israel, your nation, greater. The more each of you can see that Israel is both of you – Jew and Arab – the stronger Israel will become.” This book would be an outstanding selection for sacred institutions’ youth and book groups. Submitted by Sue Parsons, Youth Services Librarian
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