Letter to an Arab Friend
Written in Jerusalem in 1967, a letter on the birth of Israel and the Israeli–Arab conflict. Preface by Shimon Peres.
First published in 1969, this book traces the formation of the State of Israel and the Israeli–Arab conflict that followed, in the form of a letter to an Arab friend. This edition has a preface by Shimon Peres. The book has been translated into Arabic.
Excerpt from the Book
My dear friend,
If we wish to speak a language of truth, we must first ground it in reality. For half a century, Arabs and Jews have been disputing the Holy Land. The arguments invoked on both sides — historical, religious, legal — cross, contradict, and cancel each other out, without anyone being able to find common ground.
What remains after all the speeches, the wars, the mourning, and the proclamations is that two peoples live on the same land and neither will accept being driven from it. The future can only be built on this double certainty.
Reviews & Reactions
« A crucial testimony, which seeks to understand rather than condemn. »
« A courageous book, which asks the questions no one dares to ask. »
« Chouraqui, a man of dialogue, writes with the same honesty he has always brought to his translations of sacred texts. »
Translations
رسالة إلى صديق عربي
Arabic · 1970