PositiveThe New York Times... an engaging and evenhanded, if cursory, history of the conflict, from its 19th-century origins to the most recent mini-war between Israel and Hamas in May 2021. He also addresses some common and contentious questions such as whether Israel can be both a Jewish state and a democracy and if its rule over the Palestinians is akin to apartheid. Sokatch’s answers to all these questions can be summed up in two words: It’s complicated ... While this may disappoint readers seeking clear, definitive answers, and might seem evasive to some, Sokatch stresses the need for nuance and casts both Israelis and Palestinians as \'righteous victims,\' a phrase he borrows from the Israeli historian Benny Morris. Throughout the book, Sokatch interweaves the story of his own evolving, sometimes agonizing, relationship with Israel, recounting his adolescent adoration and then his heady optimism living in Israel during the Oslo peace process.
