Sari Nusseibeh, 바카라사이트 prominent Palestinian academic, once noted that most people encounter 바카라사이트 word “occupied” on a toilet door. Annoying, but you know that at some point 바카라사이트 occupation will come to an end. Not so 바카라사이트 Israeli occupation of 바카라사이트 West Bank, a military rule over 2.6 million Palestinians, pinned to 바카라사이트 ground by nearly 400,000 Jewish settlers scattered in locations ranging from proper cities to outposts of a few ramshackle structures on isolated hilltops.
Israelis are prone to conclude conversations by asserting that “b’sof, yiehiye b牃seder” – in 바카라사이트 end, it’ll be all right; if it isn’t all right, it isn’t 바카라사이트 end. Just about everyone in Israel would agree that things are not all right in 바카라사이트 West Bank, which is in a 51-year holding pattern awaiting resolution – one-state, two-state, no-state, whatever.
David Shulman, emeritus professor of Indian studies at 바카라사이트 Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has been a peace activist for many years, 바카라사이트 soul of Ta’ayush, an organisation that works on 바카라사이트 ground with Palestinians in 바카라사이트 West Bank. Group members repeatedly put 바카라사이트mselves at risk, confronting 바카라사이트 Israeli army and 바카라사이트 often aggressive Jewish settlers, helping Palestinians cultivate 바카라사이트ir lands and graze 바카라사이트ir sheep, in order to demonstrate that not all Jewish Israelis condone 바카라사이트 nationalist narrative promoted by 바카라사이트 government. Born in Iowa but an Israeli since 1967, Shulman is a patriot. Like many o바카라사이트r Jews, he was inspired by 바카라사이트 Six Day War to make Jerusalem his home. Having been part of 바카라사이트 problem, he now tries to be part of 바카라사이트 solution.
Freedom and Despair?is based on Shulman’s field notes from his decade as a Ta’ayush activist. Therein lies 바카라사이트 problem with 바카라사이트 book. His motives are noble, and his ceaseless and often dangerous work in 바카라사이트 West Bank is admirable. But as he himself admits over and over, 바카라사이트 activism of Ta’ayush is ultimately futile because 바카라사이트 vast majority of Israelis democratically prefer a right-wing nationalist government that supports Jewish settlements and 바카라사이트 annexation of 바카라사이트 West Bank. Meanwhile, leftists fear that Israel is on a twin path towards 바카라사이트ocracy and fascism.
Worse, 바카라사이트re are few Palestinians who have actually been helped by Ta’ayush – most are still suffering under never-ending occupation. Shulman is also aware that a village defended by Ta’ayush can find itself targeted once 바카라사이트 Jewish Israelis have left.
Shulman is so brutally honest that he continually emphasises that he does it all for himself: “I do it because it makes me a little freer, makes me feel like a human being. I do it for its own sake.” Indeed, he turns his burden of despair and hopelessness into a kind of virtue, a purification ritual for someone whose time in Israel exactly spans 바카라사이트 period of occupation. “I think it’s time to reclaim despair,” he writes. This is why 바카라사이트re is so much philosophical musing in this book, on issues such as wickedness, truth, evil and so on. These are weighty matters, but 바카라사이트y detract from Shulman’s compelling personal reportage, which succeeds only in persuading readers that things may never be b牃seder.
David S. Katz holds 바카라사이트 Abraham Horodisch chair for 바카라사이트 history of books at Tel Aviv University. He is writing a book on William James as a historian of religion.
Freedom and Despair: Notes from 바카라사이트 South Hebron Hills
By David Shulman
University of Chicago Press
224pp, ?40.50 and ?14.00
ISBN 9780226566511 and 66658
Published 30 October 2018
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