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Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth
AUDIO EXCLUSIVE: INCLUDES THE SONG “ELATION STATION” BY INFECTED MUSHROOM!
A “fascinating and very moving” (Aaron Sorkin, award-winning screenwriter of The West Wing and The Social Network ) chronological timeline spanning from Biblical times to today that explores one of the most interesting countries in the world—Israel.
Israel. The small strip of arid land is 5,700 miles away but remains a hot-button issue and a thorny topic of debate. But while everyone seems to have a strong opinion about Israel, how many people actually know the facts?
Here to fill in the information gap is Israeli American Noa Tishby. But “this is not your Bubbie’s history book” (Bill Maher, host of Real Time with Bill Maher). Instead, offering a fresh, 360-degree view, Tishby brings her “passion, humor, and deep intimacy” (Yossi Klein Halevi, New York Times bestselling author of Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor) to the subject, creating an accessible and dynamic portrait of a tiny country of outsized relevance. Through bite-sized chunks of history and deeply personal stories, Tishby chronicles her homeland’s evolution, beginning in Biblical times and moving forward to cover everything from WWI to Israel’s creation to the disputes dividing the country today. Tackling popular misconceptions with an abundance of facts, Tishby provides critical context around headline-generating controversies and offers a clear, intimate account of the richly cultured country of Israel.
A “fascinating and very moving” (Aaron Sorkin, award-winning screenwriter of The West Wing and The Social Network ) chronological timeline spanning from Biblical times to today that explores one of the most interesting countries in the world—Israel.
Israel. The small strip of arid land is 5,700 miles away but remains a hot-button issue and a thorny topic of debate. But while everyone seems to have a strong opinion about Israel, how many people actually know the facts?
Here to fill in the information gap is Israeli American Noa Tishby. But “this is not your Bubbie’s history book” (Bill Maher, host of Real Time with Bill Maher). Instead, offering a fresh, 360-degree view, Tishby brings her “passion, humor, and deep intimacy” (Yossi Klein Halevi, New York Times bestselling author of Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor) to the subject, creating an accessible and dynamic portrait of a tiny country of outsized relevance. Through bite-sized chunks of history and deeply personal stories, Tishby chronicles her homeland’s evolution, beginning in Biblical times and moving forward to cover everything from WWI to Israel’s creation to the disputes dividing the country today. Tackling popular misconceptions with an abundance of facts, Tishby provides critical context around headline-generating controversies and offers a clear, intimate account of the richly cultured country of Israel.
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First published April 6, 2021
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July 5, 2021
If you want an example of state propaganda/polemics then look no further than Noa's thin ahistorical look into Israel. It's basically one long version of George Costanza's "It's not a lie, if you believe it".
Tishby spends her time ignoring the actual critiques of Israel and it's treatment of people not aligned with their zionism and attempts to justify murder, genocide, apartheid, forced removal of Arabs and starving people with thin arguments which twist definitions of words to delegitimize the other people of the land. Noa never really even mentions the fact that the US uses Israel to keep in line their oil interests in the area.
If you want actual history of Israel then avoid this book, read Chomsky instead. Having been to Israel and having family who live there, I can attest to the brainwashing the Israeli people go through to dehumanise non-jewish people in the area and those who aren't sympathetic to their cause. It's similar to Southern Americans who get taught mistruths in history to justify terrible behaviour.
Tishby spends her time ignoring the actual critiques of Israel and it's treatment of people not aligned with their zionism and attempts to justify murder, genocide, apartheid, forced removal of Arabs and starving people with thin arguments which twist definitions of words to delegitimize the other people of the land. Noa never really even mentions the fact that the US uses Israel to keep in line their oil interests in the area.
If you want actual history of Israel then avoid this book, read Chomsky instead. Having been to Israel and having family who live there, I can attest to the brainwashing the Israeli people go through to dehumanise non-jewish people in the area and those who aren't sympathetic to their cause. It's similar to Southern Americans who get taught mistruths in history to justify terrible behaviour.
November 6, 2023
November 2023 ETA: Obviously, a lot has changed in the two years since I wrote this, and the transformation has been spectacular and catastrophic in the last month. I feel a need to clarify this review in light of the war. Israelis and Palestinians both deserve a homeland where they are self-governing. At this moment both are groups led by corrupt bloodthirsty people who have dehumanized the people they perceive as enemies. There are no trustworthy parties in the room. Israel was brutally attacked, civilians were murdered, and others taken as hostages. Israel has the right and the duty to defend itself. It does not have the right to leave the Palestinian people without food and water and sanitation, it does not have the right to bomb schools and hospitals, it does not have the right to declare people enemy combatants because they do not leave their homes. These are war crimes. But it is not that simple. There have been war crimes on both sides of this. Hamas killed the first innocents in this war. Israel's actions are more consequential at this point because Israel has more resources. If you don't think Hamas would do as much killing if they could you are a naive idiot. I am ashamed of Israel's war crimes as a Jew and horrified by the war crimes both of Hamas and the Israeli government as a human being. My heart goes to the Palestinian and Israeli people who are suffering and dying and I pray that an honest broker can bring us all to a two state solution.
__________
I almost did not listen to this because the cover blurbs come from Bill Maher and Ben Shapiro - short of including Tucker Carlson or Sean Hannity I cannot think of two media people whose opinion I less want to be in accord with. But I picked it up anyway, and started listening a couple days before fighting recommenced in the West Bank, and I can already see that this book immediately altered the way I perceive the news coming out of Israel.
This is spectacularly informative and very entertaining. This is truly necessary reading for anyone (read NOT JUST JEWS) who wants to understand Israel's history and present. Tishby is incredibly good at boiling 5000 years of history down to their essence (because the history is essential to understanding the present) and in focusing on the settlement of Israel and the establishment of the Jewish state. I felt like I had an inadequate but halfway decent understanding of all of this from reading, visits to Israel, and talking to Israeli friends, students, and colleagues (the program I run is associated with an Israeli university, and I work with a number of Israeli academics, though they are a collection of physicists, computer scientists and entrepreneurs rather than historians). I was wrong. There is so much super relevant information I was unaware of and my enlightenment helps me understand things I previously simply did not get. It also helps guide me in doing more reading. This book is a great gateway, its not the end of the inquiry.
I took away a half star (so this is a 4 1/2 rounded to a Goodreads 4) because although Tishby is somewhat even-handed in her consideration of the many moving parts here this is not unbiased. She gives the current Israeli government, Hamas, the Haredi and BDS the drubbing they all deserve. That said, she glosses over some very legitimate concerns with respect to Arabs within Israel and the West Bank who are not Israeli citizens. She also sticks to the line that being anti-Zionist is intrinsically anti-semetic, and there are some good arguments on the other side of that coin she ignores. That said, this is Tishby's book, and it is her lens. This book is unabashedly Zionist, but not hidebound -- she sees and acknowledges a good deal of the injustice and spreads the blame among many players. That is fine and good. This is also not a simple screed, supporting a position, its a proper history lesson and logical analysis, and that is something the world, and especially the US, get too little of when hearing and reading about Israel.
__________
I almost did not listen to this because the cover blurbs come from Bill Maher and Ben Shapiro - short of including Tucker Carlson or Sean Hannity I cannot think of two media people whose opinion I less want to be in accord with. But I picked it up anyway, and started listening a couple days before fighting recommenced in the West Bank, and I can already see that this book immediately altered the way I perceive the news coming out of Israel.
This is spectacularly informative and very entertaining. This is truly necessary reading for anyone (read NOT JUST JEWS) who wants to understand Israel's history and present. Tishby is incredibly good at boiling 5000 years of history down to their essence (because the history is essential to understanding the present) and in focusing on the settlement of Israel and the establishment of the Jewish state. I felt like I had an inadequate but halfway decent understanding of all of this from reading, visits to Israel, and talking to Israeli friends, students, and colleagues (the program I run is associated with an Israeli university, and I work with a number of Israeli academics, though they are a collection of physicists, computer scientists and entrepreneurs rather than historians). I was wrong. There is so much super relevant information I was unaware of and my enlightenment helps me understand things I previously simply did not get. It also helps guide me in doing more reading. This book is a great gateway, its not the end of the inquiry.
I took away a half star (so this is a 4 1/2 rounded to a Goodreads 4) because although Tishby is somewhat even-handed in her consideration of the many moving parts here this is not unbiased. She gives the current Israeli government, Hamas, the Haredi and BDS the drubbing they all deserve. That said, she glosses over some very legitimate concerns with respect to Arabs within Israel and the West Bank who are not Israeli citizens. She also sticks to the line that being anti-Zionist is intrinsically anti-semetic, and there are some good arguments on the other side of that coin she ignores. That said, this is Tishby's book, and it is her lens. This book is unabashedly Zionist, but not hidebound -- she sees and acknowledges a good deal of the injustice and spreads the blame among many players. That is fine and good. This is also not a simple screed, supporting a position, its a proper history lesson and logical analysis, and that is something the world, and especially the US, get too little of when hearing and reading about Israel.
May 1, 2021
I wish that everyone would read this book.
June 1, 2021
2.5 stars. It's an overly simplified account of Israeli-Palestinian relations; however, that's kind of the point. The authors lacks expertise beyond her personal experience and the work is slanted, but that's pretty much acknowledged at the outset.
Many of her points are spot on and the book was better than I expected (it was handed to me by a friend). She does a good job of recapping major milestones and is sharp in her criticism toward Palestine. Yet, when it comes to Israel, she offers brief acknowledgments of past wrongdoings before quickly brushing them over. And her thought process employees more than a few double standards (ironic since she seems to hate these so much when the shoe is on the other foot).
Read critically, the book has value. My concern is that, contrary to the author's assertions, this book won't change minds or make people more informed. I think it's more likely that people who already agree with her will use it as a tool to overlook Israeli excesses.
Many of her points are spot on and the book was better than I expected (it was handed to me by a friend). She does a good job of recapping major milestones and is sharp in her criticism toward Palestine. Yet, when it comes to Israel, she offers brief acknowledgments of past wrongdoings before quickly brushing them over. And her thought process employees more than a few double standards (ironic since she seems to hate these so much when the shoe is on the other foot).
Read critically, the book has value. My concern is that, contrary to the author's assertions, this book won't change minds or make people more informed. I think it's more likely that people who already agree with her will use it as a tool to overlook Israeli excesses.
August 14, 2021
The snarky writing style was amateurish and quite repulsive. Expect to see far too many instances of "cool," "groovy," "thank you very much," "freaking," and an assortment of vulgar terms.
In addition, her claim that Israel is not a colony because only 31 percent of the population is of European origin is laughable in the context of examples like Rhodesia and South Africa.
In addition, her claim that Israel is not a colony because only 31 percent of the population is of European origin is laughable in the context of examples like Rhodesia and South Africa.
November 23, 2022
I rarely give books a “1”, but this book has thoroughly earned it. The best way to describe it is a “1776 Report for Israel”, a rah-rah patriotic tome (told in a cheerleaderish tone with exclamations and profanities galore) with little true introspection or reflection, outside of a brief acknowledgment that Israel has not always treated its Sephardic population equitably. Instead, we hear about how Israel brought civilization to the backwards, ungrateful Arabs, and it’s going to save the world through its innovation and entrepreneurship, and if someone doesn’t want to buy the latest cool Israeli gadget, then to h*ell with ‘em. It’s old wine in a new bottle, essentially, the same arguments the pro-Israel crowd has used to browbeat its critics for years, just dressed up in a peppy, bite-sized version to appeal to its main intended audience, clueless “woke” Millennials, it seems.
One of the author’s main arguments is that people “don’t see the big picture” when it comes to Israel, especially regarding the broader Middle East, and no matter how bad the Palestinians might have it (and it’s 99.9% not Israel’s fault, anyway), Iran’s much worse, not to mention North Korea. With that in mind, I’ll point out some of the “big picture” items she has omitted (intentionally or otherwise).
—She argues that the Palestinians have no, or at best very tenuous, connections to the region’s inhabitants 2,000-plus years ago. It is reasonably likely that outside of recent converts, Jews living today do have ancestral ties to the area, but genetic evidence also shows there’s been a significant amount of intermarriage and conversion over the centuries.
—She brushes over the pogroms and ghetto confinement that Ashkenazi Jews faced in Europe (she does discuss Russia in more detail, but probably because she needs to incorporate it into her family’s history), while cataloging in much more detail the indignities Arab Jews suffered (and extending this history to explain Arab hostility toward Israel today), but neglecting to note that the Arab world was often a safe haven to which Jews fled to escape persecution. As an atheist with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry several generations back, I’m irked by her spin on things, to say the least.
—She claims that Israel “can’t possibly be anti-Palestinian or anti-Arab”, outside of a few right-wing wackos, by virtue of having elected officials, jurists, and successful businesspeople who are Arab. I guess the success of Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Sonia Sotomayor, Kentaji Brown Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and LeBron James proves race relations in this country are just fine, right?
—She says the U.S. supports Israel, especially at the U.N., because the U.S. “gets it”. Well, what I don’t “get” is why a book purportedly devoted to seeing the bigger picture omits AIPAC (at least by name), the U.S.S. Liberty, Rachel Corrie, etc., when discussing the “special relationship” (also not mentioned by name). As long as everyone with a computer and Internet access can use the latest cool Israeli webtool, we should all be happy, right?
One could go on, but I think you get the idea. After you read this, make sure to balance it out with a healthful serving of Norman Finkelstein, Rashid Khalidi, and Paul Findley.
One of the author’s main arguments is that people “don’t see the big picture” when it comes to Israel, especially regarding the broader Middle East, and no matter how bad the Palestinians might have it (and it’s 99.9% not Israel’s fault, anyway), Iran’s much worse, not to mention North Korea. With that in mind, I’ll point out some of the “big picture” items she has omitted (intentionally or otherwise).
—She argues that the Palestinians have no, or at best very tenuous, connections to the region’s inhabitants 2,000-plus years ago. It is reasonably likely that outside of recent converts, Jews living today do have ancestral ties to the area, but genetic evidence also shows there’s been a significant amount of intermarriage and conversion over the centuries.
—She brushes over the pogroms and ghetto confinement that Ashkenazi Jews faced in Europe (she does discuss Russia in more detail, but probably because she needs to incorporate it into her family’s history), while cataloging in much more detail the indignities Arab Jews suffered (and extending this history to explain Arab hostility toward Israel today), but neglecting to note that the Arab world was often a safe haven to which Jews fled to escape persecution. As an atheist with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry several generations back, I’m irked by her spin on things, to say the least.
—She claims that Israel “can’t possibly be anti-Palestinian or anti-Arab”, outside of a few right-wing wackos, by virtue of having elected officials, jurists, and successful businesspeople who are Arab. I guess the success of Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Sonia Sotomayor, Kentaji Brown Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and LeBron James proves race relations in this country are just fine, right?
—She says the U.S. supports Israel, especially at the U.N., because the U.S. “gets it”. Well, what I don’t “get” is why a book purportedly devoted to seeing the bigger picture omits AIPAC (at least by name), the U.S.S. Liberty, Rachel Corrie, etc., when discussing the “special relationship” (also not mentioned by name). As long as everyone with a computer and Internet access can use the latest cool Israeli webtool, we should all be happy, right?
One could go on, but I think you get the idea. After you read this, make sure to balance it out with a healthful serving of Norman Finkelstein, Rashid Khalidi, and Paul Findley.
February 19, 2022
This book was really needed and if I could give it 7 stars I would.
I have been reading about Israel, Judaism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for a while now trying to make sense of all the conflicting information (and I grew up in Israel and served in the IDF so if it wasn’t clear to me, trust me, all you keyboard justise warriors, it is not clear to you either no matter how many instagram posts or superficial articles you have read).
Often what I got from the books I read was (somewhat aggressive) account from one side or the other. But, in this book, what I finally got what I needed - a clear timeline of events, who owned the land of Israel when (historically), who was given which parts to own (diplomatically), a historical account of all the agreements, wars and so, so much more.
If this sounds dry let me assure you there is nothing dry or boring about this book. I listened to it on Audible narrated by the author and it was a great experience - funny, clear, informative and beyond interesting.
Before arguing to one side or another read (or even better listen to) this book. The age of misinformation about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must end here - lets have an informed conversation and move towards a better future together.
I have been reading about Israel, Judaism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for a while now trying to make sense of all the conflicting information (and I grew up in Israel and served in the IDF so if it wasn’t clear to me, trust me, all you keyboard justise warriors, it is not clear to you either no matter how many instagram posts or superficial articles you have read).
Often what I got from the books I read was (somewhat aggressive) account from one side or the other. But, in this book, what I finally got what I needed - a clear timeline of events, who owned the land of Israel when (historically), who was given which parts to own (diplomatically), a historical account of all the agreements, wars and so, so much more.
If this sounds dry let me assure you there is nothing dry or boring about this book. I listened to it on Audible narrated by the author and it was a great experience - funny, clear, informative and beyond interesting.
Before arguing to one side or another read (or even better listen to) this book. The age of misinformation about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must end here - lets have an informed conversation and move towards a better future together.
February 24, 2022
Terribly biased, pro-Israel propaganda. Should've known as much with the likes of Ben Shapiro actually quoted praising it...like that's something to brag about.
Tishby completely ignores the uncomfortable facts: that Israel has continuously, illegally expanded its agreed-upon borders. EVERY YEAR since its inception. And that Israel has become just another tentacle of the military industrial complex, with trillions of US taxpayer dollars funneled to Israel to be spent on contracts with US "defense" and "intelligence" corporations.
As for the writing style, Tishby's arrogance is palpable throughout, as other reviewers have mentionec. Pretty funny coming from a C-level actor.
Tishby completely ignores the uncomfortable facts: that Israel has continuously, illegally expanded its agreed-upon borders. EVERY YEAR since its inception. And that Israel has become just another tentacle of the military industrial complex, with trillions of US taxpayer dollars funneled to Israel to be spent on contracts with US "defense" and "intelligence" corporations.
As for the writing style, Tishby's arrogance is palpable throughout, as other reviewers have mentionec. Pretty funny coming from a C-level actor.
April 8, 2021
Where is the Noa Tishby fan club? I need to join immediately. Like being told the history of a nation by your best friend, Noa Tishby brings the epic story of a land, it's people, it's politics, and it's problems to life with both a matured sense of humor and a millennial's voice. I recommend this book for anyone wanting to learn more about the country of Israel, a must read for anyone on a university campus, and, it's a book EVERY Jew must read!
December 4, 2022
FABULOUS!!!!
Noa has a refreshing funny bone….
bathed in intelligence…
with family stories,
Israeli history, political and cultural storytelling flair….
She’s unapologetically occasionally crass.
Her unconventional purposeful theatrical causal writing style is ‘very’ entertaining
A few of the topics ….
Family, war, snow storms, refugees, nationhood, French military, Burning Man, racism, antisemitism, Kibbutzim, Jewish liberation, political circles, migration, etc. etc. — and most >
her passionate activism.
*Awesome* audiobook read by Noa Tishby!!!!
Noa has a refreshing funny bone….
bathed in intelligence…
with family stories,
Israeli history, political and cultural storytelling flair….
She’s unapologetically occasionally crass.
Her unconventional purposeful theatrical causal writing style is ‘very’ entertaining
A few of the topics ….
Family, war, snow storms, refugees, nationhood, French military, Burning Man, racism, antisemitism, Kibbutzim, Jewish liberation, political circles, migration, etc. etc. — and most >
her passionate activism.
*Awesome* audiobook read by Noa Tishby!!!!
April 28, 2021
The first time I went to Israel as part of a Christian tour group, I came home with three regrets. I regretted first that I had not spent more time brushing up on my Old Testament history. I knew we were going to be walking where Jesus walked, but I didn’t think about walking where Abraham, and Joshua, and Saul, and David walked.
Second, I regretted not knowing more about the Inter-testamental times— the 400 years of history between the Old and New Testament. I vaguely knew about the Maccabees, and the Hasmoneans, but it was all very fuzzy. Hence, Masada was awesome, but confusing.
The third regret was not knowing squat about the non-religious history of Israel, both pre-1948 and, more importantly, the political realities that shape it today.
I’m going back to Israel in 2022, so I’ve been working at rectifying these three regrets. I’ve read through the OT a couple of times. I’ve read about the Crusades, the Templars, and a wonderful book called Jerusalem, Jerusalem. I’m still looking for a digestible history of the Hasmoneans and the Maccabean revolt.
And thanks to Noa Tishby’s amazing book, I can mark the third regret “resolved.” She writes in a witty, engaging way that is thoroughly accessible to a Western pop-culture junkie like me, but her Israeli bonafides are legit (served her two years in the IDF, spent her summers at a kibbutz in the Galilee, etc).
What is most surprising to me as a conservative evangelical is that I’m supposed to really dislike her. She is unapologetically liberal. She is Hollywood west coast elite (an actress and executive producer for some well known HBO projects. For crying out loud, Bill Maher has a blurb on the front cover!!
But for all of her wokeness, there is also a surprising amount of liberal soul searching. For example, on writing about the West Bank wall:
“... in short, no one is happy. But suicide bombings in the cities stopped. And this is what is so frustrating about being a liberal in that neighborhood. We hate that this is happening to Palestinian families, but what are our options? What are we supposed to do? The violence had to stop (187).
Or take this gem, from a thoroughly secular Israeli considering the role of religion in the peace process:
“The answer may have been right in front of our eyes all along. Religion is a part of the problem in the region, but there may be a divine point of view that could be used to unlock the stalemate. I didn’t make this up, of course— as a secular Jew, how could I?”(164)
“...Next time we have a peace talk, let’s consider bringing a rabbi and an imam to the table to help us find a way out, and not as the beginning of a joke” (166)
She is even cautiously optimistic about the Trump peace plan, and she passes on the opportunity to throw shade on the former President in any way:
“Jared Kushner designed the plan with strong economic incentives for the Palestinians. It’s not a bad idea. But the fact that the Palestinians have not been involved in that plan is a terrible one. The Trump administration did invite the Palestinians to come to the table over and over again, but they declined repeatedly...” (135).
Did I mention BILL MAHER has a pull quote on the cover???
In short, while there will undoubtedly be a few things that could be offensive to Christians in this book (her praise of Israel being a secular state, her casual dropping of a f-bomb here and there); there are a surprising number of things even the most red-hat wearing, MAGA loving, anti-liberal elite will agree with.
And for anyone who wants more of a history of Israel than what they get from Sunday School, this book should be high on your list.
Second, I regretted not knowing more about the Inter-testamental times— the 400 years of history between the Old and New Testament. I vaguely knew about the Maccabees, and the Hasmoneans, but it was all very fuzzy. Hence, Masada was awesome, but confusing.
The third regret was not knowing squat about the non-religious history of Israel, both pre-1948 and, more importantly, the political realities that shape it today.
I’m going back to Israel in 2022, so I’ve been working at rectifying these three regrets. I’ve read through the OT a couple of times. I’ve read about the Crusades, the Templars, and a wonderful book called Jerusalem, Jerusalem. I’m still looking for a digestible history of the Hasmoneans and the Maccabean revolt.
And thanks to Noa Tishby’s amazing book, I can mark the third regret “resolved.” She writes in a witty, engaging way that is thoroughly accessible to a Western pop-culture junkie like me, but her Israeli bonafides are legit (served her two years in the IDF, spent her summers at a kibbutz in the Galilee, etc).
What is most surprising to me as a conservative evangelical is that I’m supposed to really dislike her. She is unapologetically liberal. She is Hollywood west coast elite (an actress and executive producer for some well known HBO projects. For crying out loud, Bill Maher has a blurb on the front cover!!
But for all of her wokeness, there is also a surprising amount of liberal soul searching. For example, on writing about the West Bank wall:
“... in short, no one is happy. But suicide bombings in the cities stopped. And this is what is so frustrating about being a liberal in that neighborhood. We hate that this is happening to Palestinian families, but what are our options? What are we supposed to do? The violence had to stop (187).
Or take this gem, from a thoroughly secular Israeli considering the role of religion in the peace process:
“The answer may have been right in front of our eyes all along. Religion is a part of the problem in the region, but there may be a divine point of view that could be used to unlock the stalemate. I didn’t make this up, of course— as a secular Jew, how could I?”(164)
“...Next time we have a peace talk, let’s consider bringing a rabbi and an imam to the table to help us find a way out, and not as the beginning of a joke” (166)
She is even cautiously optimistic about the Trump peace plan, and she passes on the opportunity to throw shade on the former President in any way:
“Jared Kushner designed the plan with strong economic incentives for the Palestinians. It’s not a bad idea. But the fact that the Palestinians have not been involved in that plan is a terrible one. The Trump administration did invite the Palestinians to come to the table over and over again, but they declined repeatedly...” (135).
Did I mention BILL MAHER has a pull quote on the cover???
In short, while there will undoubtedly be a few things that could be offensive to Christians in this book (her praise of Israel being a secular state, her casual dropping of a f-bomb here and there); there are a surprising number of things even the most red-hat wearing, MAGA loving, anti-liberal elite will agree with.
And for anyone who wants more of a history of Israel than what they get from Sunday School, this book should be high on your list.
January 4, 2024
Noa Tishby’s book, Israel A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth, is a top-notch, easy-to-read, well-researched, painstakingly-detailed guide to the history of modern Israel and does an excellent job of rebutting the bigoted lies of the BDS movement. Tishby and her publisher should have copies available on every college campus in the United States. It is a surprisingly well-written book, considering how plain the cover is and that Tishby is an known foremost as an actress and singer.
She begins the story of Israel as you must with the undeniable fact that Israel is the ancestral home of the Jewish people and the only people who can date their inhabitance back over 2,500 years. There has only been one sovereign state on this land and only one indigenous people. Interestingly, she points out, that King Faisal originally welcomed Jewish independence and looked with “deepest sympathy on the Zionist movement.” The Jews, of course, were not colonialist invaders like the British. And, zionism is nothing less than a movement of Jewish liberation, a movement to allow a people to self-govern in their ancestral homeland. “Not that complicated.”
Significantly, she points out that “The Jews did not ‘take Palestine.'” The Ottomans had reduced the land to empty desert and stinking swampland. There was little there and the population had not grown in a hundred years from 1800 to 1900. The Jews were still a majority in Jerusalem and the Arab population did not increase until the 1920’s and 1930’s when Jews returning to their homeland made the desert bloom and started creating industries and jobs.
Tishby then turns to the story of 1948, one where the United Nations partitioned Palestine (the name the Romans gave to the Jewish province) into two entities, one Jewish, one Arab, after the Brits had already chopped off 78% of the mandate and created Transjordan, a gift to their Hashemite allies. The Arabs turned down any deal as they have done repeatedly through the 2000’s and the armies of Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt invaded, calling on Arab residents to vacate “until the fighting had finished and every Jew killed.” It was a war of annihilation and genocide where the Arabs wanted a “final solution” to the Middle East. Egypt took the Gaza strip and Jordan the heartland of Judea and Samaria, renaming it the West Bank, a term never before in use, both illegally occupying the land.
Today, the lie being spread -the slander- is that the Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from the land. Not true. As Tishby points out, those who stayed are full citizens of Israel, comprising twenty percent of the citizens, and being judges, doctors, and politicians. Those who left to allow a clear line of fire for their Arab armies left of their own volition- like many who fled war zones across the world. Then, the Arab countries used these people as political pawns, not giving them citizenship and settling them in camps for generations. At the same time, 850,000 Jews were forcibly expelled from Iraq, Syria, Morocco, Algeria, with nothing but the clothes on their backs after having dwelt in those lands from before the time of the Romans. They were resettled in Israel. “The Arab refugee problem was caused by a war of aggression, launched by the Arab states against Israel in 1948 and 1948. Let there be no mistake. If there had been no war against Israel, with its consequent harvest of bloodshed, misery, panic, and flight, there would be no problem of Arab refugees today,” Tishby explains. To add to the confusion, the UN labels as “refugees” as it has no done in any other conflict in the world subsequent generations and those who have Jordanian citizenship and even billionaires like the Hadids. The creation of an unending refugee problem has always been a political tool of aggression.
The next point Tishby makes that is the world needs to understand that the conflict has always been between 22 Arab countries and Israel, not the Palestinians and Israel and any peace deal must encompass the entire Middle East.
As to the borders after the Six-day War, it was land captured in a defensive war from countries who had no legal right to the land to begin with. Despite over and over offering up peace deals, Arafat and his allies have refused over and over again to sign an end to terror. No deal has ever been acceptable to them that does not include the annihilation of every Jew in the land. Without a peace deal in place, there will be endless war as evidenced by the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2006, following which Hamas, who are bent on establishing an Islamic Caliphate free from infidels lie the Jews, took over and used the next fifteen years to make war from terror tunnels, thousands of rockets, and grenade balloons. As Tishby points out, it is the Hamas terrorists who hold Gaza under siege and are preventing peace. The fools on college campuses who scream about breaking the blockade forget that the boats coming in are filled to the brink with weapons of war.
Next, Tishby addresses the BDS movement on U.S. college campuses and tells the truth about this insidious movement- that it isn’t interested in peaceful coexistence, but a Jew-free Middle East. When they say they want freedom from the river to the sea, they mean without exception the annihilation of millions of Israelis. They, however, camouflage their evil with a series of lies such as that Arabs do not have equal rights in Israel and the slanderous Apartheid label- complete and total lies- spun to deceive. Their lies about murder, apartheid, and genocide are simply incompatible with any version of the truth and are turning gullible minds. BDS demonizes Israel and Jews with language of brutality and ethnic cleansing without telling the truth about a complicated history and ignoring the terror in the streets of Israel by suicide bombers and thousands of rockets fired from Gaza. Tishby writes, “The goal for every liberal should be peace, and to achieve that peace even more normalization and collaboration is required not less. BDS goes as far as boycotting peace itself.” She also points out that supporters of Hamas and BDS are often interchangeable and the organizations and individuals funding Hamas terror and BDS on campuses are often identical, although the money trail is quite complicated. While free speech is important, BDS intentionally lies and hides its pernicious terror agenda.
Finally, Tishby explores why there is an obsession against Israel – it is because Israel is an easy punching bag, and the obsession deflects attention and energy away from the discussion of human rights in the world’s actual murderous regimes. And, people hate Israel because of anti-semitism and are simply uncomfortable with Jewish self-determination.
All in all, a top-notch book that explains a complicated history in plain, easy-to understand language.
She begins the story of Israel as you must with the undeniable fact that Israel is the ancestral home of the Jewish people and the only people who can date their inhabitance back over 2,500 years. There has only been one sovereign state on this land and only one indigenous people. Interestingly, she points out, that King Faisal originally welcomed Jewish independence and looked with “deepest sympathy on the Zionist movement.” The Jews, of course, were not colonialist invaders like the British. And, zionism is nothing less than a movement of Jewish liberation, a movement to allow a people to self-govern in their ancestral homeland. “Not that complicated.”
Significantly, she points out that “The Jews did not ‘take Palestine.'” The Ottomans had reduced the land to empty desert and stinking swampland. There was little there and the population had not grown in a hundred years from 1800 to 1900. The Jews were still a majority in Jerusalem and the Arab population did not increase until the 1920’s and 1930’s when Jews returning to their homeland made the desert bloom and started creating industries and jobs.
Tishby then turns to the story of 1948, one where the United Nations partitioned Palestine (the name the Romans gave to the Jewish province) into two entities, one Jewish, one Arab, after the Brits had already chopped off 78% of the mandate and created Transjordan, a gift to their Hashemite allies. The Arabs turned down any deal as they have done repeatedly through the 2000’s and the armies of Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt invaded, calling on Arab residents to vacate “until the fighting had finished and every Jew killed.” It was a war of annihilation and genocide where the Arabs wanted a “final solution” to the Middle East. Egypt took the Gaza strip and Jordan the heartland of Judea and Samaria, renaming it the West Bank, a term never before in use, both illegally occupying the land.
Today, the lie being spread -the slander- is that the Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from the land. Not true. As Tishby points out, those who stayed are full citizens of Israel, comprising twenty percent of the citizens, and being judges, doctors, and politicians. Those who left to allow a clear line of fire for their Arab armies left of their own volition- like many who fled war zones across the world. Then, the Arab countries used these people as political pawns, not giving them citizenship and settling them in camps for generations. At the same time, 850,000 Jews were forcibly expelled from Iraq, Syria, Morocco, Algeria, with nothing but the clothes on their backs after having dwelt in those lands from before the time of the Romans. They were resettled in Israel. “The Arab refugee problem was caused by a war of aggression, launched by the Arab states against Israel in 1948 and 1948. Let there be no mistake. If there had been no war against Israel, with its consequent harvest of bloodshed, misery, panic, and flight, there would be no problem of Arab refugees today,” Tishby explains. To add to the confusion, the UN labels as “refugees” as it has no done in any other conflict in the world subsequent generations and those who have Jordanian citizenship and even billionaires like the Hadids. The creation of an unending refugee problem has always been a political tool of aggression.
The next point Tishby makes that is the world needs to understand that the conflict has always been between 22 Arab countries and Israel, not the Palestinians and Israel and any peace deal must encompass the entire Middle East.
As to the borders after the Six-day War, it was land captured in a defensive war from countries who had no legal right to the land to begin with. Despite over and over offering up peace deals, Arafat and his allies have refused over and over again to sign an end to terror. No deal has ever been acceptable to them that does not include the annihilation of every Jew in the land. Without a peace deal in place, there will be endless war as evidenced by the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2006, following which Hamas, who are bent on establishing an Islamic Caliphate free from infidels lie the Jews, took over and used the next fifteen years to make war from terror tunnels, thousands of rockets, and grenade balloons. As Tishby points out, it is the Hamas terrorists who hold Gaza under siege and are preventing peace. The fools on college campuses who scream about breaking the blockade forget that the boats coming in are filled to the brink with weapons of war.
Next, Tishby addresses the BDS movement on U.S. college campuses and tells the truth about this insidious movement- that it isn’t interested in peaceful coexistence, but a Jew-free Middle East. When they say they want freedom from the river to the sea, they mean without exception the annihilation of millions of Israelis. They, however, camouflage their evil with a series of lies such as that Arabs do not have equal rights in Israel and the slanderous Apartheid label- complete and total lies- spun to deceive. Their lies about murder, apartheid, and genocide are simply incompatible with any version of the truth and are turning gullible minds. BDS demonizes Israel and Jews with language of brutality and ethnic cleansing without telling the truth about a complicated history and ignoring the terror in the streets of Israel by suicide bombers and thousands of rockets fired from Gaza. Tishby writes, “The goal for every liberal should be peace, and to achieve that peace even more normalization and collaboration is required not less. BDS goes as far as boycotting peace itself.” She also points out that supporters of Hamas and BDS are often interchangeable and the organizations and individuals funding Hamas terror and BDS on campuses are often identical, although the money trail is quite complicated. While free speech is important, BDS intentionally lies and hides its pernicious terror agenda.
Finally, Tishby explores why there is an obsession against Israel – it is because Israel is an easy punching bag, and the obsession deflects attention and energy away from the discussion of human rights in the world’s actual murderous regimes. And, people hate Israel because of anti-semitism and are simply uncomfortable with Jewish self-determination.
All in all, a top-notch book that explains a complicated history in plain, easy-to understand language.
May 27, 2022
5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Please please read this book! Israel is the most misunderstood country on earth IMO. There are so many conflicting opinions about Israel, but many of them are based on half truths or the biased main stream media. Before you take a stance on the conflict in Israel, do some due diligence and educate yourself on both sides of the issues.
In order to understand the present state of Israel you must understand the past. Noa Tishby does an EXCELLENT job at summing up 5000 years of history. And doing so entertainingly and engagingly! I found the history parts interesting and I’d love to go back and reread it.
I don’t pretend to understand the Middle East but I’d love to know more, and this book is a great place to start.
Also, Tishby narrates the audible version of this book and does such a fantastic job! I would highly recommend listening to the audio version!
Please please read this book! Israel is the most misunderstood country on earth IMO. There are so many conflicting opinions about Israel, but many of them are based on half truths or the biased main stream media. Before you take a stance on the conflict in Israel, do some due diligence and educate yourself on both sides of the issues.
In order to understand the present state of Israel you must understand the past. Noa Tishby does an EXCELLENT job at summing up 5000 years of history. And doing so entertainingly and engagingly! I found the history parts interesting and I’d love to go back and reread it.
I don’t pretend to understand the Middle East but I’d love to know more, and this book is a great place to start.
Also, Tishby narrates the audible version of this book and does such a fantastic job! I would highly recommend listening to the audio version!
November 13, 2023
This book is a master class with personality!!!! It's a must read, whether you think you understand or not. Noa Tishby, an Israel-American actress and producer, takes us through the story and the facts of Israel. With history, humor, storytelling, and historical/political understanding. I think this book is what the world needs. If only we could persuade people to pick it up. Especially those, who think they know the truth, and who are willfully unwittingly part of the problem.
Plus, she has personality. She tells it with humor, wit, style, and an appealing sense of simplicity. I had it on my TBR, these books always land there. But after these vicious attacks of terrorism, and the resulting increase in anti-semitism, here and all over the world, I see that we are not on the same page. Tishby's explanations and ownership and personal experience is just what the world needs.
I was roaming about in Hummingbird Books, and I saw it was the last one on the table. I felt like it was meant for me to buy, and I was happy they were selling out. I want this one to go to someone who needs to read it. Who can understand things in a new way. I think I might send it to a political blogger that I love, but who I suspect might learn a thing or two. Any other thoughts about how I might promote it? Are other people picking this up? They sure should.
Plus, she has personality. She tells it with humor, wit, style, and an appealing sense of simplicity. I had it on my TBR, these books always land there. But after these vicious attacks of terrorism, and the resulting increase in anti-semitism, here and all over the world, I see that we are not on the same page. Tishby's explanations and ownership and personal experience is just what the world needs.
I was roaming about in Hummingbird Books, and I saw it was the last one on the table. I felt like it was meant for me to buy, and I was happy they were selling out. I want this one to go to someone who needs to read it. Who can understand things in a new way. I think I might send it to a political blogger that I love, but who I suspect might learn a thing or two. Any other thoughts about how I might promote it? Are other people picking this up? They sure should.
December 7, 2022
If you want to engage thoughtfully with the issues surrounding Israel I would highly recommend that you dispense with this book and read “Can We Talk About Israeli” by Daniel Sokatch instead.
Both are similar in that they are concise, very readable discussions of the history and issues surrounding modern Israel. With Tisby you get a little more of the author’s personal experience, which will appeal to some readers. It did not appeal to me because I found her style a little too colloquial such that it distracted from, rather than added to, the overall narrative. And I just wasn’t that interested in her, an actress in some TV show I never heard of.
More importantly, Sokatch is by far the more thoughtful and nuanced writer. He engages with the issues about as objectively as is possible on such a contentious topic and leaves the clear impression that he would like to educate the reader so the reader can decide for his/her self what the reader thinks. Tisby does not treat the reader with the same level of respect. She has decided what she thinks and she wants you to think it too. (Indeed, she has been given some quasi official role by the Israeli government).
The worst example of Tisby’s failure to engage thoughtfully with the issues is her treatment of the apartheid question. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have applied the “apartheid” label to Israel based on a thorough analysis of the international legal definition of that term and the realities on the ground in the areas under Israel’s
military control, Israel proper, the West Bank and Gaza. Tisby does not tell you this, nor does she engage in any substantive way with those organizations’ analysis. Rather, she notes that the term “apartheid” has been applied to Israel. She then says that a lot of people think of apartheid as a minority oppressing a majority and Israel can’t be that because Jews are a majority within the borders set by the 1948 armistice (eg excluding the West Bank and Gaza). This is setting up a straw man and knocking it down. It is simply not a serious treatment of the question. It gives the reader a talking point to use to refute the apartheid label but does not in any meaningful way educate the reader.
In short, if you want to think and educate yourself, buy the Sokatch book. If you already know that you are, or want to become, an uncritical supporter of Israel, and/or are interested in her as a person, then buy the Tisby book.
Both are similar in that they are concise, very readable discussions of the history and issues surrounding modern Israel. With Tisby you get a little more of the author’s personal experience, which will appeal to some readers. It did not appeal to me because I found her style a little too colloquial such that it distracted from, rather than added to, the overall narrative. And I just wasn’t that interested in her, an actress in some TV show I never heard of.
More importantly, Sokatch is by far the more thoughtful and nuanced writer. He engages with the issues about as objectively as is possible on such a contentious topic and leaves the clear impression that he would like to educate the reader so the reader can decide for his/her self what the reader thinks. Tisby does not treat the reader with the same level of respect. She has decided what she thinks and she wants you to think it too. (Indeed, she has been given some quasi official role by the Israeli government).
The worst example of Tisby’s failure to engage thoughtfully with the issues is her treatment of the apartheid question. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have applied the “apartheid” label to Israel based on a thorough analysis of the international legal definition of that term and the realities on the ground in the areas under Israel’s
military control, Israel proper, the West Bank and Gaza. Tisby does not tell you this, nor does she engage in any substantive way with those organizations’ analysis. Rather, she notes that the term “apartheid” has been applied to Israel. She then says that a lot of people think of apartheid as a minority oppressing a majority and Israel can’t be that because Jews are a majority within the borders set by the 1948 armistice (eg excluding the West Bank and Gaza). This is setting up a straw man and knocking it down. It is simply not a serious treatment of the question. It gives the reader a talking point to use to refute the apartheid label but does not in any meaningful way educate the reader.
In short, if you want to think and educate yourself, buy the Sokatch book. If you already know that you are, or want to become, an uncritical supporter of Israel, and/or are interested in her as a person, then buy the Tisby book.
October 31, 2023
Literal fascists praised this book. Absolutely disgusting #freepalestine
June 13, 2023
In a book subtitled A Simple Guide ot the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth, the author is the one who is misunderstanding things.
At times, this felt like a history for the braindead, not that that is necessarily a mark against it (there are lots of braindead in the world), but that is just not my cup of tea.
What bothered me was the way she simplistically set up strawman argument in order to argue for Zionism. “Yet another written historical corroboration of the Jewish people’s connection to Jerusalem and Israel can be found in non other than…the Quran itself. Contrary to recent political attempts to say otherwise, it is indeed true, and everyone is welcome to check this out. (Among other verses see Quran: Surah Bani Isra’il verses 17:2, Surah of Jonah verse 93, and Surah al Ahraph verse 137).”
These verses from the Quran do indeed mention something about Israelis occupying the land of Israel in ancient times. However, this is a strawman argument; no one debates that, millennia before, the Jews come from Israel. The modern debate is whether or not that ancient connection gave the Jews the right to come to the Holy Land and create a Jewish state in 1948. In misrepresenting the argument of her opponents, Tishby demonstrates that she cannot be trusted to argue fairly.
Read 5%.
At times, this felt like a history for the braindead, not that that is necessarily a mark against it (there are lots of braindead in the world), but that is just not my cup of tea.
What bothered me was the way she simplistically set up strawman argument in order to argue for Zionism. “Yet another written historical corroboration of the Jewish people’s connection to Jerusalem and Israel can be found in non other than…the Quran itself. Contrary to recent political attempts to say otherwise, it is indeed true, and everyone is welcome to check this out. (Among other verses see Quran: Surah Bani Isra’il verses 17:2, Surah of Jonah verse 93, and Surah al Ahraph verse 137).”
These verses from the Quran do indeed mention something about Israelis occupying the land of Israel in ancient times. However, this is a strawman argument; no one debates that, millennia before, the Jews come from Israel. The modern debate is whether or not that ancient connection gave the Jews the right to come to the Holy Land and create a Jewish state in 1948. In misrepresenting the argument of her opponents, Tishby demonstrates that she cannot be trusted to argue fairly.
Read 5%.
October 10, 2022
Too biased.
November 16, 2023
*spoiler* Author is not really Israeli, her grandparents and family came from Belarus .
This book is the biggest crock of s*** I have ever read. It contradicts everything the author says in the beginning.
So the author is not really a true “israel”. She said in the beginning she can trace her roots to Israel through her grandparents and great grandparents. Her grandparents lived in BELARUS!
Her grandma was threatened by the people in Belarus and received a pamphlet to emigrate to Palestine.
I can’t stand liars and propaganda on trying to convince people that Israel was there first.
The whole book is about how “israel” stole land so they could have their own place to gather in numbers. They thought that if you get enough together people won’t anti-Semitic.
Complete BS of a book. All about the creation of a stolen land. Stop the Genocide !
It’s pathetic how the author clearly talks about Palestine being dirty and uninhabitable, but her family wanted to settle there when they got kicked out of Belarus. 😂
Give back Palestine their 47% of the land with the most access to water!
This book is the biggest crock of s*** I have ever read. It contradicts everything the author says in the beginning.
So the author is not really a true “israel”. She said in the beginning she can trace her roots to Israel through her grandparents and great grandparents. Her grandparents lived in BELARUS!
Her grandma was threatened by the people in Belarus and received a pamphlet to emigrate to Palestine.
I can’t stand liars and propaganda on trying to convince people that Israel was there first.
The whole book is about how “israel” stole land so they could have their own place to gather in numbers. They thought that if you get enough together people won’t anti-Semitic.
Complete BS of a book. All about the creation of a stolen land. Stop the Genocide !
It’s pathetic how the author clearly talks about Palestine being dirty and uninhabitable, but her family wanted to settle there when they got kicked out of Belarus. 😂
Give back Palestine their 47% of the land with the most access to water!
May 17, 2022
There are so many things I want to say about this remarkable book but the one that’s most likely to get people to read it is: THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL BOOK!!! With recent events causing horrible divisions among many who support the same ideals (peace, human rights, and justice), it’s understandable that readers gravitate toward information that will back up their beliefs.
As a librarian I teach students to read laterally when doing research, which means if you want to get to the truth faster, you need to read articles and books from every angle, perspective, and medium. Instead of scrolling vertically on the same website, they should have many different tabs open so that they get facts from various sources and can backup their claims with evidence. The same goes for reading nonfiction books.
Noa Tishby is a liberal woman who grew up in Israel and is not afraid to criticize their government. She is also a responsible researcher and goes to the primary sources when making claims about history or current political events. Her insights about Israel, the Middle East, and the world’s reactions to conflicts are intelligent, thought-provoking, and balanced.
Written in a conversational tone and sprinkled with humor, personal anecdotes, and fascinating facts, Tishby’s book is the only history book I’ve read that I can call a page-turner. Not only did I enjoy every page, but I look forward to rereading it to process even further the wealth of information here.
And if that’s not enough to convince you to read it, there are maps!!! And an appendix that sums everything up. And a glossary! This book is truly a gem.
As a librarian I teach students to read laterally when doing research, which means if you want to get to the truth faster, you need to read articles and books from every angle, perspective, and medium. Instead of scrolling vertically on the same website, they should have many different tabs open so that they get facts from various sources and can backup their claims with evidence. The same goes for reading nonfiction books.
Noa Tishby is a liberal woman who grew up in Israel and is not afraid to criticize their government. She is also a responsible researcher and goes to the primary sources when making claims about history or current political events. Her insights about Israel, the Middle East, and the world’s reactions to conflicts are intelligent, thought-provoking, and balanced.
Written in a conversational tone and sprinkled with humor, personal anecdotes, and fascinating facts, Tishby’s book is the only history book I’ve read that I can call a page-turner. Not only did I enjoy every page, but I look forward to rereading it to process even further the wealth of information here.
And if that’s not enough to convince you to read it, there are maps!!! And an appendix that sums everything up. And a glossary! This book is truly a gem.
April 29, 2021
Noa Tishby is unapologetically pro-Israeli. Her book reads like she is sitting in a bar explaining her love of all things Israel.
May 31, 2021
When it comes to Israel, we’d all be well-served by escaping the social media hot-takes and reading historically informed books like this one.
July 24, 2021
The author talks about what she has learned during her decade-long career involved in pro-Israel activism, where anti-Semitic attacks originate from in America, and why it's important for everyone to educate themselves on the history of the hotly contested region. By not supporting Israel, especially progressives and liberals, we can destabilize the security of the United States. This book explains to people why we should care. This book will educate anyone - the Jewish community or non-Jewish community, who wants to know WHY Israel is so important. She pointed out that this is not an Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It's an Israeli-Arab world conflict.
Part of the strategy is education and trying to dispel all the misperceptions out there. But this book is not about Jewishness. It's about American values. You don't have to be Jewish to support Israel. You have to understand the region and understand what the forces are, and see who supports your values, not who has a better meme.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/noa...
Part of the strategy is education and trying to dispel all the misperceptions out there. But this book is not about Jewishness. It's about American values. You don't have to be Jewish to support Israel. You have to understand the region and understand what the forces are, and see who supports your values, not who has a better meme.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/noa...
December 1, 2021
Full review coming soon, but I am incredibly disappointed by this book
March 28, 2022
A Simple Book About A Complicated Country
Noa Tishby's attempt at demystifying one of the most complicated countries in the planet is okayish, not that great. The conversational tone laced with tongue-in-cheek humor works. The personal experiences of Noa and her family that are woven into the chapters are interesting.
Since this book has a pro-Israel leaning, the author seems to have overlooked certain important issues like military aggression and war crimes among others. That said, she has appositely touched upon Jewish extremism in the region rather than glossing it over.
From a historical and geopolitical perspective, this book has barely scratched the surface, yet the author deserves credit for condensing it into a concise and engaging format. For those of you who want to gain a deeper understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this is not the right book since this is more ‘hasbara’ than an even-handed account.
Noa Tishby's attempt at demystifying one of the most complicated countries in the planet is okayish, not that great. The conversational tone laced with tongue-in-cheek humor works. The personal experiences of Noa and her family that are woven into the chapters are interesting.
Since this book has a pro-Israel leaning, the author seems to have overlooked certain important issues like military aggression and war crimes among others. That said, she has appositely touched upon Jewish extremism in the region rather than glossing it over.
From a historical and geopolitical perspective, this book has barely scratched the surface, yet the author deserves credit for condensing it into a concise and engaging format. For those of you who want to gain a deeper understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this is not the right book since this is more ‘hasbara’ than an even-handed account.
November 9, 2021
[Audiobook] I was excited for the opportunity to learn, but I was disappointed. I think the book was trying to be accessible and engaging, but I found it went too far toward flippant and sarcastic. I lived in Qatar for 5 years, so I’ve had one side of the story and I came here looking for the other. Some readers, myself included, might not understand the nuances or appreciate the humour on this serious topic. Sorry for being a buzzkill haha.
June 9, 2021
Too much zionist bias - calling Palestine not a actually state because they weren't very developed, and saying Israel deserves the land because they are good, developed people etc
September 10, 2022
I particularly enjoy reading history and accounts of men and women of Israel, past and present.
Waited for months for this copy. What a disappointment.
No hint of personal Israeli authenticity.
Noa, a daughter of Abraham, and she calls the Creator ....'she'.
The text comes across as if from a young American girlie from a fashionable high school.
The trendy terms, abbreviated swearing and poor language structure is just what I would expect from a teenage barbie.
Have retired the book, unfinished.
Waited for months for this copy. What a disappointment.
No hint of personal Israeli authenticity.
Noa, a daughter of Abraham, and she calls the Creator ....'she'.
The text comes across as if from a young American girlie from a fashionable high school.
The trendy terms, abbreviated swearing and poor language structure is just what I would expect from a teenage barbie.
Have retired the book, unfinished.
August 4, 2022
Some interesting information about Israel. Much too much about the author. She is amazingly self centered to believe people would want to read her detailed story. Where was her editor?
July 14, 2021
Incredibly informative! I listened to it and then bought the hard copy so I could reference. As a liberal Jew I do not feel supported but my fellow liberals or the right. This gave so many facts and explained why it is very difficult to separate anti semetism from anti Israel. I really hope more of my non Jewish friends (particularly those who think they they know where they stand on the conflict) read this book
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