A Divided Paradise: An Irishman in the Holy Land »

A Divided Paradise: An Irishman in the Holy Land consists of interviews, discussions, and articles. While focusing on the contemporary life of ordinary Palestinians and Israelis, the book also delves into the contested history of the region, and provides accessible background to the conflict. It is an exciting and readable description of ordinary life in one of the most conflicted, newsworthy, and interesting regions on the globe. Including chapters focusing on the internal contradictions of Israeli life, David Lynch animates stories from both sides of the divide.

Publishers Weekly

Journalist Lynch's mission-to "unashamedly and sympathetically chronicle... the tragic Palestinian nation and its defiant, inspiring people"-is fulfilled in a heartrending account of the suffering of Palestinians under occupation. Lynch (Radical Politics in Modern Ireland) has not only covered the big events but also lived in the West Bank, witnessing up close Israeli raids, checkpoint lines and agitated soldiers and the privations created by Israel's 250-mile-long security wall. He impressively and seamlessly combines storytelling with reportage and fact-finding. His failures are thus all the more unfortunate: the book's scarce sourcing ensures that only those with a background in the field can judge his findings, and in his efforts to validate the Palestinian narrative, he too easily dismisses the Israeli counterpart. While Lynch takes pains to acknowledge Israeli humanity, calling Zionism "a colonizing project like most others" might lose the book some readers who might have been open to broadening their understanding of the conflict.(Aug.)

Maps of the Holy Land

Timeline

1 Under Fire in Bil'in 1

2 The Occupation from Behind a Gun 32

3 The Open-Air Prison 58

4 Dancing in Ramallah 96

5 More Than One Wall 133

6 Loitering on the Margins 165

7 A Cold House for Arabs 207

8 Jew Don't Evict Jew 247

9 Divided Within 285

10 Apocalypse Now? 313

Epilogue 344

Glossary 363

Acknowledgments 371