Product Description

This book presents a unique and unrivaled exploration of Israeli national consciousness, particularly with regard to the Palestinians. It features first person narratives, produced from interviews and framed by commentary. It is interspersed throughout with photographs. It is similar to Studs Turkel's "American Dreams". For many Jews, Israel is synonymous with pride, haven and liberation. For Israel's founders, it was to be a nation of strong new Jews, who would never again go willingly to the death camps. But what identity has been created? Israel's oppression of the Palestinians creates anger throughout the Muslim world and beyond. How do Israelis see themselves today? This unique book explores the dynamics, distortions and incredible diversity of Israeli society. From the mouths of soldiers, settlers, sex workers and the victims of suicide attacks, "Occupied Minds" is the story of a national psyche that has become scarred by mental security barriers, emotional checkpoints and displaced outposts of victimhood and aggression. From vignettes to in-depth interviews, more than fifty different people offer their accounts. What they reveal is in turn powerful, haunting, subtle and disturbing. Illustrated throughout with photographs, the book offers an unrivalled insight into Israeli consciousness, private and public. They chart the evolution of a communal self-image based on cultural and religious values towards one formed around a single militaristic imperative: national security.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #231927 in Books
• Published on: 2006-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
"'Refreshingly free of preconceived notions.... A pleasure to read.' Robert Fisk 'Brutal and searingly honest accounts.... A compelling book.' Yvonne Ridley, Political editor of the Islam Channel 'Red Pepper is worth the price just for Arthur Neslen's investigative reports.' Greg Palast"

About the Author
Arthur Neslen was until recently the London correspondent for Aljazeera.net and the website's only Jewish journalist. For five years he was Red Pepper Magazine's international editor and between 2001 and 2004, he worked as a broadcast journalist at the BBC. He has also written for publications including the Guardian, the Independent, the Observer, the New Statesman and Private Eye.

Customer Reviews

Fascinating insight into Israeli society
The stories & experience of secular and religious Jewish people from left to the right of Israeli society challenge the notion that Israel is an ideal society & haven for all Jews. It will be an invaluable oral history record for historians. People speak for themselves, leaving the reader to make up their own mind, whilst footnotes provide well researched historical context which reinstates aspects of Jewish history absent from the pro-zionist tradition. There are first hand accounts of racism towards non- Western Jews, housing policies which encouraged naive Russian migrants to go live in settler enclaves in the occupied territories, as well as a fascinating interview with a retired security chief about Machiavellian manipulations. This thought provoking book should be read by all diaspora Jews, whether the majority who continue to feel they must give whatever Israel does unconditional support, or an increasing minority who do not.