A review by luiseh
I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity by Izzeldin Abuelaish

how do you rate a book like this? izzeldin abuelaish’s life has been marked by tragedy, oppression and humiliation, like that of every palestinian living in gaza. i read this just a few weeks after the israeli supreme court rejected abuelaish’s 13-year-long appeal for an apology and compensation for his daughters’ deaths, citing that the idf cannot be held responsible for war time actions. it is true that the cycle of violence, revenge and mutual demonization is extremely unproductive, but suggesting that both sides have equal capacities for forgiving each other seems a bit short-sighted to me, considering the vastly different situations of palestinians and israelis. dialogue is important but near impossible to sustain if one side is fighting for survival every day - there are many things that need to be addressed before abuelaish’s approach can realistically take hold. i feel like more than an appeal for compassion, this book is a way of coping with grief. everyone deals with grief - personal, communal, historical in nature - differently, and abuelaish chose hope and forgiveness. though this attitude may not be enough to solve the conflict on an intersocietal level, he as a person must be commended for that.