A review by margaret45678
When the Bulbul Stopped Singing: Life in Palestine During an Israeli Siege by Raja Shehadeh

I think this book would be a good starting point for liberal people who are disturbed by the atrocities which Israel is committing against Palestinians but who still can't bring themselves to fully support the idea of Palestinian liberation, perhaps better than The Hundred Years' War on Palestine. As a middle-aged, educated, professional person who is staunchly opposed to violence, Shehadeh is likely to be relatable to many progressive-leaning Americans. I think he did a good job integrating historical information and accounts from his friends and family into his personal experiences, though you would still need to have some background knowledge about the history of Palestine and the occupation to understand everything.

Some of his analysis came across as a little naive, but then again it's an important reminder that Palestine is not just an abstract concept, and Palestinian people can't be reduced to either abject victims or ruthless terrorists. I'm not sure how to phrase this without falling into glib cliches about "both sides" but I do think his efforts to understand and be compassionate towards Israelis - without minimizing the horrors of the occupation and the total asymmetry of the situation - are admirable.

What stood out to me was how Shehadeh and his neighbors witnessed many of the same cruel, sophomoric acts of vandalism by the IOF which we're seeing again in Gaza, over 20 years later.