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My Friend, the Enemy

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This is an important book for anyone who wants to understand the history of Israel and Palestine.

Author Uri Avnery, now 85, became an Irgun terrorist at age 15, but after three years he left the Irgun, because of his opposition to its policies against Arabs and its terrorism. He was seriously wounded in the 1948 war, and wrote about his experiences. After he recovered, he became a journalist, a peace activist, and a member of the Israeli parliament (Knesset).

This book tells the story of his courageous back-channel meetings in the 1970s with leaders of the PLO, including Yassir Arafat, in an attempt to forge a peaceful solution to the conflict. At crucial points in negotiations, the moderate PLO members with whom Avnery was conducting a dialogue (toward an agreement on a two-state solution) were assassinated.

Avnery today heads the Israeli peace bloc, Gush Shalom, and continues to fight for a two-state solution and equity for Israelis and Palestinians.

The enemy that Avnery befriended was Yassar Arafat. But Avnery not only befriended Arafat he joined him, and came to adopt Palestinian positions against Israel. Even at times when Israel was subject to the worst waves of Palestinian terror Avnery was there explaining how the Palestinians really wanted peace.

Avnery who for many years was a leading figure in Israeli journalism joined the other side. He has done much to deligitimize Israel, and for this certainly deserves the title of Israel's Benedict Arnold.