By turns inspiring and heart-breaking, hopeful and horrifying, I Shall Not Hate is Izzeldin Abuelaish's account of an extraordinary life. A Harvard-trained Palestinian doctor who was born and raised in the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip and "who has devoted his life to medicine and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians" (New York Times), Abuelaish has been crossing the lines in the sand that divide Israelis and Palestinians for most of his life - as a physician who treats patients on both sides of the line, as a humanitarian who sees the need for improved health and education for women as the way forward in the Middle East. And, most recently, as the father whose daughters were killed by Israeli soldiers on January 16, 2009, during Israel's incursion into the Gaza Strip. His response to this tragedy made news and won him humanitarian awards around the world. Instead of seeking revenge or sinking into hatred, Abuelaish called for the people in the region to start talking to each other. His deepest hope is that his daughters will be "the last sacrifice on the road to peace between Palestinians and Israelis."
I Shall Not Hate
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Born in a refugee camp in 1955, Palestinian physician Abuelaish suffers a catastrophic loss when three of his daughters are killed in their home by Israeli fire in 2009. An Israeli television journalist's live broadcast of his call for help captures Israeli public and world press attention. "Most of the world has heard of the Gaza Strip," as Abuelaish says, "ut few know what it's like to live here, blockaded, impoverished, year after year, decade after decade." Abuelaish portrays everyday life in Gaza and tells the remarkable story of how he came to be "the first Palestinian doctor to be on staff at an Israeli hospital." The "tortured politics of Palestine, Israel, and the Middle East" are rendered graphic by his personal accounts of "the humiliation, the fear, the physical difficulty" of border checkpoints and bulldozed homes. Abuelaish tells of the "satisfying, even wonderful" moments, "the good chapter of a bad story," as well; an infertility specialist, he is as "thoroughly smitten" with his research as he is appalled that "Gaza hospitals are rundown and can't be repaired because of an embargo is preposterous." Abuelaish knows anger, but in this impassioned, committed attempt to show the reader life on the sliver of land that is Gaza, he demonstrates that "nger is not the same as hate." (Jan.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review
"WHAT is said in this impressive book is less remarkable than who says it…. Anger is fine, he says, but we must all find the inner strength not to hate. He himself has done so quite magnificently."—The Economist
"Scrupulously honest… heartfelt, moving and beautifully written in a distinctive voice…. what is most remarkable is that [Abuelaish] is able to convey not only a baseline faith in the human spirit, but hope for the future."—Emily L. Hauser, The Dallas Morning News
"Because Abuelaish has this sort of deeply nuanced approach to the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict, precisely because he yearns to point out the good in those who are supposed to be his enemy, we cannot ignore or deny his damning portrayal of life under occupation."—Jane Eisner, The Forward
"An eye-opening story of a remarkable person."—Alden Mudge, BookPage
"Abuelaish knows anger, but in this impassioned, committed attempt to show the reader life on the sliver of land that is Gaza, he demonstrates that ‘[a]nger is not the same as hate.’"—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"This story is a necessary lesson against hatred and revenge."—Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
"In this book, Dr. Abuelaish has expressed a remarkable commitment to forgiveness and reconciliation that describes the foundation for a permanent peace in the Holy Land."—President Jimmy Carter
"I met Dr. Abuelaish just a few days after the loss of his three daughters. We faced each other as we were about to shake hands. And then, without much thought, we held each other in a warm embrace … It is so rare, I thought, in this debilitating and devastating area we inhabit, to meet a person like him, a man who despite his own losses, continues his belief in humanity and its potential for good, despite all … Through his eyes I could see another way, a way the two nations could treat each other. A way that could extract what is good, special, and humane in both of them. I could see an alternative that could light up the great similarity of both peoples, one that gets denied and put down time and time again. This option, now so scorned and held in such contempt, suddenly sprang to life, embodied in the man I was watching."—David Grossman
"A deeply affecting narrative told in a voice of poignant simplicity, punctuated by injunctions to love that are far from corny, tried as they are by the searing experiences of a righteous man striving to act decently in a place of madness."—Kirkus Reviews
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 37 people found the following review helpful
By K. C. Liput
Format:Hardcover
I couldn't put the book down!
I feel the other book reviews have done an excellent job so I will not repeat their poignant knowledge expressed. I have tried to keep myself educated with the conflicts in the Middle East. Yet, this book was very different experience for me. Once I started reading I could not put the book down. The book is a personal journey of Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish that I wept in grief, sorrow, hope, and joy for. I also was educated in a very different way in what the psychodynamic/ analytic community calls "Mentaizing"- putting oneself in one's shoes. I did not have judgment politically against any side of the conflicts during his story. I did find myself having empathy and sadness for everyone in this conflict.
There is an a good interview by Steve Palkin on YouTube and another video of Dr. Abuelaish's tragedy as it happened live. Palkin questioned/states Abuelaish's ideas of peace are "very dangerous ideas from the lunic fridge on both sides." I think Palkin asks some very real questions that might have overly optimistic answers from Dr. Abuelaish's. I hope I'm wrong. The book has a few themes that are repetitive. I would recommend to YouTube after reading the book since I do not feel the story and messages is captured well in the videos, but is a good adjunct to the book.
All said- I have felt inspired and found so much humanity from both sides and worldwide. Dr. Abuelaish's journey out of rubble and how he has beaten the odds to successes.... I would of thought impossible.
I feel the other book reviews have done an excellent job so I will not repeat their poignant knowledge expressed. I have tried to keep myself educated with the conflicts in the Middle East. Yet, this book was very different experience for me. Once I started reading I could not put the book down. The book is a personal journey of Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish that I wept in grief, sorrow, hope, and joy for. I also was educated in a very different way in what the psychodynamic/ analytic community calls "Mentaizing"- putting oneself in one's shoes. I did not have judgment politically against any side of the conflicts during his story. I did find myself having empathy and sadness for everyone in this conflict.
There is an a good interview by Steve Palkin on YouTube and another video of Dr. Abuelaish's tragedy as it happened live. Palkin questioned/states Abuelaish's ideas of peace are "very dangerous ideas from the lunic fridge on both sides." I think Palkin asks some very real questions that might have overly optimistic answers from Dr. Abuelaish's. I hope I'm wrong. The book has a few themes that are repetitive. I would recommend to YouTube after reading the book since I do not feel the story and messages is captured well in the videos, but is a good adjunct to the book.
All said- I have felt inspired and found so much humanity from both sides and worldwide. Dr. Abuelaish's journey out of rubble and how he has beaten the odds to successes.... I would of thought impossible.
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is the first time I am writing a review on a book. I love to read, but often, I feel that other reviewers have already done such a good job with their writings about the particular book, that I just read the book and move on.
"I shall not hate" is not a book that one could ever just "read and move on" afterwards.
This book has so deeply impacted and moved me, I had to take a couple days just to be able to collect my thoughts enough to offer this humble review.
I admit that most of what I will say is simply echoing what the other reviewers have said, but I just had to salute and honor Dr. Abuelaish for offering each and every one of us an insight into the limitless possibilities that are borne of hope and faith.
I am an Egyptian-American. I have traveled to Egypt and the Middle East many times in my life. I thought I was already well-informed about the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict. I thought I would be prepared and familiar with what I was about to read.
I was not.
Nothing could have prepared me for the explicit depictions of heart-breaking, abject poverty and soul-crushing, desperate living conditions that Dr. Abuelaish describes from memories of his childhood to the present situation in the Gaza Strip.
At the same time, nothing could have prepared me for the breath-taking acts of courage, faith, determination, and love that the Dr. writes of from his personal life experiences. His responses to challenges and hardships that would easily leave most others permanently scarred with hatred and thoughts of revenge, have touched me (and so many others) profoundly.
I have been committed to supporting a peaceful resolution to the Middle East conflict all of my life, but the constant set-backs in the peace process often leave me feeling despair and frustration.
This book leaves us all vowing to never give up hope that Palestinians (and all people) will someday be afforded the same dignity and respect we are ALL entitled to as children of God. We can and must support this basic right for all people.
Thank you Dr. Abuelaish for sharing your unforgettable story with the world.
"I shall not hate" is not a book that one could ever just "read and move on" afterwards.
This book has so deeply impacted and moved me, I had to take a couple days just to be able to collect my thoughts enough to offer this humble review.
I admit that most of what I will say is simply echoing what the other reviewers have said, but I just had to salute and honor Dr. Abuelaish for offering each and every one of us an insight into the limitless possibilities that are borne of hope and faith.
I am an Egyptian-American. I have traveled to Egypt and the Middle East many times in my life. I thought I was already well-informed about the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict. I thought I would be prepared and familiar with what I was about to read.
I was not.
Nothing could have prepared me for the explicit depictions of heart-breaking, abject poverty and soul-crushing, desperate living conditions that Dr. Abuelaish describes from memories of his childhood to the present situation in the Gaza Strip.
At the same time, nothing could have prepared me for the breath-taking acts of courage, faith, determination, and love that the Dr. writes of from his personal life experiences. His responses to challenges and hardships that would easily leave most others permanently scarred with hatred and thoughts of revenge, have touched me (and so many others) profoundly.
I have been committed to supporting a peaceful resolution to the Middle East conflict all of my life, but the constant set-backs in the peace process often leave me feeling despair and frustration.
This book leaves us all vowing to never give up hope that Palestinians (and all people) will someday be afforded the same dignity and respect we are ALL entitled to as children of God. We can and must support this basic right for all people.
Thank you Dr. Abuelaish for sharing your unforgettable story with the world.
17 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By Caroline Lim
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an amazingly inspirational memoir by a Palestinian doctor, born in a refugee camp in Gaza, and who, after his wife died, then lost 3 of his daughters when the Israelis fired into his home in the Gaza strip. His daughters died simply because they had been sleeping against "the wrong wall" that evening.
Although angry and deeply grieving the death of his 3 daughters, Dr Abuelaish felt no hatred towards the Israelis who had conducted the unprovoked attacks. His live interview on Israeli television just hours after their deaths captured world attention not just on the plight of the Palestinians living in the Gaza but also astonished by the absence of calls for revenge, a call which many would have expected. Instead, he called for peace and cooperation between the 2 sides, for an understanding and acceptance of each other as individuals deserving of respect.
His memoir doesn't shy away from the tough moments in his life. The hardship and starvation he went through as a child in a poor refugee village, an eldest son having to care for his family because of his father's illness, and because, as a second family, his father's first wife and their relations made sure that his family were despised and shunned in their village. His determination and the mentoring by some teachers allowed him to do well enough to earn scholarships to the University of Cairo to study medicine.
Despite the continual humiliations he was forced to endure as a Palestinian living on what Israel believed to be their land, he was fortunate at one point in his young life, to work for a kind Israeli farming family who treated him as any other young child, who offered him kindness and more importantly, respect as a human being. He said it was this moment that he started to question why Palestinians were treated differently and why they were not afforded the same living conditions as the Israelis over the border.
As a doctor, he continued to excel in his work and among doctors he found the equality he sought as a child. He was the first Palestinian to work in an Israeli hospital. He never lost his objective in treating all patients equally and respectfully regardless of nationality and race, and while he was angry that Palestinian hospitals continued to be poorly equipped because of lack of funding and also because of embargoes by the Israelis, his anger was already directed at unfair policies.
As a reader, I am appalled at what he's had to go through in his life's journey, and at the same time, I am inspired and humbled by this amazing man. If we had more individuals like him in governments around the world, I do believe we'd have a better and safer world.
Although angry and deeply grieving the death of his 3 daughters, Dr Abuelaish felt no hatred towards the Israelis who had conducted the unprovoked attacks. His live interview on Israeli television just hours after their deaths captured world attention not just on the plight of the Palestinians living in the Gaza but also astonished by the absence of calls for revenge, a call which many would have expected. Instead, he called for peace and cooperation between the 2 sides, for an understanding and acceptance of each other as individuals deserving of respect.
His memoir doesn't shy away from the tough moments in his life. The hardship and starvation he went through as a child in a poor refugee village, an eldest son having to care for his family because of his father's illness, and because, as a second family, his father's first wife and their relations made sure that his family were despised and shunned in their village. His determination and the mentoring by some teachers allowed him to do well enough to earn scholarships to the University of Cairo to study medicine.
Despite the continual humiliations he was forced to endure as a Palestinian living on what Israel believed to be their land, he was fortunate at one point in his young life, to work for a kind Israeli farming family who treated him as any other young child, who offered him kindness and more importantly, respect as a human being. He said it was this moment that he started to question why Palestinians were treated differently and why they were not afforded the same living conditions as the Israelis over the border.
As a doctor, he continued to excel in his work and among doctors he found the equality he sought as a child. He was the first Palestinian to work in an Israeli hospital. He never lost his objective in treating all patients equally and respectfully regardless of nationality and race, and while he was angry that Palestinian hospitals continued to be poorly equipped because of lack of funding and also because of embargoes by the Israelis, his anger was already directed at unfair policies.
As a reader, I am appalled at what he's had to go through in his life's journey, and at the same time, I am inspired and humbled by this amazing man. If we had more individuals like him in governments around the world, I do believe we'd have a better and safer world.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Eye opening book
Loved this book. Dr. Abulelaish really helped me to understand what life is like for those living in his part of the world. Books like these are the key to peace on earth.
Published 2 days ago by Lisa Baker
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing book on forgiveness
I found the book amazing. This man had everything against him, but made it anyway. After all he had been through, it amazing that he was open to friendship with Israelis. Read more
Published 11 days ago by Sandra S. Mull
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book
I really like this book! A touching story that is very well written. Lets you see what daily life is like there.
Published 19 days ago by willwag3
4.0 out of 5 stars
I liked the book
This man went thru unimaginable pain, and he came out of it without malice for the people who caused it.
Published 29 days ago by wanda baraldi
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read!
In some ways an easy read. In other ways a very difficult read. Without a question a necessary read...for every man woman and child affected by the turmoil in the Middle East. Read more
Published 29 days ago by Dear old Dad
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book
Excellent book. Well written. Easy to understand and follow. Based on a true story, this book shows us a side of the conflict we don't hear about in the news. Read more
Published 29 days ago by Amber Phillips
4.0 out of 5 stars
A very moving book!
This gives another side of a very complex issue from a deeply personal, peace-loving perspective. I have visited the West Bank of the occupied territories and experienced in a... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jane Hehnke
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Better understanding of life in a refugee camp and diversity
My eyes have been opened to the trials and the oppression By the government of Israel and especially the military forces. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Fran Ingram
4.0 out of 5 stars
A moral lesson of the highest order
This is a true, compelling story. But, more than a great read, it is a life-affirming father's attitude to tragedy that should be an example for all of us.
Published 2 months ago by mac's back
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sad but true...
...and so necessary to bring to the world's attention. Dr. Abuelaish lives the path of love and non-violence while surviving & thriving for his family. Bravo!
Published 2 months ago by Happy Shaver
