We Belong to the Land: The Story of a Palestinian Israeli Who Lives for Peace & Reconciliation (Erma Konya Kess Lives of the Just and Virtuous Series) [Paperback]

Mary E. Jensen (Author), Elias Chacour (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0268019630 | ISBN-13: 978-0268019631 | Publication Date: April 2001 | Edition: New edition

Nominated several times for the Noble Peace Prize, world-renowned Palestinian priest Elias Chacour narrates the gripping story of his life spent working to achieve peace and reconciliation among Israeli Jews, Christians, and Muslims. From the destruction of his boyhood village and his work as a priest in Galilee to his efforts to build schools, libraries, and summer camps for children of all religions, this peacemaker’s moving story brings hope to one of the most complex struggles of our time.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The conflict of being a clergyman and a Palestinian Arab in Israel forms the backdrop for this human drama as the author, a priest in the Melkite Catholic Church, tries to serve as a spokesperson for fellow Palestinians against what they perceive as injustices imposed on them by a Jewish state. Among the travails he relates are the destruction of his village in the Upper Galilee by Israeli authorities, who transformed the area into a military security zone; and the forced evacuation of Biram, another village in the Galilee. Similar and complementary to Beyond Occupation , edited by Rosemary Radford Reuther and Marc Ellis ( LJ 7/90), this is recommended for those interested in a local perspective on the communal conflict in contemporary Israel.
- Sanford R. Silverburg, Ca tawba Coll., Salisbury, N.C.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Conveys . . . the journey of one man and that of an entire community to regain identity, integrity, and purpose." -- Middle East Journal,

"The conflict of being a clergyman and a Palestinian Arab in Israel forms the backdrop for this human drama. . . ." -- Library Journal, November 1990

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press; New edition edition (April 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0268019630
• ISBN-13: 978-0268019631
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #168,301 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lars399 is misinformed and pushing a faulty agenda, July 30, 2002

By 

jda (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: We Belong to the Land: The Story of a Palestinian Israeli Who Lives for Peace & Reconciliation (Erma Konya Kess Lives of the Just and Virtuous Series) (Paperback)

The response written by "lars399" reveals to the educated reader that he is misinformed and pushing a (theologically questionable) Zionist agenda.

The facts related in Father Chacour's literature are not only truthful, but mild in comparison to the full facts facing the myths that Israel propogates about its inception. I am very displeased to find that so many people found his review helpful. If one takes a look at his previous record, he also very boldly refutes other scholarly work on the subject, particularly that of Israeli New Historian Tom Segev.

Before taking "lars399"'s word as gospel truth, the reader of this review should spend sometime having a brief history lesson of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as the theological underpinnings of Christian Zionism (based in dispensational theology). As a Palestinian (Protestant) Christian who has visited and studied this area, I can attest to the truth of Father Chacour's historical analysis. If you hoping to free yourself from propoganda and theological error, challenging the perceptions that American (Christian Zionists) blindly hold on this issue, Fr. Chacour is a good place to start. Most respected academians and states around the world have recognized this truth-including Israel. It's time Americans started thinking critically and challenging the bias that is so ill-informed.

34 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He Belongs to the Land, June 3, 2001

By 

Jay - See all my reviews

This review is from: We Belong to the Land: The Story of a Palestinian Israeli Who Lives for Peace and Reconciliation (Paperback)

I have had the privilege of spending 10 days with Abuna Elias Chacour in Ibillin. This book tells of not only the struggle of the Palestinian people who have been robbed of their land and heritage, but also about the enduring faith and selflessness of Abuna Chacour. He has devoted his life to making a better life for Palestinians so that one day they may live side by side with the Jews. He does not preach a message of hate, but rather one of love. We are all God's children and should act like it. If one responds to violence with more violence then the ugly cycle will never end.... but, enough from me, Abuna is able to tell these messages so much better...

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gives an entirely new view of the problem in Palestine., June 27, 1998

By 

Philip N Eldred (Gainesville, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: We Belong to the Land: The Story of A Palestinian Israeli Who Lives for Peace and Reconciliation (Hardcover)

We Belong to the Land offers a perspective to the Palestinian situation that rarely is seen. Abuna Elias Chacour gives a first hand account of the occupation of Palestine by the Zionists from the Palestinian point of view. It was amazing to learn that the Jews were initially welcomed to Palestine by most Palestinians and were not rejected until Palestinian cities were distroyed and Palestinian communities eradicated. Chacour's personal story is the story of Biram, a small Palestinian village that was leveled by the Israeli Army. To this day (or atleast to the time of publication)the people of Biram are forced to live in exile, unable to return to there ancient home. The truely amaxing thing about this story, however, is not the way the Zionists treated the native people like Abuna Chacour, but the great work that he has done to reconcile the Jews and Palestinians. This is a truely uplifting story that shows there is hope for peace in Palestine despite the harsh rule of the Israeli government. A must read for anyone looking for the true story of the modern state of Israel.