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In Pursuit of Peace in Israel and Palestine

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In Pursuit of Peace in Israel and Palestine

By: Gershon Baskin
Narrated by: Eric Burgher
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About this listen

Gershon Baskin's memoir of 38 years of intensive pursuit of peace begins with a childhood on Long Island and a bar mitzvah trip to Israel with his family. Baskin joined Young Judaea back in the States, then later lived on a kibbutz in Israel, where he announced to his parents that he had decided to make aliya, emigrate to Israel. They persuaded him to return to study at NYU, after which he finally emigrated under the auspices of Interns for Peace. In Israel he spent a pivotal two years living with Arabs in the village of Kufr Qara.

Despite the atmosphere of fear, Baskin found he could talk with both Jews and Palestinians and that very few others were engaged in efforts at mutual understanding. For decades he continued to cross borders, often with a kaffiyeh (Arab headdress) on his dashboard to protect his car in Palestinian neighborhoods. Airport passport control became Kafkaesque as Israeli agents routinely identified him as a security threat.

During the many cycles of peace negotiations, Baskin has served both as an outside agitator for peace and as an advisor on the inside of secret talks—for example, during the prime ministership of Yitzhak Rabin and during the initiative led by Secretary of State John Kerry. Baskin ends the book with his own proposal, which includes establishing a peace education program and cabinet-level ministries of peace in both countries, in order to foster a culture of peace.

The book is published by Vanderbilt University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

©2017 Gershon Baskin (P)2022 Redwood Audiobooks
Israel & Palestine Middle East Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Transportation

Critic Reviews

"Promotes the art of conversation and listening, which in my mind is a major contribution to waging peace." (His Royal Highness Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan)

"Recommended." (Choice)

"A fascinating journey across the Jewish-Palestinian divide, it also provides that rarest commodity in these dark times: hope." (Peter Beinart, author, The Crisis of Zionism)

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Insightful and absorbing

I found this a gripping biography of an amazing and courageous life. Having worked tirelessly for peace and relationship-building between Israelis and Palestinians since 1970’s, Gershon Baskin outlines how peace may indeed be possible between these two warring nations. His first secret? He was always willing to talk to anyone who would talk to him. Originally American, he learnt Hebrew and migrated to Israel in early adulthood. He then learnt Arabic so he could speak directly to Palestinian people. He lived in their villages and built lasting friendships. He founded IPCRI, a joint organisation of both Israelis and Palestinians devoted to building relationships and resolving conflict.
As Baskin’s personal story unfolds in the book, I got a much clearer understanding of all the issues involved. Himself a Jew, he worked to build secret direct channels to mediate between both sides and learnt what Palestinian leaders might be willing to agree to in the right circumstances. He describes the many obstacles and some successes and it makes for fascinating reading.
With the repeated re-election of far-right political parties and leaders, it seems that most Israelis have not believed that peace is really possible. Perhaps this book provides the blueprint for peace that is needed to change perspectives.
(Conflict Resolution Network, Australia)

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