Journey Into the Heart of the Enemy

This is a unique statement of Arab self-criticism, and, at the same time, a courageous clarion call, making the case for democracy and peace. Israel has been considered the enemy per se by its Arab neighbours since its creation, and anyone taking another view, let alone going into enemy territory to learn from them, is naturally considered a heretic. Iraqi writer Najem Wali has the courage to fly in the face of this taboo and, in a politically highly charged reconnaissance, he looks into the many things the Jewish state and his homeland have in common. From Jerusalem to Haifa, from Nazareth to the Golan Heights, Wali meets up with poets, intellectuals and politicians as well as the men on the street, all of whom share the same hopes for peace and dialogue. Wali analyses the political responsibilities at the heart of the Middle Eastern conflict. He exposes the talk of the "enemy" as a propaganda tactic on the part of the Arab regimes, intended to distract attention from their own democratic shortcomings. Touching portraits of Iraqi Jews and a detailed description of the harmonious coexistence of religions in Haifa show just how artificial the mental divisions really are. Wali"s book is truly a journey into the heart of peace.