Language of War, Language of Peace

Palestine, Israel, and the Search for Justice

By: Raja Shehadeh

Narrated by: Peter Ganim

When conflicts become entrenched over generations, the language of war infiltrates everyday life, concealing destruction and hardening positions. Nowhere is this truer than in the Middle East.

Award-winning author Raja Shehadeh explores the politics of language and the language of politics in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, reflecting on the walls that they create - legal and cultural - that confine today's Palestinians just like the borders, checkpoints and so-called "Separation Barrier". He shows how the peace process has been ground to a halt by twists of language and linguistic chicanery that have degraded the word peace itself. The situation at the world's greatest political fault line has never looked bleaker, but still Shehadeh finds reason to hope and explains why.

Raja Shehadeh is Palestine's leading writer. He is also a lawyer and the founder of the pioneering Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq. Shehadeh is the author of several acclaimed books, including Strangers in the House and Occupation Diaries and winner of the 2008 Orwell Prize for Palestinian Walks. He lives in Ramallah in Palestine.

©2015 Raja Shehadeh (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Few Palestinians have opened their minds and hearts with such frankness." ( New York Times)

"Shehadeh writes beautifully, his language infused with a lyrical, melancholic sense of loss." ( Sunday Telegraph)

"Shehadeh writes with great clarity and simplicity, but no bitterness about the unhappy history of his family and country." ( Independent)

as sympathetic as pro- palestinian narratives can be

Since oct 7, I have lost the capacity to feel sympathy for the Palestinians. Still, as a firner student of Middle East Politics , I continue to read widely on the topic. I enjoyed this one (and others by this writer),this in spite of my disappointment that such an intelligent and thoughtful writer indulges in all ahistorical but ever convenient (and self-defeating) victim narratives to excuse the Palestinian people from taking responsibility for their patiable circumstances and odious choices.

Well done

Presents the realities today through the many filters of history!
Exceptional presentation for anyone seeking a better understanding of the many explanations.

From an Israeli Jew - read this book

Pure excellence. Raja portraits the Palestinian situation very well, but also brings very accurate insight from the Israeli side. The way he uses language as the center of the narrative is new and works great. I highly recommend listening/reading this book.

great book

sheds light on important issues. Speaks of of the reality of palestinian life under occupation. Free Palestine!