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A review by andrewspink
Hoe houd je je hart zacht: Een pleidooi voor het radicale midden in tijden van oorlog by Natascha van Weezel
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This interesting and challenging book raises more questions than it answers. But that's OK because in the Palestinian - Israeli conflict there are not really any answers. She seeks a way forward through nuance, which clearly doesn't go down well with either side of the conflict.
Like many Jews, she is opposed to Netanyahu and she also clearly condemns the kidnappings by Hamas. She quotes Desmond Tutu, 'if you are neutral in an unjust situation, you choose the side of the oppressor', but concludes that that is not applicable in that situation. Israel has a right to exist and also the people in Gaza have a right to life. In the end, she does clearly come down on the side of the two-state solution, and in that sense she is less nuanced than she claims.
The book is sensible and thought-provoking, but I fear that it is going to be mostly preaching to the choir.
Like many Jews, she is opposed to Netanyahu and she also clearly condemns the kidnappings by Hamas. She quotes Desmond Tutu, 'if you are neutral in an unjust situation, you choose the side of the oppressor', but concludes that that is not applicable in that situation. Israel has a right to exist and also the people in Gaza have a right to life. In the end, she does clearly come down on the side of the two-state solution, and in that sense she is less nuanced than she claims.
The book is sensible and thought-provoking, but I fear that it is going to be mostly preaching to the choir.