Speaking the Truth: Zionism, Israel, and Occupation - Softcover

"In our struggle for justice and peace in South Africa we had to learn to speak--and listen to-hard truths. Our experience should encourage all who strive for justice and peace in the Holy Land. My visits to the Holy Land remind me so much of South Africa: apartheid is back, complete with the 'Separation Wall' and bantustans. History, it seems, repeats itself. Yet, if peace could come to South Africa, surely it can come also to the Holy Land. I welcome this book that exposes some of the hardest truths about Israel-Palestine. The distinguished contributors--from Israel, Palestine, the US, the UK and Ireland, women and men, Jews, Christians and Muslims-speak their Truth. Reconciliation will follow later."

The politics of Israel and its occupation of the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza Strip is to a large part wrapped up in religious and historical narratives that critics argue distort and obscure the truth. Essays by some of those critics are presented by Prior (theology, U. of Surrey, UK), with some papers discussing the Nakbah (literally, "catastrophe") that resulted in the expulsion of large numbers of Palestinians from what is now Israel proper, the historical relationship of Christianity to Zionism, and other topics, while others outline more theological and moral concerns, including the Palestinian right of return. The book includes a foreword by Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)