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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
Not intentional, but I found this extremely helpful in understanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict(s).
I was really not a fan of this book. It gives a quick, dirty, biased history of Israel and the Jewish people, but it's fairly dry. I have great respect for Pekar and his work on American Splendor, but was not a fan of this.
A Jewish man recounts both his personal history of growing up with staunch zionist parents and the history of various Jewish peoples. The story progresses as his disillusionment with the Israeli state and zionist causes grow. He cements that one can be Jewish, and proudly so, without being a zionist (a concept which he had a hard time understanding as a child when his parents pumped him with propaganda). An enjoyable and very educational book, however, I felt it attacked religious Jewish people a bit too much in the beginning. The layout of the pages is a bit much and occasionally made it difficult to read. The artistic style and colour were a tad dreary. He didn't go in-depth enough with the post-1948 colonization of Palestine (in my opinion). However, he creates a respectable argument and has an overall great conclusion. The epilogue by his wife was also very sweet. Overall, 3.5/5 stars.
I quite enjoyed this, though it didn't blow me away as much as say Maus. Pekar has courage to stare the moral dilema of the Israeli occupation of Palestine in the face. Israel can kick the Arabs arses all the way back to Mecca and beyond, there is no doubt about this, it is the continual bullshit paranoia of right-wing bananas and reaxtive religious filth that causes the problems.
Whilst the Arabs are a bunch a Israel-denying scum, backward, superstitious and hateful warmongers, Israel in a position of power should be looking at more constructive, peacful means of overcoming the 'threat' - a propaganda and economic war is more viable.
Pekar though was a legend, like Bukowski without as much alcoholic fuelled hate. Both found poetry in the alienation of modern American suburban life. The troubles with freedom and the realisation that 'equality' never exists.
Whilst the Arabs are a bunch a Israel-denying scum, backward, superstitious and hateful warmongers, Israel in a position of power should be looking at more constructive, peacful means of overcoming the 'threat' - a propaganda and economic war is more viable.
Pekar though was a legend, like Bukowski without as much alcoholic fuelled hate. Both found poetry in the alienation of modern American suburban life. The troubles with freedom and the realisation that 'equality' never exists.
Naturally there are a lot of scholarly books written by people who have done decades of research on Israel/Palestine but this is the one for me. I love that it's depicted as Harvey just taking a trip to different bookstores and libraries while walking us through the history of the conflict. A lot of people try to make it bigger or more complicated than it is but Harvey's right. We know right from wrong. And yes Jews have been oppressed but we should never oppress anyone else in order to feel more free. #FreePalestine
Good overview of Jewish history and the events leading up to the creation of the modern nation of Israel, as well as an examination of what has happened in Israel since then. I also appreciated Harvey weaving in his own experiences and growth away from the zionism he was raised in. I think both of these facets—international vs personal history—could have each been expanded into their own graphic novels, but it worked well enough here.
However. I was quite dismayed, and even disgusted, by the ultimate conclusion that “Israel and Palestine just need to stop fighting.” What a horrible oversimplification, and one that feels hollow and like the authors of this book didn’t even read the pages leading up to that final discussion.
I first heard Palestine called the world’s largest open-air prison in 2021. It may have been around the time that protests in Palestine erupted when Israel tried to forcibly evict Palestinians so they (Israel) could make way for Jewish settlers. Thousands of Palestinians were injured or arrested in Israel’s excessive and deadly response.
Palestinians have tried every method possible to get Israel off their backs and allow them to live in peace and independence. Some of these methods have been peaceful, and some have been violent. But Israel has *always* responded with excessive force and a level of violence that is sickening to think of. See also their current genocide of Palestinians in response to 695 Israeli citizens’ deaths (a death toll number that has fallen drastically from Israel’s original claim of what? 1,400?).
What is an oppressed people supposed to do when they are slowly being squashed out of existence? Lay down and let it happen? Stop resisting in hopes that their oppressor will suddenly see their humanity?
C’mon.
However. I was quite dismayed, and even disgusted, by the ultimate conclusion that “Israel and Palestine just need to stop fighting.” What a horrible oversimplification, and one that feels hollow and like the authors of this book didn’t even read the pages leading up to that final discussion.
I first heard Palestine called the world’s largest open-air prison in 2021. It may have been around the time that protests in Palestine erupted when Israel tried to forcibly evict Palestinians so they (Israel) could make way for Jewish settlers. Thousands of Palestinians were injured or arrested in Israel’s excessive and deadly response.
Palestinians have tried every method possible to get Israel off their backs and allow them to live in peace and independence. Some of these methods have been peaceful, and some have been violent. But Israel has *always* responded with excessive force and a level of violence that is sickening to think of. See also their current genocide of Palestinians in response to 695 Israeli citizens’ deaths (a death toll number that has fallen drastically from Israel’s original claim of what? 1,400?).
What is an oppressed people supposed to do when they are slowly being squashed out of existence? Lay down and let it happen? Stop resisting in hopes that their oppressor will suddenly see their humanity?
C’mon.
I was excited for this book and what it could've been. Unfortunately, it's another moderate take on Israel proposing a two state solution. I wish it had more memoir rather than oversimplified history and perpetuating ideas like Jews are the most victimized group in all of space and time. We've learned to have empathy for "the Arabs" (he won't call them Palestinians) but haven't unlearned any western or zionist propaganda.
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced