Ghosts of a Holy War, Yardena Schwartz
Ghosts of a Holy War, Yardena Schwartz
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Ghosts of a Holy War
The 1929 Massacre in Palestine that Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Author: Yardena Schwartz

Narrator: Sharon Freedman

Unabridged: 14 hr 50 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Oasis Audio

Published: 01/14/2025

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

An award-winning journalist presents an even-handed, thoroughly researched examination of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and illustrates how a shocking yet little-known massacre one century ago in what was then Palestine became ground zero of a war that continues to devastate.

"[A] compelling story. . . . If you are going to read one book to help you understand the current Middle East tragedy, this is it."
—Yossi Klein Halevi, senior fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute, and author of the New York Times bestseller Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor

In 1929, in the sacred city of Hebron—then governed by the British Mandate of Palestine—there was no occupation, state of Israel, or settlers. Jews and Muslims lived peacefully near the burial place of Abraham, patriarch of the Jewish and Arab nations, until one Saturday morning when nearly 70 Jewish men, women, and children were slaughtered by their Arab neighbors. The Hebron massacre was a seminal event in the Arab-Israeli conflict, key to understanding its complexities. The echoes of 1929 in Hamas’s massacre of October 7, 2023, illustrate how little has changed—and how much of our perspective must change if peace is ever to come to this tortured land and its people, who are destined to share it. Noted journalist Yardena Schwartz draws on her extensive research and wide-ranging interviews with both sides to tell a timely, eye-opening story. She expertly weaves the war between Israel and Hamas into a historical framework, demonstrating how the conflict today cannot be understood without the context of ground zero of this century-old war, which began long before the occupation, the settlements, or the state of Israel ever existed.

This meticulously researched and balanced examination of the Arab-Israeli conflict's origins interweaves historical analysis with contemporary insights, providing crucial context for understanding today's Middle East tensions. Perfect for anyone who has read Ilan Pappe, Noa Tishby, or Rashid Khalidi, Schwartz's work is a riveting exploration of the complex background of the Israel-Palestine conflict and the ongoing struggle for peace in the region.

About The Author

Yardena Schwartz is an award-winning journalist and Emmy-nominated producer who worked at NBC News, including stints at the Today show, Nightly News with Brian Williams, and MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports. Her reporting has appeared in the New York Times, New York Review of Books, the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, TIME, National Geographic, and Rolling Stone, among other publications. She graduated with honors from Columbia Journalism School in 2011 and received an Emmy nomination for her work at MSNBC in 2013. She then spent a decade reporting from Israel, earning the 2016 RNA award for excellence in magazine reporting. She now lives in New York’s Hudson Valley.


Reviews

Goodreads review by adeline on October 05, 2024

The book began as many historical essays began and deployed the long and complex road of memories, facts, intimate close ups and larger view of a long period. The end is heartbreaking. I was unable to read the words of the massacre committed that awful October 7, I can’t read nor see, nor hear, but......more

Goodreads review by Sarah on November 13, 2024

This book is an excellent choice for anyone looking to understand the intricacies of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Compelling and accessible, it stands out among educational texts on the subject. Unlike dense, academic textbooks, Ghosts of a Holy War is easy to digest, while offering a balanced......more

Goodreads review by Daniel on October 30, 2024

Astonishing. Devastating. Unbearably truthful. Schwartz manages to hold all the truths up at the same time - the ghosts of the past, the dangers of extremism, the gaslighting of the Jewish people, the incompetence of the current Israeli government. She makes it all make sense. Sadly, the people who......more

Goodreads review by Jess on November 26, 2024

I wish all my non-Jewish friends and colleagues would sit down and read this book. This book clearly frames and connects the past with the present- and explains a lot of things I thought I knew but needed clarified in light of more recent events. I found myself saying “wow” to myself a lot while read......more

Goodreads review by Hallie on October 19, 2024

This was such a well-researched and yet human account of 100 years of the Israel/Palestine conflict. What I liked most about it was that it didn’t shy away from injustices on both sides, but managed to avoid whataboutism. It was painful to read at many times, especially the Oct 7 stories while still......more