Abstract

*Shortlisted for the JQ Wingate Literary Prize, 2018*

Drawing on a decade of courageous and pioneering reporting, Mya Guarnieri Jaradat brings us an unprecedented and compelling look at the lives of asylum seekers and migrant workers in Israel, who hail mainly from Africa and Asia.

From illegal kindergartens to anti-immigrant rallies, from detention centres to workers' living quarters, from family homes to the high court, The Unchosen sheds light on one of the most little-known but increasingly significant aspects of Israeli society.

In highlighting Israel's harsh and worsening treatment of these newcomers, The Unchosen presents a fresh angle on the Israel-Palestine conflict, calling into question the state’s perennial justification for mistreatment of Palestinians: 'national security'. More fundamentally, this beautifully written book captures the voices and the struggles of some of the most marginalised and silenced people in Israel today.
'Equipped with a profound knowledge of the plight of non-Jews who have come to Israel in search of work and asylum, Mya Guarnieri Jaradat brings their struggles to life in all of their complexity'
Neve Gordon, co-author of The Human Right to Dominate (Oxford University Press, 2015)
'The world needs more journalists with Guarnieri Jaradat's dedication, compassion, and unblinking intelligence. The Unchosen is as clear-eyed as it is heartfelt ... essential reading for anyone who wants to understand Israel'
Ben Ehrenreich, journalist and author of The Way to the Spring: Life and Death in Palestine (Penguin, 2016)
'An exemplary and affecting piece of reportage'
Times Literary Supplement
'An engaging book ... its contribution to the debate on migration is timely and useful'
Haaretz
'A crucial text for understanding the current refugee crisis in Israel'
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