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Broken Promises, Broken Dreams

Broken Promises, Broken Dreams

Alice Rothchild

(2010)

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Book Details

Abstract

The tragedies of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians are never far from the pages of the mainstream press. Yet it is rare to hear about the reality of life on the ground -- and it is rarer still when these voices belong to women.

This book records the journey of a Jewish American physician travelling and working within Israel and the Occupied Territories. Alice Rothchild grew up in a family grounded by the traumas of the Holocaust and passionately devoted to Israel. This book recounts her experiences as she grapples with the reality of life in Israel and the hardships of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza.

The new edition includes a new preface, two chapters on Israeli dissent and a chapter which explores the impact of a Palestinian home demolition and the work of Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters who have joined together to form Combatants for Peace.

Ultimately, the book raises troubling questions regarding US policy and the mainstream Jewish community's insistence on giving unquestioning support to all Israeli policy.

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Cover Cover
Contents v
Preface to Second Edition vii
Preface to First Edition x
Acknowledgements xiii
Abbreviations xiv
Map xv
PART ONE: JEWISH VOICES FROM ISRAEL AND THE DIASPORA 1
1. My Own Story: Family Secrets 3
2. Dr. Ruchama Marton: An Allergy to Lies 23
3. Professor Daniel Bar-Tal: Danny! Think About It! 45
4. Angela Godfrey-Goldstein: Avodah Kodesh 69
PART TWO: PALESTINIAN TRAUMA, RESILIENCE AND RESISTANCE 91
5. Checkpoints: Crossing the Line 93
6. Visiting the Mythaloon Maternity Home: Like Women Everywhere 111
7. A Day in Nablus with Dr. Allam Jarrar: We Will Have Just Fun! 127
8. Restrictions on Access to Health Care: We Are Not Animals 141
9. A Visit to Gaza: Working in a War Zone 165
10. Visiting Rafah: Just the Bad Face 185
11. Military Occupation: Samoud and Sorrow 205
PART THREE: THE IMPLICATIONS OF COMPLICITY AND DISSENT 225
12. Finding the Voice for a Just Peace: Seeing the Human Face 227
Glossary 251
Brief Time Line 257
Notes 261
References and Websites 271
Index 275