New Consciousness Review Spring, 2017 | Page 61

PURPOSE

the heart-rending plight of the Palestinian people with passion and eloquence . Where the book falls down , I believe , is in giving similar voice to the racial memory of persecution and anti-Semitism – think Inquisition , pogroms , Hitler , the Ayatollas , the KKK - and the determination to never again be the victim . Yes , the Holocaust and anti-Semitism have been waived in the faces of anyone in the West who criticizes Israel , even when its actions should be roundly criticized ; however , the psychic wounds are real and deep , as are similar wounds kept raw by daily injustices toward the Palestinians .
In the absence of a modern-day King Solomon it is up to people of good will on all sides to bridge these gaps , and I applaud Alice Rothchild for articulating so movingly the moral dilemma facing the Jews , who now have might on their side , but might does not make right . I know she was trying to redress the balance she perceives as being so greatly in favor of the Israelis , however I think she does a disservice to her argument to ignore the legitimate rights and aspirations of both sides for a home in this ancient land .
• Reviewed by Miriam Knight

INTERVIEW

Alice Rothchild is a physician , author , and filmmaker who practiced ob-gyn for almost 40 years . Until her retirement she served as Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Harvard Medical School . She writes and lectures widely , and has focused her interest in human rights and social justice on the Israel / Palestine conflict since 1997 . She is the author of Broken Promises , Broken Dreams : Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resilience , On the Brink : Israel and Palestine on the Eve of the 2014 Gaza Invasion , and her new book : Condition Critical : Life and Death in Israel / Palestine . She directed a documentary film , Voices Across the Divide and is active in Jewish Voice for Peace . Her website is : www . alicerothchild . com
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61 | New Consciousness Review