IN THIS PLACE TOGETHER

The moving story of a Palestinian ex-prisoner who started a joint peace initiative with Israelis.

Written by Eilberg-Schwartz, an American Jew, at Khatib’s request, the story is a truly revolutionary attempt to set a path toward some kind of peace in the region. Growing up in Hizma, just northeast of Jerusalem’s old city, Khatib spent his childhood mired in the violence and hatred between the two groups cohabiting the same land. When he was 14, he and a friend attacked two Israeli soldiers with knives. He was arrested and imprisoned for more than a decade. He used the time to learn Hebrew and read, and as a more mature man, he recognized that there was no future for either side if they continued to fight each other. When he emerged from jail, the second intifada was gaining momentum as the Oslo Accords deteriorated. Consequently, violence erupted again, absorbing much of Khatib’s family and friends. Khatib refused to involve himself, however, instead learning about and speaking to Israelis, much to the shame of his family. In 2006, he co-founded Combatants for Peace with a group of Palestinian ex-prisoners and Israeli army members who refused to serve in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The purpose of the organization was to encourage meaningful dialogue among people who rarely interacted—and often acted poorly based on a lack of factual information about their supposed enemies. Everyone involved had been deeply affected by occupation and violence, and all were transformed by the experience of “a shared feeling, an enormous hope.” Khatib continues to travel widely and spread his message of peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Immersing herself for years in Khatib’s life, Eilberg-Schwartz constructs a lyrical, beautifully written account of his remarkable journey, which should serve as a beacon of inspiration amid the continued violence.

An engaging, hopeful lesson in how changing the conversation can actually change history.