A powerful telling of what seems to be the common experience of prople I meet when in Bethlehem. Not a "fun read," but an important read.

Not only is this book full of documentable falsehoods- like the claim that Israeli troops `clearly had instructions to go in and destroy' the CHurch of the Nativity (which they neither entered nor destroyed), it attempts to place on the Israelis blame that rests with the Palastinian leadership for the way "Arab Palastine" is run- a dictatorship in which dissent is violently surpressed, and terrorists constantly violate truces and atatck civilian targets while talking peace to a sympathetic press.

There's something else curious about this book- reading it alongside Jimmy Carter's recent antisemitic screed, it looks as though Jimmy lifted large bits of this book intact for his latest best seller.

This is a must-read for those who want to understand the plight of Palestinian Christians in Palestine/West Bank.

Raheb writes his book as an "act of nonviolent resistance: resisting being silenced, resisting being a spectator, and resisting giving up" (vii). He wants his book to be a witness against the Israeli military oppressive approaches and excessive use of force. At the same time, he wants his readers to avoid being indifferent to the cries of Palestinians and instead participate in creating a better future.

The book is divided into three main sections: (1) Under Siege, (2) Life under Occupation, and (3) Glimpses of Hope. The first section describes the Israeli invasion of Bethlehem in April 2002 and the suffering of Bethlehem's Palestinian citizens as a result of the actions and behavior of the Israeli soldiers. The second section describes the author's life under occupation. He is continually deprived from his basic human rights due to the Arab-Israeli conflict. He states that he graduated from high school without a graduation party (55), he married without a wedding party (58), his father in law died because Palestinians and their ambulances are denied free access to hospitals in Jerusalem (61-69), his car can only drive within few miles radius due to Israeli check points that require passing permits only from Palestinians (75-77), and traveling outside Palestine is extremely hard due to Israeli regulations (79-83). The third section focuses on stories that provoke hope. In this section, Raheb advocates more explicitly his understanding on non-violent creative resistance. The latter includes peaceful marches (95-103), art (105-109), children's ministries (111-116), putting the "power of culture" to work via different programs (122), encouraging people to work creatively in the midst of oppression (135-141), committing ourselves to destroy the walls of enmity as we transform our enemies into our neighbors (146-147), and planning for a peaceful world by giving our future-hope a present serving hands (156-157).

If you want a clear headed description of what it's like to live under occupation, read this book. Then you will be able decide whether it's "propaganda", or some of these phony "reviews" are. Nowhere in this book, or in any other venue, does Rev Raheb defend violence by anyone.

In order to enforce its occupation, Israel must use force - violence. This book is a rendering of what that violence is like to experience on the receiving end. If you're interested in understanding that better, read this book. You won't be disappointed. You'll be enlightened.

This is an unfortunate story, but one laced with propoganda, not exactly befitting a book that claims to be a message of hope from a Christian Palestinian. Would Jesus have supported Terror and Suicide bombings. Perhaps we recall his saying "I come not to bring peace but the sword" however the rest of the gospels seem to point to a different message.

Palestinain terrorists took over the Church of the nativity. These were not human rights vitims, but rather those who had committed human rights violations by taking part in the murder of civilians in Israel.

However this book feels sorry for the terrorist. THere is no compassion here for the 1200 Israelis murdered during 2000-2004. There is however much propoganda pretending that the big bully Israel shouldnt have invaded the 'little town' of Bethlehem.

Bethlehem is not the center of peace that Raheb weaves. Bethlehem in 2000 was 75% Muslim, a center of Hamas activity and a ceneter of militancy. In Biet Jala, a Christian village, Terrorists took over the houses and sniped at Jewish civilians. Christian Palestinians took part in these activities in the name of fighting the occupation, showing that, like their muslim colleagues, they also were not readin scripture.

The 'little town' of Bethlehem was a festering nest of terror. The ISraeli army used its standard heavy handed tactics which always look bad on film and in the media to defeat the terror to the point of sourounding the church of the nativity. Raheb doesnt find fault with the murderers who the church gave sanctuary too, or the fact that the terrorists brought in guns and bombs into the church, desecrating it and leaving it reaking of urine and feces. Nope. Apparently it was worse for Israel to souround the church then for terrorists to take it over.

Makes plenty of sense. Luckily 99% of Christian Arabs dont agree with this line of hated reasoning and many people were apalled by the sacking and desecration of one of Christianities most holy sites by terrorists.

Seth J. Frantzman