Blood Brothers is a poignant biography of the experiences of Elias Chacour, a Palestinian Christian who lived through the violent and traumatic events surrounding the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 and the ensuing political conflict that plagues the region still today.

I found myself teary-eyed at several points throughout this book. The most powerful parts were the detailed descriptions of how Chacour, his family, and his village of Biram, were led out of their homes by Israeli soldiers with promises that Biram would be defended against ravaging militants. When Chacour and his village returned they discovered that they had been deceived, and eventually, the village was bulldozed. Chacour tells the story of his own village, but notes that the same story unfolded in other Palestinian villages.

Chacour tells of how Palestinians and Jews lived in peace with one another for centuries before the early 20th century. With the success of the Zionist movement and the horrible atrocities of WW2 and the holocaust, European Jews began emigrating en masse to Palestine. Ironically, while Western nations strongly supported Jewish immigration into Palestinian on the basis that they needed a homeland (Chacour fully accepts that they needed a place to live in peace and security as they were clearly unwelcome in Europe), Western states refused Jews entry into their own nations.

Chacour emphasizes that between WW1 and WW2, the peaceful and violent tactics of Palestinians fail to gain them any sympathy in the international arena, whose leaders ignored Palestinian diplomacy while continually urging Palestinians to accept their Jewish brethren while European states had persecuted them and refused to make amends by opening Jewish immigration quotas.

Utterly mind-boggling is the fact that he has been called an anti-semite by some reviews on Amazon. Anyone who reads this book will see that he exhibits a deep love and admiration for Jews, and expresses heartfelt sympathy for the persecution of Jews throughout European history and culminating in the holocaust. Chacour points out that these sad facts only make the Palestinian plight more ironic.

At times, I felt Chacour depends too much on the kindness and good nature of human beings, and that this made his political opinions somewhat naive. By the end of the book, however, I concluded that this was not a fair conclusion. He understands very well that Palestinians were persecuted and that Israel has a right to exist, but he doesn't believe violence ever leads to peace. Whether this opinion is very naive or very wise is up to the reader to decide.

Lastly, one should always be skeptical when reading personal accounts of political conflicts. One man can only see so much, and if one wants to really discover the facts of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, one has to read several books. This is not a book of facts, but it is not intended to be. Thousands of books on the history of this conflict have been written, and any earnest and disinterested endeavor to learn about what actually happened will not result in much confusion as to what occurred (is occurring). Note that there is no devoid of personal stories and ethnographies either, although I would very people have ever read these, even though they would do everyone some good. But this is a rich addition to the literature, in that it successfully de-dehumanizes the Palestinian people and avoids anything but the most basic historical political facts.

This book as assigned to my son for reading for an online class. I picked it up and starting reading it to help him and got glued to its pages. Easy and quick reading.

This is an incredible, heart-touching book that helps one understand the Israeli and Palestinian conflict much better than just what you see on the news. Incredible morals are woven through the book too.

This book is moving, powerful, and inspirational. It is extremely well written, engaging, and thought provoking. It had me in tears more than once. I feel privileged to have read it. Elias Chacour has been nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize, and it would be gratifying to see him win it. Whether he ever reaps such earthly recognition, however, he has indeed proven himself blessed by his Lord as a worthy servant and peacemaker.

If you want to know the real, honest, truth at what happened in Palestine between Jews and Palestinians this is a must read.

If you want to know the real, honest, truth at what happened in Palestine between Jews and Palestinians this is a must read.

Chacour transports the reader into his experience as a Palestinian child growing up amidst the turmoil of Zionist takeover in Israel. The experience of his family's diaspora and his personal journey from an exile living far from his destroyed home to his education in Europe to his return home to help sow the seeds of peace according to the Christian tradition prescribed in the Beatitudes.

This book shows a side to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict that is far too often untold or dismissed. It is the side of the exiled, those forced off their land to create the modern nation of Israel. In no way is this book a polemical jab against the Jewish nation, rather it is the true story of a Christian Palestinian working within Israel to create a peaceful land where all are truly welcomed and are safe.

This is a must read for all. It will open your eyes.

Chacour has a huge (somewhat justifiable) prejudiced axe to grind and he does it in a sneaky manipulative beeding-heart manner that draws you into his family's pain and paints a false picture of the current struggle.

Since he is simply a Melkite priest, I would not expect most Bible-believing theologicaly balanced Christians to subscribe to his interpretaion of scripture. I;m shocked that some have here, he barely mentions word "Muslim" if at all in the book (how odd???). As an Evangelical Christian I am very troubled by The Palestinian leadership's beliefs regarding Jews AND Christians and believe they should be addressed. I doubt Chacour would agree with this thinking based on this book. He forgets that the PLO is not a country (palestine is no more a country than Babylon) they are a terrorist-lead (Hamas) 30-yr-old anti-government movement that exists with the manifesto of making Jews extinct in Israel. They do not believe the truths of the Bible, but he makes known no intention of seeing Muslims denouncing Islam and being converted to worshipping the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob which spiritually-speaking should be a top priority of all followers of Jesus.

As one reviewer wrote, According to the book, the Israeli's slaughtered entire towns. His villiage was massacred, and it was a Catholic villiage that was not fighting against the Israeli's. The book is an excellent read from the point of view of a boy that comes to put his faith in the Lord. It is neat to see someone that has suffered so much still love the Jews.I wouldn't put a lot of confidence in that particular book :):

He seems determined to prove kind intentions toward his blood brothers by sympathizing deeply with Jewish people over the horrors of the Holocaust. His sympathy is no prize. Throughout the book, Chacour repeats how he and his family were able to forgive what he sees as Zionist acts of terror by viewing such acts as a reaction to the Germans. He blames the Nazis time and time again, but never mentions Arab threats to drive the Jewish people into the sea. Nor do we hear of any Arab aggression other than isollated instances by desperate men whom Chacour claimed were "not even welcome in their own country."

His sympathy and forgiveness are at the expense of the Nazis (safe enough, because everyone can agree to be against them) and seem to serve as a concession to soften the fact that the author is actually pointing an accusing finger at Zionists: "To me, it seemed that the Zionists had entered into an unholy marriage, an alliance motivated by power and convenience, consummated in treachery" (p. 119). To say you love and sympathize with a person to gain a hearing for the grudge you bear them, whether done consciously or not, is manipulative.

No fair-minded person should expect an unbiased opinion of the Middle East conflict from Arabs or from Jews, much less from someone who has suffered the anguish of living as a refugee. Blood Brothers should be read with that in mind. I don't wish to derail this thread into a discussion of the veracity or bias that may be present in this book.

This book should not just be ignored, it should be banned for subtly spreading anti-semetism in such volitile time as these.

A must read for everyone interested in international justice. It shows the irresponsible hand of British and United States administrations in their handling of the Palestine affairs, and how they gave in to Zionist pressure. If you are seeking to find why the is "terrorism" coming from this area, this book will explain why. Yet the most interesting part is Abouna Elias Chacour's formula... May Allah, Jehova and God praise him. Down with the power hungry military zealots in the area. Peace will come when your average citizen revolts and turns them down through Chacour's formula, naturlich!!

This is my very favorite book. When I read it in college, it had a huge impact on me and I greatly respect and look up to Abuna Chacour as an example of how I want to live my life. It has played a big role in how I see the conflict.

The book known as "Blood Brothers" continues to fascinate readers from around the globe. It has been translated to 28 languages and has entered the private rooms of powerful politicians as well as the poor dwellings of refugees.

What is so captivating about this book? Is it its picturesque language or its well organized content? Is it the fame of Father Elias Chacour or the interesting details of his biography? It seems to me that the book could have straight A's for its linguistic and literary strengths. Further, no doubt, its author has won many prizes and has been honored by many societies. However, the book's true power lies somewhere else. It simply lies in truly believing the teachings of Christ and choosing to trust his wisdom. The most fascinating point in the book is this: Chacour follows Jesus and truly believes his teachings.

In his book, Chacour, a Melkite priest, narrates his life story revealing the struggles of a Christian family in a world dominated by selfishness, oppression, and injustice. Surprisingly, his oppressors are those who were themselves oppressed in the Holocaust. They have forcefully stolen his land and inflicted his life with many oppressive painful moments and midday nightmares. However, they have never succeeded in depriving him from the sweet divine fellowship and the God-given peace and vision.

Through out the book, we see several turning points in Chacour's life. All of them are marked by revealing prayers, divine providence, and grace. First, we hear Chacour's father responding to the dangers of the attacking Zionist soldiers by saying to God: "help us to show love to our Jewish brothers. Help us to show them peace to quiet their troubled heart," (29) and by saying to his children "Jews and Palestinians are brothers-blood brothers. We share the same father, Abraham, and the same God." (42). Second, we see his mother choosing to face her nightmare of loosing her husband and sons by serving God. She prays, "[a]llow us to be Your servants . . . Let our hands be Your hands to comfort the suffering. Let our lips bring the peace of Your spirit" (64). The prayers of his parents defined his vision and shaped his beliefs. Like his mother, he chose not to surrender to abuse and like his father he decided not to turn to violence (79). God has a better plan for Chacour and the uprooted Palestinian people. He has a message of heavenly peace to people living in daily war (107). This message has God, not humanity, at its center (117). But God needed a faithful messenger, one who has gone through the purging trials of the prince of peace.

Several chapters within the book reflect God's providence in preparing a messenger who does not only proclaim a message but also embodies it with all his mind and heart. Consequently, Chacour had to confront many vexing intellectual questions raised by the Bible and its interpreters. Through the maze of these questions God defined his vision of reconciliation using Chacour's most cherished holy texts i.e. the beatitudes. The insight was simple yet profound. Chacour says,

Suddenly, I knew that the first step toward reconciling Jew and Palestinian was the restoration of human dignity. Justice and righteousness were what I had been hungering and thirsting for: This was the third choice that ran like a straight path between violent opposition and calcified, passive non-resistance" (153-154).

Chacour is called to be a peacemaker. Thus he has to learn how to deal with furious people, hurting families, denominational disputes, hate crimes, religious arguments, and racial discrimination; yet at the same time protect his soul from these contagious vices. Put differently, he learns how to build bridges where others have constructed thick cement walls. He learns how to face past fears with the hope that "Jews and Palestinians can get along when they begin to treat each other with dignity," (188) and that Moslems, Druze, and disputing Christian denominations can together construct a better future.

Last, Chacour in the book's epilogue, addresses Jews saying: "the world knows-and you must know-it was a belief that God Himself had created "a single pure race" that blinded Hitler with power and fueled his hatred, arrogance, and sense of "divine right."" He addresses Palestinians saying: "Do we need to produce more victims, more martyrs and more humiliation in order for the world to wake up and see the truth?" Then, he addresses the whole world saying that "Blood Brother" is not only a story but is also an invitation to pursue God's perilous path of peacemaking (230-231).

In conclusion, although I might differ with Chacour on few theological details and assumptions, I am compelled to highly recommend this book. I am further compelled to accept Chacour's prophetic words and invitation to build bridges of peace. May the prince of peace continue to raise peacemakers who can follow Jesus as Chacour followed Him!


Rev. Yohanna Katanacho
PhD Candidate at Trinity International University

I was a pleasure to find an author to speak directly to the events of 1948 Palestine......where Palestinian Christians, Jews, and Muslims had lived in peace and tolerance for centuries. It's not too often that Americans can come understand the original context of the current tragedy. We now have a wall under construction, where there were bridges. How did this come to pass in the land of Jesus and the prophets?

The tremendous historic irony is that Jews, of all people, in the guise of Zionist extremeism, should have been party to ethnic cleasing, terror, destruction of indigenous villages, separation of families, confiscation of ancestral lands, and even murder.

Fr. Chacour reminds us all of the human costs and passions involved, and of the stubborn clinging to the human value of universal brotherhood, that will ultimately prove to be the only lasting solution to the fiasco of disorder that describes the Mid-East in 2005.

Arab Christian leaders of the Middle East have not made a favorable impression on me. Quite the contrary. Perhaps if any group of people has made me embarrassed to be a human being, they have. After all, we're talking about people such as Hilarion Capucci, who is both an archbishop and a terrorist thug, and who invokes Jesus as though Jesus were a thug as well. We're talking about Naim Ateek. About Michael Sabbah. We're talking about Hanan Ashrawi. These people have done plenty to oppose human rights. They have, by the way, done little to support their own religion, being happy to avoid any thought that Jesus might have been Jewish. In fact, many are simply Marcionites, who have basically thrown away their Old Testaments. Now, I happen to prefer the Koran to the Old Testament, but I'm surprised that "Christians" would. And I'm even more surprised that Christian religious leaders would be so happy to support terror (some of it against Christians) from those of a different religion.

I have no sympathy for the way these leaders propagandize in favor of terror. I have no sympathy for the way they oppose other minorities, especially the Jews. I have no doubt that they oppose Pagans as well.

Still, I know that people are not always as bad as their leaders. And I hoped that would be the case with the author of this book. So I skipped breakfast and tried reading it!

Well, the book started with an intoduction (by James Baker) that made me queasy enough so that I was glad I hadn't had breakfast. And it turned out that Chacour was basically similar to the Arab Christian leaders, neither peace-loving nor moderate. To him, Jews are not victims to be helped or defended. They are evil creatures to be forgiven and cured.

I generally feel for those who have suffered through wars. And I know plenty of people who spent World War Two in London, Berlin, Tokyo, Paris, and far worse places. It was no fun for many Japanese and Germans as the war came to a close and they wound up without food (or worse, sent to Siberia by the Russians). But I can empathize with their plights. And to their credit, I've never had any of them try to deny the fact that their nations were aggressors. I don't think I'd abide the same accounts from them were they to insist that all the attacks on their nation had been unprovoked, but that they could still find the heart to "forgive" those who attacked them!

Chacour does present a false history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. And the things he says that are clearly false cast great doubt on much of the rest of his story. Moreover, I am completely repelled by his eagerness to falsely blame others and then "forgive" them!

Anyway, he's not showing compassion and forgiveness. He's showing hatred, cowardice, and malevolence. And no one needs that.

If you want to really understand the Palestinian-Israeli conflict -here is your chance. Told not from a sociopolitical perspective but a human and personal point-of-view, you will appreciate the conflict in ways you never could from the nightly news or a text book. Before reading this book, I had no idea that Palestinian Christians existed or that so many of them lived in Palestine before the Zionists expelled them. This is a story that the mainstream American media does not want you to read. I first read this as required reading in a course on the Middle East. Years later, I still recommend it to all of my intellectual friends. This story is essential in understanding the roots of the Israeli-Palestinain conflict. That written, this book is not just a history, but a moving story of a great man of peace and love.