This is a sublime work of art, made all the more so by its complete factual accuracy. Sure, Sandy picks and chooses the facts he'll present, as any historian does, but every thought, every moment, comes only from historical records and interviews. And perhaps it's this plain "just the facts, ma'am" approach that makes the story so much more filled with pathos and tragedy.

I know of no other book on this subject that so clearly shows the suffering on both sides of the aisle. Most books are either clearly Zionist or focus on al Nakba and the suffering of the Palestinian people. Sandy doesn't take the easy road. He presents the longing and angst- and hopes- of both peoples. He shows us the struggles and poverty of Dalia's family, and their rejoicing on finally finding a home. He shows us Bashir's family's delight in the land, and the horror of seeing it stripped from them. And he shows us the greater suffering of the Palestinians in the last 50 years, as more and more land, life, and dignity are stripped away.

Through this history we see the Principle of Violent Mimicry, where we become that which we hate, as first the Israelis model Nazi practices, and then the Palestinians learn from the Israelis that only violence and terrorism can solve their problems. We see a clash of cultures, with Dalia locked in European Cartesian paradigms of "I think therefore I am,", and Bashir birthed into a narrative of "I reside therefore I am." And through it all we wonder- can there be any hope for change, for peace, for justice? Sandy gives us some glimmer of hope of reconciliation, but it is clear that it is not an easy hope- for this is real life, and not a Saturday morning special. This is gritty historical narrative, and more than ever, after reading this book, I think our only path out of this morass is the one blazed by South Africa.

The Lemon Tree is a true gem amid the harsh cacophony of literature surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This compelling true story weaves together two histories--at once the histories of two families and two peoples--connected to the same house and the same land.

In 1936, Ahmad Khairi built a home for his young family in the Palestinian town of Ramla, which was then part of the British Mandate. As Ahmad's children, including his eldest son Bashir, grew up in this lovingly built house--with its majestic lemon tree in the backyard--the Eshkanazi family faced an uncertain future in Nazi-aligned Bulgaria. Though they could not have imagined it at the time, the two families' lives would become deeply connected even as history places them on opposite sides of a volatile conflict.

The encounter begins when Bashir, who as a child was forced to flee Ramla during the 1948 war, travels back to his childhood home following the Six Day War in 1967. To his surprise, he is warmly welcomed inside by Dalia Eshkanazi, an Israeli college student whose family of Holocaust survivors immigrated to the newly formed state when she was an infant. It is the beginning of an incredible friendship that perseveres in spite of the impassioned political disagreement and painful history that stands between them.

Tolan takes no liberties with the history, basing the story on extensive interviews and archival research. The Lemon Tree reads part like a vividly detailed novel and part like a history text, placing the moving stories of Dalia and Bashir within several decades of rich historical context. By blending these personal and historical narratives, the story offers a unique window into the conflict, beyond the political complexities and ideological abstractions. Tolan's retelling is sensitive to both narratives, empathetically portraying the traumas, insecurities, and yearnings of each side.

While The Lemon Tree offers inspiring proof that reconciliation and dialogue are possible, the book leaves open the question of how much these personal connections can impact the conflict. Although she sympathizes with Bashir and other refugees, Dalia fears an influx of Arabs and clashes with him over the right of return. Bashir, for his part, never recognizes Israel and insists that recent Jewish immigrants should "go back where they came from." Accused by Israel of being in the PFLP, Bashir is arrested in connection with a terrorist bombing; he denies involvement and is eventually released, but Dalia believes he is guilty. Later, Bashir reveals a hidden childhood trauma that sheds light on his enmity toward Israel. Both, especially Bashir, continue to show a fundamental mistrust for the other side.

Almost miraculously, they are able to sustain their friendship despite all this, and the affection and caring between them is genuine. While giving no easy answers, their story stands as a ray of hope for the possibility of coexistence in spite of a difficult history.

This is a readable account of the evolution of the Israeli-Palestinian situation during most of the 20th century. It uses a brilliant device of following a Palestinian who left his home as a refugee child when the Israeli state was established, and an Israeli who moved into that same house and grew up there. Of comparable ages, the two turned out to be exceptional individuals who established a long lasting if improbable friendship. The evolution of their lives, and the final use of the house with the lemon tree as a center for Jewish-Arab dialog, provides a counterpoint to the more traditional history focusing on politics and conflict. Those who are looking a peace-bringing solution to the conflict will be disappointed with this book, but those seeking ways to understand and empathize better with both sides of the conflict will like this book very much indeed!

This is a deeply flawed, biased , and even dangerous book as it has a veneer of credibility. Some aspects of history are accurate and the beginning of the book presents some almost balanced ,parallel views of what happened to the lives of two families who inhabited the same house after the War of 1948 . However,at the end of the book, the author lapses into a slanted polemic that is strongly biased toward the Palestinians. Throughout, the author recounts the imprisonments of S. Khairi the Palestinian protagonist as though he is an innocent , wrongly imprisoned by the Israelis. Real details of his work in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestinian and its terrorist activities are not provided, and would be instructive . The authors selective inattention to detail is deplorable. Don't waste your time reading this book.

This well written book provides a wonderful insight into the Paletinian narrative. It takes a real human story to provide context to historical events and dates. Its fundamental weakness is its own belief that it is providing a balanced insight into the both the Israeli and Palestinian narrative. The books presumes that Israel is required to be the active agent towards resolving this complex battle, while the Palestinians are required to wait for that to happen. It emphasizes Israel as being a post Holocaust phenomenon, and gives an understated voice to the 3000 year historical connection that Jews have retained to the land, especially the Jewish (approx) 1000 years of full or semi-sovereignity of that land, crucial to the Jewish self-narrative. It frequently levels criticisms at Israeli actions, and is seldom critical of the Palestinians. While there are some strong and well articulated references to a left wing, pro- Zionist paradigm, and some representation of a nationalistic right wing pro-Zionist narrative, it almost ignores or grossly understates the myriad of other Israeli perspectives that fall in-between, and most probably represents most of Jewish Israel. The voice of the approximately 50% of Israeli Jews who herald from Arab lands are silenced. This is a good read to better understand how the Palestinians interpret their historical reality, how the broad left understands the concept of a balanced point of view, and to learn more about a cruel and complex relationship between Israel and the Palestinians.

Tolan's writting unravels the layers of this complex subjectmatter and allows us to see and understand the human experience on both side of the conflict.

This is a very readable book. It tells the personal stories of an Arab who returns to the home he grew up in and meets the current Israeli occupant. Tolan writes as he hears people speaking, without filter, but still subjectively choses what not to report. While he closely documents important facts surrounding the situation, he skips many relevant ones. There were Jews living in Palestine for centuries. The idea that the Jews came to settle Palestine simply because they were being persecuted by the Europeans is not true. Also, one needs to remember that in 1940's whole citys, and peoples were moved to different areas. That was the consequence of war. Also, from 1948 --1954, 750,000 Jews were expelled from Arab countries and their goods confiscated. Tolan sadly omits too many facts to make this book as even handed as he would like it to seem.

I was eagerly anticipating the much-touted "unbiased" viewpoint of Mr. Tolan. However, when the Palestinian viewpoint is expressed by one who has lived through the conflict from the beginning, and the Israeli viewpoint is expressed by one who enters Israel afer the "eviction" of the Palestinians, we never see the initial conflict through the eyes of a Jew. While the text reminds us repeatedly of Bashir's "humiliation" of losing his home, the book glosses over the impact of Israel's being attacked on all sides by Palestinians and Arab nations immediately upon declaration of statehood. Not once is an Israeli viewpoint/rationale presented for not allowing Palestinians back in after the war. The implication is there was none other than malice. Is this unbiased reporting? I could go on and on with examples of bias (e.g. the book's treatment of mutually-agreed-upon land sales to Jews by Palestinians, etc.). Perhaps this, in itself, is a window into the reasons why the conflict has yet to be resolved; our own agendas and passions inevitably come into play in presenting the evidence. Overall, a disappointment.

It's a good fairly objective book (although it's pretty much impossible to be truly unbiased in anything). It's definitely good at getting on two sides of this multifaced beast of an issue to cover. You'll never find a book on the Arab-Israeli conflict that everyone agrees on, NEVER, some people will always think Israel had a spotless and sin free birth despite the facts, and others will never admit the Arabs made mistakes and had selfish non-altruistic motives. For such a sticky situation, this book does well.

This book is a poignant story of the people drawn up into the Arab-Israeli conflict. It takes the premise that both sides have committed atrocities and both sides have been victimized. It does so by following both a Palestinian and Jewish family, linked together by residence of the same home during different periods. Each family learns to understand the other, but still a inpenetrable barrier remains between them.

THE LEMON TREE, by Sandy Tolan, is a historical perspective of the Palestine/Israel problems viewed from two lives, one Arab man and one Israeli woman. Their factual stories are given from the history of the land and the divisions made by outside influence. The U.N. and Great Britian were very involved in the partition and resettlement of the people of this area.

The two personal lives were intertwined by having consecutive lives in one house as "one home" for the two families. Both of these lives reflect on people of great faith, great education, and great involvment in the situation.

The author uses much research, factual relativity, and impartiality to his report. A very complicated situation exists and the book allows the information to understand the impossibility of the area and future peaceful settlement.

Although when I began The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan, I believed this book would be a balanced and nuances work about the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. The book opens with a description of a home which had been built and inhabited by Palestinians and in which Israeli Jews live after the 1948 war. Great, I thought! We'll see two sides of the dreadful tensions and violence in the region. I was disappointed by the time I finished reading because Tolan loads the argument in favor of the dispossessed Palestinians, barely mentioned the horrific consequences of suicide bombings and attacks on innocent civilians. One example is the reference to the problems in Gaza. Tollan describes the attacks by Israel as violent and gratuitous on the Gazans, and actually suggests that the rockets Hamas fired into Israel (after the Israelis pulled out) are harmless. Surely, the author doesn't believe that the intention of Hamas was to fire "harmless rockets" into enemy territory. Throughout the book, we see very little about the wars the Arab nations began, especially the one that immediately followed the establishment of the state of Israel. The 1967 war was initiated by the Israelis, true, but Egyptian forces were massed on the border. If that wasn't provocation, I don't know what is.

I am not sorry I read the book. I enjoyed much of it, and I was certainly more sympathetic with many Palestinians who suffered so much after having read Tolan's presentation of their lives and losses. The book would have been more successful for me had it been more balanced and honest.

This is an excellent book - extremely well documented. It affords the reader greater understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It arouses sympathy for those who have suffered injustice - also admiration for people on both sides for their resilience and determination to seek the truth. This book also inspires a feeling of hope through the compassion shown between Jew and Israeli. Would that more people could strive for understanding and peace!

This is well written and easy to read book that gave me a new perspective on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict using personalized research,including historical,familial comments and quotes from both Arab and Israeli sources.

This is both informative and engaging. A wonderful way to begin to understand the conflict in the middle east and learn the history leading up to the present day. Well researched. It reads much like a novel even though no events have been fictionalized by the author--every account was taken from real life accounts, research, interviews, etc.

This is a fascinating account of a house in al-Ramlah,Palestine that was built by an Arab family. Shortly after the Partition, in July of 1948,they were expelled by the Israeli army. In October of 1948 that same house was subsequently occupied by a Jewish family who,in turn, had been expelled by their government from Bulgaria. Many years later, the young Arab man went back to visit his former home and was welcomed by the young Jewish woman whose family had occupied it.

The story of their friendship, amidst the trying political circumstances, humanizes the complexity of the current situation and sheds light on the Palestinians' passionate desire for a return to their homeland. Although this informative book is non-fiction, it reads like a novel.

This book talks about the human aspect of this long conflict, which has been silenced for long time. While most reviews concentrated about the political interpretation of the story and the author, this is simply a true story. What this story tells us, is that we can find a capacity to accept each other, even if our national and political views are mutually exclusive.
I do believe that granting the palestnians the right of return to their original towns and cities will provide the only peaceful solution to this conflict. All other proposals dance around peace but won't secure it.

This gives the reader a view through the eyes and experiences of two people. Included are 80 pages of Bibliography and Notes that is one of the most complete sources on the subject and supports the positions presented in the book. This nonfiction masterpiece covers 70 years of a struggle that continues today. For anyone with an interest in understanding this struggle this is a must read book.

They say "There are always two sides to every story, but only one truth", well, this book is about that ever-illusive truth when it comes to the Palestinian Israeli conflict. It's a heart wrenching story of two refugee families, one Israeli, fleeing the wrath of Europe's Holocaust, and one Palestinian, fleeing the wrath of Zionism and living under occupation. It's an amazing story of dispossession and the struggle for understanding on both sides.

Pretending to be just a reporter, pretending to be balanced, what he really does present a partial picture for the purpose of disparaging Israel. Of course many readers will love this, because dishonestly trashing Israel is trendy on the left these days. Alas, as for actual insight, or helping us move towards solutions in the region, this work work is a major step backwards.

This is well written book, and it reads like a novel, as other reviewers have noted. Therefore, one can not assume that the stories told are factual. The most contested is whether Arab families were forced to leave by IDF forces or whether they left as a result of Arab leaders prodding, promising them a quick return to land empty of Zionists. I have seen no news reports or declarations from Arab leaders at the time of the creation of the Palestinian refugees that they were forced out by IDF as this book purports. At the same time, there are numerous records, reports, and speeches from Arab leaders calling for Arabs to leave Palestinian to allow the Arab armies unrestricted movement. Also, the occurrence of the Arab village massacre is highly disputed. In the end, it probably will not matter what the true story is. Palestinians are the unfortunate victims of the conflict and many live in deplorable conditions in camps to this day. The solution? Complicated.

This book was really an eye opener for me. It is a very well balanced account of both sides of the land conflict in Israel/Palestine. It's a personal story and also a scholarly work, but surprisingly easy to read. Our bookgroup read this book and we all agreed that it is a very valuable resource in greater understanding of the Middle East.

The human story of the two families, one Arab and one Jewish, who shared a history of living in a particular house in the Israeli town of Ramla was very sweet and heartwarming. However, the historical perspective which compromises the majority of this non-fiction book was confusing for the first 100 pages. Lots of names, dates, places, events that were poorly coalesced. This soured me early on and I even considered putting it down. I'm glad I didn't. Surprisingly, the book greatly improved and my knowledge of these hisorical events came together with some perspective although not with all of the answers. The book did spark my curiosity in the plight of those who call themselves Palestinians, their history in Palestine, their language, and their culture. Likewise, my interest in the history of the Jewish people in Palestine, their diaspora, and the events of World War II that led to their return was heightened. The book focuses on the more modern history of the region from WWII on and gives credence to both sides of the issue. Some would say a more liberal Israeli/pro-Palestinian perspective however. I believe to gain correct perspective it would be wise for the reader to look back further and deeper into history than this book offers.

This book shows that beyond the hatred created by both sides, there is still hope in the children of Abraham/Ibrahim living as brothers in a land torn by hatred, fear and struggle for so many years. I believe that Israel must take a stand for peace or their people will have no peace as this book has clearly shown. May every Palestinian and Israeli heart be filled with the love, peace, mercy, justice and freedom that God/Allah wants for all. May the United States stop allowing torture and murder and stop allowing Israel to bulldoze over the Palestinian people and may this book be part of the truth that will set Jerusalem free.

If you want to understand the ongoing conflict in Palestine and Israel, this is the first book you should read and you should recommend it to everyone you know. If you have any compassion, you cannot read this book without gaining both a true and heartfelt historical perspective on both the Zionist and Palestinian narratives on the origins of the conflict and the reasons the conflict continues. This is a complex and brilliantly compiled story that should force the reader to question old and inaccurate assumptions and challenge efforts to look for real solutions. One of the most important books I have ever read.

At last, something that enables one to understand the Middle East conflict from a human standpoint as well as a political standpoint. It's a messy, emotional quagmire--on everyone's side. An argment could be made for either position...and Tolan does this, in my opinion, as well as anyone ever has...

This book is not a book about politics...it is a book about two families caught up in the politics, emotionalism, religious fervor and fundamentalism of the Middle East. I shall never look at that unfortunate situation the same again. Mr.Tolan has, at last, helped me understand.

This book explains the politics against the backdrop of individuals. An excellent read and an excellent book. Highly recommended.

Any book on such a controversial and emotional subject as the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is bound to draw fire from all sides and Tolan's The Lemon Tree is no different. What is attractive about this book is that we get to know quite personally two people (Bashir and Dahlia) who are both caught up in the conflict, but who are also active agents in trying to further their respective causes. The story is even more compelling in that the two protagonists literally shared the same house. We aren't talking about abstract principles or faceless groups, we are talking about two individuals who claim the same piece of land as their home. The only difference is that one currently owns it and the other wants to return to it, but has no ability to do so. Also, that both come from left-wing political cultures (Dalia's family contained Bulgarian communists and Bashir is a Marxist/nationalist) makes the reader reflect on the struggle for freedom and the limits of nationalism (whether it be Israeli/Jewish or Palestinian/Muslim) as a vehicle for achieving it.

Tolan does a good job of intertwining the relevant history with the story. Although it is history, it is written more like a novel, with flashback and emphasis on the story while the occasional footnote and references are buried in the back. It is a gripping story and I didn't put it down until I was finished.

Regarding comments of pro-Palestinian bias, I don't believe the book misrepresents the Israeli position or misrepresents the history surrounding the founding of Israel, the 1948 War, the 1967 war, or the intifidas. He lets Dalia make the Israeli case in her own words for the most part, and she is about as reasonable as one can get. If Tolan went to the right wing of Israeli society, the case gets worse and more unreasonable, not better. I just think that Americans are so used to seeing the conflict through Israeli eyes, that a more balanced approach is bound to seem "biased." Tolan doesn't lionize the Palestinians either, but it is difficult to escape the reality that even the most reasonable Palestinian is in a bad position and often in a situation where there are no good choices.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in learning more about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

The idea for the book was good the conflict from the viewpoint of two families. The early part of the book talking about each family's history was very interesting. But where the book falls down is failing to accurately portray the Israel viewpoint or concerns.

(Also in audio book by High Bridge Audio and read by author)

The struggle between Israel and Palestine has been going on so long, it's easy to forget that before 1947, there was no state called Israel, no Palestinian refugees. But there were Palestinian Arabs. And there were Jews. And the events that led up to the creation of Israel threw individuals from both of these backgrounds together, their lives forever entwined over a common heritage on a piece of land, once called Palestine.

Sandy Tolan gives us a chance to experience the human dimensions of this bitter conflict. Through interviews and extended research, he follows the lives of two individuals: Bashir Khairi, a Palestinian Arab whose family was forced at gunpoint to flee their home in al-Ramla, and Dalia Eshkenazi, a Jew whose family fled the Nazis and took up residence in the very home which Bashir's family left behind. The two eventually met in 1967, when Bashir made a brave pilgrimage from the refugee camps of the West Bank to see his childhood home. Dalia, unlike many of the Jews in the area, invited him inside, and the two struck up an unusual friendship that has survived decades, ideological differences, and even war.

Tolan details Palestine's history, including the creation of the state of Israel, the role of Britain and the UN in partitioning up the land, and the series of wars that followed, in which Israel slowly acquired nearly all of what was once called Palestine.

-- He explains Zionism, the desire of the Jews for their own homeland, free from persecution, and how that desire led the Jews and the Western world to claim lands in Palestine.

-- He examines the Palestinian refugees' equally strong desire for the right of return to their family homes, and how that desire led to the creation of organizations such as Hamas, considered "terrorist" organizations by the West, but considered by the Palestinians as their only hope to draw the world's attention to the injustices done to them.

The incredible thing about this fantastic book is its ability to show both sides with empathy and understanding, to highlight how complicated this conflict really is.

Armchair Interviews says: Author Tolan is a veteran print and radio journalist who teaches international reporting at Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism and has appeared on NPR.

Focused on two people who worked to hear each other's life stories and perspectives, the book presents the particular in the larger historical context and points a way toward resolution. Excellently researched and written. We can hear both sides. Many should read this.

I picked up this book because of reviews that indicated it would fairly depict both side of the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I am torn between the 2 sides - whether Palestinians should have the "right to return" or whether the Israelis deserve their own homeland above all else and at all costs. Thus, I was disappointed to find that although this book is well researched and well written, it is skewed toward the Palestinian version of each and every event depicted throughout.

This book is very easy, enjoyable and moving to read despite being filled with historical fact. Extremely balanced and accurate; the author does not fall prey to the temptation (pressure) to privilege the Israeli view of events and explodes many common myths about the founding of the state of Israel.

This book is both a "must read" and at the same time it is deeply flawed. If you are seeking an emotional and decidedly gripping account of the Middle-east conflict this is an excellent choice. It will also serve admirably to put a face on both sides of the conflict. It should challenge the everyone who already associates themselves with a position on the matter to question their beliefs and to seriously consider the point of view of the other side in a meaningful way.

That said, where this book falls down is in the objectivity department. Put simply the author clearly attempted mightily to be unbiased and balanced but still allowed personal bias and spin to infiltrate the book. In its weakest form, the author's bias makes him much more likely to credit accounts favorable to the Palestinian Arabs and hostile to the Palestinian Jews* (Hereafter "Israelis"). He often sites sources and historians with a known and recognizable agenda, as well as "fringe" sources. However, this is largely forgivable because he sometimes also provides a balancing point of view to compensate or at least admits when facts are in significant dispute.

However, a worse failing is the tendency to systematically "spin" information to the determent of Israel. For example, in a later chapter on the 2nd Indefada (the riots, or uprisings, or terrorist acts, or insurgency -depending on who you ask- of 2000 and following years) he mentions the Israeli accusation that Palestinian gunmen operated from behind a screen of civilians, usually children. He goes on to say that a UN investigation revealed that this was "the exception rather than the rule." This is a case of "spin" when one considers that the UN actually confirmed that the Israeli accusation was founded in fact. To call it the "exception" is casting the evidence in light as favorable to one side as possible. In other cases, he presents facts that are generally very well established and corroborated by neutral sources or even the Arabs as "Israeli assertions." For example, he mentions villages that the Israelis cleared after capturing them in the 6Day War because "Israelis claimed" they had participated in attacks on Jewish forces during the 1948 War. He does not mention that the NY Times and the Jordanian Army also confirmed that fact. To add the phrase "Israel claims" etc. indicates that the following may not be true; it can and should be used when there is real doubt but not when all reputable (Arab, Jew, and Other) sources agree on a fact. Nor does he mention that these villagers were compensated at the time. I am not saying that there was justification for that act, which is certainly debatable, but it is revealing that it was not mentioned. It robs several of the hard questions of balance

Other times, he ignores inconvenient evidence from highly reputable or significant sources. This is a pity because often I would have liked to see his assessment of the ignored evidence. One such piece of evidence that would go to the actual heart of his book was Israeli claims that they expelled the Arab inhabitants of Lyda or Lod (a town next to the one in central to his narrative and one he discusses on multiple occasions) only after they turned on the Israelis after having surrendered to them.

After that catalogue of problems, perhaps it is surprising that I honestly recommend this book as one of two that a person MUST read in order to understand the historical context of the conflict. The other, FYI, is O'Jerusalem which, I admit, leans a bit towards the Jewish side. I also do praise the author for attempting balance even if he does not always succeed. Ideally the two books should be read one after the other as they will give the reader a very balanced view of the problem with one leaning a little towards the Arabs while the other leans a little towards the Jews.

The Lemon Tree is a griping, if flawed, personal account of the struggle that continues to have terrible ramifications 60 years after the UN voted to create a Jewish and an Arab state in Palestine.

*The Jewish population of the region were commonly referred to as "Palestinians" or "Palestinian Jews" until the creation of the Jewish State in 1948, at which point they began to be referred to as Israelis. Sorry about the nitpick, but terminology is important.

this book is asymmetrical warfare: a ludicrous spinfest that rewrites history by simply omitting all inconvenient facts.

for shame.

"The Lemon Tree", a is a very compelling book about the Middle East conflict. Sandy Tolan presents a comprehensive history of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, with meticulous documentation of sources at the end of the narrative.

The history is weaved around the personal stories of two families who lived in the same house, and specifically two individuals in those families. We are first introduced to Bashir, whose father built the house in the town of El-Ramla and which his family occupied until they were forced out by Israeli soldiers in 1947.
we then meet Dalia, the daughter of Bulgarian parents who emigrated to Israel in 1948, and who lived in the house from 1948 on.

Following the 6 Day War in 1967, Bashir travels from Ramallah, where his family now lives, to Ramla to see the house, and is greeted by Dalia, who, after hesitating a moment, invites him in. This first encounter spawns a life-long relationship between the two, despite their ideological and political differences, and despite the widely divergent paths that their lives take.

The Lemon Tree is a powerful book. As a critical but strong supporter of Israel, I felt that the author sometimes shifted the sentiment in favor of the Palestinian cause, giving somewhat short thrift to Israel's legitimate security concerns, and to the dark policy choices it must often face given the fact that it is a tiny country surrounded by hostile nations and peoples. Nonetheless, it is difficult for even the most ardent Zionist to condone some of the tactics used by Israel to try to quell the social and political unrest both within and outside of its borders.

In many ways, The Lemon Tree is a disturbing book, insofar as it sometimes leaves the reader feeling that the chasm between the two sides will never be bridged. So long as the Palestinians insist on the right to return to the lands which they once occupied, even at the expense of dismantling the Jewish state and uprooting those who now occupy the houses and lands once belonging to Palestinian Arabs, peace seems virtually impossible to achieve.

In any event, despite the fact that the book tends to justify and rationalize the violent actions of the Palestinians fighting for their perceived rights, while taking a condemnatory view towards Israeli actions, the chief heroine of this book is Dalia, who remains a voice of compassion, empathy and reason in a sea of madness. It is a book well worth reading.

This book provides a well-balanced and comprehensive history of the Israel/Palestine conflict. It views the past 50+ years through the eyes of a Jew and a Muslim who are linked together in a very personal way. The book is a great way to get an understanding of how the Israel problem came about. It presents the issues from both the Palestinian and Israeli viewpoint. I've been told that it is not available in Israeli bookshops. I would strongly recommend it for anyone who want to get a better understanding of the situation in Israel/Palestine.

I would like to remind the readers, who are crying over the fate of the poor victimized Palestinians, that every inch of the State of Israel was bought from these so-called victims, not only with blood, but with hard cash. Try to remember the little blue box marked "Keren HaKayemet," where even school children donated part of their allowances so more land could be purchased.

Try to remember that America returned Jewish refugee boats to Nazi Germany, and England placed police on the shores of Israel with the same intent. No one helped the Jews who were being killed by the millions and had only one place to go.

And try to remember that currently, most Palestinians (those who do not indulge in suicide bombing) are gainfully employed by the so-called Jewish oppressors.

It's all very well to be open minded and liberal. It's another matter when an author twists the truth.

I just finished reading "The Lemon Tree" and I truly enjoyed it. Much of my reading took place during the most recent conflict/war in Lebanon. It is so sad that we still have to witness so much bloodshed.

It must have been extremely hard for Sandy Tolan to write a book about such a difficult subject and remain accurate to all the facts as well as fair to all sides of the conflict. Based on what I have read before (from other authors with opposing points of view), and considering the vast amount of resources that Sandy has researched, and considering how he carefully presents all sides of every issue, I think that Sandy has been successful in overcoming this challenge.

I found the book very informative, but at the same time very joyful to read. I'm not sure if "joy" would be the proper word considering the subject matter; but the way that Sandy presents the narrative and divides the book in sections and chapters that take the reader from dramatic stories to fun-filled episodes and details of everyday life, makes reading "The Lemon Tree" a very joyful experience. It made me cry and made me smile. A wonderful reading journey at a very unfortunate time when once again the tanks are on the move and skies of Lebanon and Northern Israel are filled with jets and rockets and thousands are forced to leave their homes and their trees.

I hope that one day, peace finally prevails in this troubled region and people of all nationalities, religions, and races would embrace each other in love and harmony.

I was not expecting such an excellent overview of the history of the lands of Palestine. From an historical point of view, the book is filled with details that I was not aware of and gives me a totally different perspective of the partition of Palestine and the founding of the state of Israel. The author's style is an easy read and the subject matter is fascinating. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I got this book just as I returned from a secong trip to Israel. I am not Jewish, but have Jewish roots and relatives and ties to Israel. I support Israel and its right to exist, but at what cost, I wonder? This book gives amazing insights into that most difficult question.

This is a beautifully written true story of two people, both committed to their ideals, yet committed to trying to maintain a friendship of sorts.

Years, circumstances, situations, differences all divide as well as unite our two main characters.

To gain some insight into a very challenging world situation, read this book. To gain some insight into the human heart, read this book.

In reading this book of a friendship between an Arab and a Jew in the Middle East I was reminded of how similar the Jews and the Arabs really are. They both come from the Levant. They are both Semites, speaking languages that are very close (Peace in Hebrew is Shalom, in Arabic Salaam). They are Monotheists and trace their religion back to Abraham. They are cultural cousins if you will.

Perhaps it takes that kind of similarity to really make good enemies. It's rather like the Yankees and Confederates. Both sides can point to a long list of reasons why the others should be driven from the area, if not from the face of the earth. But when you get them away from the Middle East they can be friends.

A young Israeli of my acquaintenance came here to study. He got a part time job with the school as a math tutor. A fellow tutor was a Palestinean. Outside of the Middle East they could get along well together, after all, they had more in common than they did with the young Americans going to the same school. They were both careful to not mention the other when their parents came to visit.

What makes this book so special is that the author has found two people who actually live in the Middle East and who still can be friends.

Mr. Tolan seems to hold myopic views on the Israeli-Arab Conflict. He writes movingly of the displacement of Palestinians, yet won't even bother to write about why they were displaced. For in the majority of cases, the Palestinians were assured by the invading armies of Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, and other Muslim countries that the Jews would be driven into the sea, and not only would they have their homes, but those of the accursed Jews as well. Thanks to a citizen army, equally fighting for their homes, it didn't quite happen that way. Those who left for two, three weeks thinking that the Arabs would win ended up rotting in refugee camps. They didn't blame Nasser or Abdullah for their predicament, they blamed the Jews.

In only one case, that of Deir Yassin, were atrocities perpetrated against the Palestinians. In perhaps a few other cases, Arabs evicted from their homes were never allowed to return. For the Jews, it was one massacre after another - Kfar Etzion, where Jews were shot down, unarmed, after they surrendered to the "moderate" Arab Legion. The moderate Abdullah and his son, King Hussein refused to allow Jews to worship at their most holiest site once the Jordanian Arab Legion conquered the Old City of Jerusalem. It wasn't the King, but Israeli forces 19 years later that retook the city and opened it up to all faiths, including Islam. For those Arabs forcibly removed, consider the thousands and thousands of Jews forcibly removed from Arab countries, with not a few being murdered on the way. Contrast that with the behavior of Haifa's Mayor who openly wept and begged the Arabs to stay, and assured them sincerely of their safety. Contrast this with the bombardment of Haifa today by Hizbullah missiles.

The Bulgarian Jew who opened her doors to the Palestinian was not an anomaly but what the Israeli Jews are - a people who want peace. This reviewer truly wonders if the Palestinian Muslims would have acted in the same manner towards an Israeli or Jewish refugee. I think not.

Which leads me to why Tolan is not an author with credibility. He recently appeared on a radio talk show in Los Angeles, proudly admitted to his Lefty views and his Berkeley residence, proudly admitted his biases and did nothing but blame the Israelis for everything. Never mind the decision by Arafat to resort to murder and mayhem in 2000, even before 9/11; or the current crisis brought on thanks to a weak Israeli government willing to make all kinds of concessions for the sake of peace most Israelis truly want, and how Arab terrorist organizations, including one that the Palestinian people themselves voted in reacted in kind, cheering violence and kidnapping and killing Israelis.

The cycle of violence needs to end - but that can only happen when Islamofascists renounce violence, something Mr. Tolan in his role of Palestinian supporter, NOT even-minded, cannot get.

Sandy Tolan's THE LEMON TREE encapsulates the Israeli-Palestinian dilemma better than anything I've read to date. It does so by telling the true story of two families who occupied and loved the same house in the West Bank town of Ramla: the Palestinian Khairis who built it and lived in it up until 1948 and the Bulgarian Jewish Eshkenazis who lived in it from 1948 until 1984. It is the perfect metaphor for the intractable problem of two peoples who have historical claims to the same piece of real estate.

Tolan's central figures are Bashir Khairi and Dalia Eshkenazi who meet for the first time in the aftermath of the Six Day War and maintain a tenuous friendship into the 21st century. His narrative has a distinctly novelistic style. (In fact another Amazon reviewer refers to it as "a trashy, bitter novel") Tolan begins by introducing the reader to Bashir's and Dalia's parents in the 1930's and describing the societies in which they lived. As with Austen or Tolstoi, one absorbs social, historical, and political context while trying to guess where the story is leading.

For example, I learned in passing that Axis member Bulgaria did the best job of any nation in Europe of protecting its Jewish population from the Nazi death camps. One also encounters future leaders of Israel and of Fatah in unexpected places in Tolan's narrative. The order to expel the Arab inhabitants of Lydda and Ramla during the 1948 War was given by Lt. Col. Yitzhak Rabin. Abu Jihad, Arafat's right hand, who helped launch the first Intifada, was among the children expelled from Ramla.

THE LEMON TREE is not a feel-good book. Other reviewers have drawn hopeful conclusions from the relationship of Bashir and Dalia and from the planting of a new lemon tree at the house in Ramla. I am less sanguine.

Bashir Khairi, trained as a lawyer, has spent most of his adult life in Israeli prisons or in exile. The prison in Ramla where he was incarcerated was built on an olive grove which had belonged to his family for twelve generations. Bashir's conviction that the land of Israel and Palestine should be transformed into a single, secular, democratic state has few supporters among Palestineans or anywhere else in the world. Dalia continues to act on the belief that individuals behaving with good will can begin to heal the wounds that Israelis and Palestinians have inflicted on each other and upon themselves. Neither approach seems to offer a great deal of hope at the moment.

This is a simple minded narrative of the middle east history. The Arabs are consistently protrayed as helpless victims of Israeli agression. It glosses over Arab atrocities. Three examples, the 1947 war of independence, is seen as an opportunity for an Israeli land grab. No mention of the Arab attacks on Israeli population. Secondly, the Jewish efforts to drain the swamps and reclaim the land, is similarly seen as part of the drive to increase the Jewish population at the expense of the Arabs. Third example, as cited from another reviewer, there is no discussion of the expulsion of Jews from Arab countries. Guess it's not worthy of objection.
The author has a simple minded view of a long term historical, involving many peoples with competing interests, and forces it into his ideological blinders.

It is amazing the increased depth of `understanding' I have now for the issues facing Israelis and Palestinians. It is a fascinating history portrayed with finesse and sensitivity via this author and his linking the large events to the more human, personal struggles of two families.

How I know this book is enlightening is this: I read the news yesterday and actually understood what I read about what is going on this week over there. I mean I really understood it, and I cared...and it didn't feel like it was happening a million miles from here. Even for someone well traveled and educated, this issue's context has been elusive for me.

I wanted to learn, and this book helped me do that using facts and real human perspective.

I learned about The Lemon Tree from a book review in the Christian Science Monitor.

If anyone automatically favors Israel in the Middle East faisco, read this book! You think that the Palestinians are the terrorists? Think again! Sandy Tolan has meticulously investigated the Arab-Israeli conflict from pre 1948 to the present. A fascinating story.

What's missing from this bitter, trashy novel is the part of the story that belongs to 1 million Jews from Arab lands, all of whom were chased from their homes with nothing but the shirts on their backs.

In thousands of cases, these Jews died trying to escape from their oppressors--the Arabs and Muslims of the Middle East and Iran. What's also missing from this trashy novel is that fact that half of Israel's population is made up of those Jewish survivors (and their heirs) of Arab and Iranian persecution in lands that they cannot ever safely visit again, no matter what.

Not only did they lose everything, but they managed to rebuild their lives in a state that welcomed them, when the rest of the world turned a blind and uncaring eye. That state, God bless her, is Israel. I'll probably die before we ever see an NPR reporter tell that truth, in a novel or anywhere else.

The Lemon Tree tells the story of the Palestinian-Israeli experience through the lives and interactions of an Israeli woman and a Palestinian man. This true story documents the life of Dalia, whose parents flee to Palestine with their infant daughter after the Holocaust. We also learn about Bashir, a Palestinian whose family is expelled from their home in the Palestinian village of Ramla by Zionist forces in 1948.

Dalia grows up in Bashir's former home and one day a heart-stopping event occurs. Bashir appears at her front door, wishing to see the home he had grown up in and fled as a child. He takes a lemon from the backyard lemon tree to his father in Ramallah as a memento of the home they have lost.

The plot continues with many poignant twists and turns. As the two characters grow and age, their lives intersect in intriguing ways. And through this beautifully-written narrative, author Sandy Tolan humanizes the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the people it affects. It is recommended for anyone with an interest in the region.

I rarely read a non-fiction book that is a page-turner. This is the rare one. The Lemon Tree had me wanting to come home after work and pick up my reading where I had left off. This book manages to present the extremely complicated events of the last 60 years of the Palestenian/Israeli conflict in a narrative that informs while also being extremely moving. The Lemon Tree contains detailed information based on first hand research about Israeli policies towards Palestinians that are often glossed over for fear of offending. I hope that Sandy Tolan's impressive research insulates this important historical book from being viewed as a anti-Israeli work. By telling the history of the region through the eyes of 2 real individuals, one an Israeli survivor of the Holocaust and the other a Palestinian who lost his home and town to Israel, Tolan humanizes history in a way that gives one a sense of hope.

I'm not surprised that people can get along without fighting all the time. Most people are reasonable most of the time. They do not have to fight interminably.

Relations between Germans and Jews were terrible in the 1930s and 1940s. Of course, this was an asymmetrical situation. Jews, being a minority, had to support minority rights. Germans did not have to do any such thing, and in this case, their society did not. Still, most of the time, most people are reasonable, and today, relations between Germans and Jews are vastly improved.

Relations between Arabs and Jews have been bad for some time, for the same reason. Jews, being a minority, need to support minority rights. But Arabs do not need to do this, and their society has been doing something else instead. Still, even in the midst of the war that such a policy has generated, there are plenty of Arabs and Jews who enjoy good relations with each other. We ought not be surprised by this.

What we ought to be on the lookout for are those who do imply that people ought not get along, or who simply demonize entire nations. Yes, some nations have indeed been aggressors, but that does not justify demonic characterizations of them. And needless to say, the fact that some nations have primarily been victims of aggression does not justify demonizing them either.

In this book, we are treated to the supposedly surprising fact that some people do try to get along. As I said, I am not too surprised. And we are encouraged not to demonize entire nations, and I like that. But we ought to be speaking out strongly against those who are precluding peace today, and I think that by not doing that, the author is part of the problem.

Sandy Tolan is being reasonable when he quotes the Israeli lady as saying that peace is going to require Acknowledgment, Apology, and Amends. I think it will indeed require all of this. But they are both wrong to imply that what is needed is a false confession, an apology, and amends from the Israeli victims of Arab aggression. I think we need to be aware of the fundamental problem in this conflict if we're going to end it. And that problem is and has been intolerance by many Arabs of human rights for Middle Eastern Jews. Tolan avoids confronting that problem, and by doing so I think he is helping to make matters worse.

In this book, the Arab says that there is a natural "right of return." Again, I think there should indeed be something akin to such a right. Namely, I think that all people, including Jews and Arabs, should indeed be permitted to bid for and buy property in what they see as their favorite lands. But no people ought to have a right to destroy the country they choose to move to, as countries are likely to defend themselves, whether we say they have a right to do so or not.

In this book, the Jewish lady argues in favor of a two-state solution. Maybe she's right. But I doubt it. Few people really want to have two small states. If this were tried, the Arab state would probably exist only to destroy the Jewish one. And that would not be good for anyone. I do think people could find a better solution than this if they actually wanted to.

Meanwhile, the Arab argues for a binational state. But I doubt that this would work either. That concept has been tried, and it failed. Jewish rights could not be protected in 1939 to 1948 primarily because Israel did not yet exist. That is why Israel does exist now. The threats to Jewish rights have not gone away, so I think that a binational state would just result in much more misery.

What solution do I suggest? Well, I think we ought to start by simply calming down, taking a deep breath, realizing that Israel is a small nation, and not overdramatizing the conflict. The next step ought to be to insist on truth, not propaganda, as a means to figure out what to do. We humans thrive on truth. After that, yes, acknowledgment, apologies, and amends would help quite a bit. And after that, given that peace is in fact good for both sides, we could finally let those who live in the region figure out how to get along, rather than cheering for both sides to prolong this unfortunate situation.

I do not recommend this awful book.