Israeli Pacifist Life of Abileah

For more than 50 years, Joseph Abileah, a violinist from Haifa, has worked for reconciliation between Arab and Jew. An ordinary man made extraordinary by his unwavering commitment to nonviolent social change, he shows what is possible when antagonists in conflicts are not regarded as inhuman monsters but as potentially good men and women who are held hostage to a world view and political structure that have made brutal actions almost unavoidable. Abileah's proposal for a confederation between Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, once regarded as quixotic by Israelis, is now being given serious consideration by both Israelis and Palestinians. This life of an Israeli pacifist is also a study of an alternative history of Israel, one that reflects the tensions between spiritual and political Zionism. Through the prism of Joseph Abileah's life, the author treats the themes of binationalism, confederation, and pacifism in the Middle East.