"Tearing down stereotypes about Jews, Richard Marceau tells us about himself, using his own story to convey Jewish history and culture. He draws an original portrait of the State of Israel, the role it plays in today's Jewish identity, and helps us discover Quebec's Jewish community. Denouncing prejudices and intellectual dishonesty, identifying himself as a pro-Palestinian Zionist, Richard Marceau calls for a respectful dialogue, promoting both the legitimacy of the Jewish State of Israel and the creation of an independent Palestinian state."--Pub. desc.

Despite the tragic reality of the continuing Israeli-Arab conflict, this book affirms the bonds between the two communities, showing that the literatures of both ethnic groups defy obstructive ideologies. Rachel Brenner argues that literary critics have ignored the variety and dissent in the novels of both Arab and Jewish writers in Israel, giving them interpretations that conform with Zionist ideology. She offers insightful new readings that compare fiction by Jewish writers Amos Oz, A. B. Yehoshua, David Grossman, and others with fiction written in Hebrew by such Arab-Israeli writers as Atallah Mansour, Emile Habiby, and Anton Shammas. She highlights the moral and psychological dilemmas faced by both Jews and Arabs and suggests that the hope for release from the historical trauma lies in reaching an understanding with and of the adversary.