Israel—and its conflict with the Palestinians—is one of the hardest things in the world to understand, let alone talk about. And if talking about Israel has long been divisive, contentious, and controversial, it got a whole lot harder after the horrific events of October 7, 2023 and the catastrophic violence that followed. Daniel Sokatch regularly deals with this challenge as head of the New Israel Fund, an organization dedicated to equality and democracy for all Israelis, not just Jews. As Sokatch asks, is there any other topic about which so many intelligent, educated, and sophisticated people express such strongly and passionately held convictions, and about which they actually know so little?
Can We Talk About Israel? is the story of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, grappling with a century-long struggle between two peoples that both perceive themselves as, and indeed are, victims. And it’s an attempt to explain why the Israeli-Palestinian conflict inspires such extreme feelings. Complete with engaging illustrations by Christopher Noxon, Can We Talk About Israel? is an easy-to-read yet penetrating and original look at the history and basic contours of one of the most complicated conflicts in the world.
Can We Talk About Israel? (Revised and Updated)
By Daniel Sokatch
An essential, accessible guide to one of the most complex, controversial topics in the world, from a leading expert on Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—now revised and updated.
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Japanese, Portuguese, Ukranian and ItalianBook Details
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing (US) | Pub date: September 2025 | Format: 5 1/2 x 8 1/4 | Extent: 464 pages l Word Count: 116,000
About the Author
Daniel Sokatch is the chief executive officer of the New Israel Fund (NIF). He served as the executive director of the Progressive Jewish Alliance and the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties. Sokatch has been named to the Forward’s “Forward 50,” an annual list of the fifty leading Jewish decision-makers and opinion-shapers, in 2002, 2005, 2008, and 2010. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and other publications. Sokatch holds an MA from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, a JD from Boston College Law School, and a BA from Brandeis University. He is married with two daughters and lives in San Francisco. Christopher Noxon (illustrator) is a journalist and illustrator whose work has appeared in the New Yorker, the Atlantic, the New York Times Magazine, Salon, and his book Good Trouble: Lessons from the Civil Rights Playbook. He writes and draws in Ojai, California.
