What Is a Palestinian State Worth?

Nusseibeh (Once upon a Country), a philosopher and the president of Al-Quds University in Jerusalem, offers a deeply reflective exploration of the 62-year-old Arab-Israeli struggle—and the paths forward. As a Palestinian living in Jerusalem, he writes that he is "both victim and protagonist" in a "seemingly intractable human conflict." He poses various questions that have haunted him: "how did we come to this?" what does it mean to be a citizen? what does the future hold with or without a successful negotiation? Today, he writes, "jailers and prisoners inhabit the same cell": Palestinians live in Israel (or under Israeli occupation) without freedom, legal rights, resources, under the constant threat of state violence; Israelis, living under the constant threat of terrorist violence, are also trapped. Nusseibeh recommends reframing the conflict and advocates that negotiators look beyond the conference room to focus on the reality in the homes and streets of Palestinians and Israelis, and envision a collective peace, progress, and safety. Nusseibeh makes a number of tentative stabs at envisioning possible solutions, and his philosophical and balanced book is unfailingly sensitive and empathetic to both sides. (Feb.)