Next year in Jerusalem

In this memoir, Golan-Agnon provides us with a solid work that successfully blends diary-like reflections and transcribed interviews with very insightful observations of the conflict. The result is a book that can serve as a valuable resource to both experts and those who wish to learn more about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This is undoubtedly a major salient feature for any work that deals with this complex conflict.

Another important attribute of this work is the openness with which the author delivers her work. For instance, the author admits getting uneasy about the translation into German of one of the reports published by an agency she used to work for. She openly admits her "discomfort at the thought of a report being published in the German language that detailed Israeli Jewish use of torture" (p.63).This is an interesting notion, one of the very few the author does not explore, though. Perhaps what makes Golan-Agnon uncomfortable is the thought of knowing that the Israeli Jews, her people, once victims of the atrocities of torture, are now inflicting to the Palestinian people what they once declared as the most inhumane of offenses. An additional accomplishment of this work is the use of statistics. Every page of her work is magnificently complemented with a series of interesting and relevant statistics making Next year in Jerusalem more than merely a well-written book, but one also resplendent with sound and irrefutable arguments against the oppression the Israeli government has been inflicting on the Palestinian people for decades.


The only weakness I can think of for this work is the limited inclusion of Palestinian opinions on this conflict. The author certainly has included a few thoughts and viewpoints that represent the Palestinian voice, but they are not as many as the Israeli. This observation should not be read as a simple lack of equality, but rather as a call for thorough participation and exploration on both sides of this conflict.


Next year in Jerusalem is a magnificent book whose merits include an intimate and anecdotal, yet very professional writing style, relevant statistics, insightful points of view, and an ample discussion of torture as policy. All these attributes make this book an indispensable tool for anyone interested in the Palestinian - Israeli conflict and the fight for human rights. The author has also included the content of some interviews with key speakers that comment on the origin, the current state, and, most importantly, possible solutions to the conflict.