Synopses & Reviews
The occupation of the West Bank and Gaza has been one of the worlds most widely reported yet least understood human rights crises for over four decades. In this oral history collection, men and women from Palestine including a fisherman, a settlement administrator, and a marathon runner describe in their own words how their lives have been shaped by the historic crisis. Other narrators include:
ABEER, a young journalist from Gaza City who launched her career by covering bombing raids on the Gaza Strip.
IBTISAM, the director of a multi-faith children's center in the West Bank whose dream of starting a similar center in Gaza has so far been hindered by border closures.
GHASSAN, an Arab-Christian physics professor and activist from Bethlehem who co-founded the International Solidarity Movement.
Review
"A stunning, essential, and heartbreaking book that puts a profoundly human face on the suffering of the Palestinian people. This should be required reading for anyone with an interest in the Middle East, which is to say: everyone. Like all Voice of Witness books, Palestine Speaks, uses the grand old tools, presenting beautifully shaped narratives that evoke the readers empathy and help him see the connections between himself and the people narrating. The effect is magical and empowering the reader feels a sense of connection and warmth, and is thus able to imagine positive outcomes. In other words, to read a Voice of Witness book is to feel ones habitual sense of disconnection begin to fall away." George Saunders, author of The Tenth of December and MacArthur Genius Grant recipient
Review
"Thirty years ago, Edward Said wrote of the systematic exclusion of Palestinian voices from American public discourse, of Palestinians being denied the 'permission to narrate' their own lives. Not nearly enough has changed, but Palestine Speaks a collection of testimonials from Palestinians narrating their own experiences, their own suffering, their own choices defies that interdiction. This is a rare and courageous book." Ben Ehrenreich, journalist and author of Ether and The Suitors
Review
"Palestine Speaks demonstrates that nothing is more eloquent than the voices of those who endure and try valiantly to survive. Nothing is more important for us than to listen to them carefully, to grasp their suffering, to learn from their testimonies about them and about ourselves, and to use this understanding to bring their tragedy to an end." Noam Chomsky, author and professor at MIT
About the Author
Cate Malek and Mateo Hoke began working together in 2001, spending eight months researching and writing a story about the daily lives of undocumented Mexican immigrants living in Colorado. Their story ran in multiple newspapers and was recognized with a writing award by the Center of the American West. Cate holds degrees in journalism and American studies. She currently teaches English at Bethlehem University and works as a freelance editor. Previously she worked as a reporter, receiving multiple Colorado Press Association awards. Since 2005, Mateo has held the title of senior editor at The Bear Deluxe Magazine, an environmental/art quarterly based in Portland, OR. He holds a degree in print journalism, focusing primarily on long-form interviews and environmental issues. His interview credits include Portland Mayor Sam Adams, as well as authors Katherine Dunn, Inga Muscio, Derrick Jensen, and Tom Spanbauer, among others. He is based in San Francisco.