Friendly Fire: How Israel Became Its Own Worst Enemy and the Hope for Its Future

Ami Ayalon has come to realize that the sustainable and democratic Jewish homeland for which he repeatedly risked his life, and killed, can only be realized side-by-side with a Palestinian state whose citizens have genuine hope for their own bright future. As the head of Israel's security agency Shin Bet, he gained empathy for Israel's "enemy" and could prove with almost mathematical precision that when Israel carries out anti-terrorist operations in a political context of hopelessness, the Palestinian public supports violence, because they have nothing to lose. Researching and writing Friendly Fire, he sought input from Palestinians and Israelis whose experiences and insights differed from his own. "No matter what we do," Ayalon writes, "terrorism, like violent crime, will continue to plague our society and other Western-style democracies." But to demonize the other side and repeatedly label them unreliable partners is not a solution. Ayalon is a realist, not an idealist, and he has scant interest in offering apologies or regrets. He takes his readers on a journey of discovery that for many will be revelatory, and arrives at common sense conclusions that many who count themselves as Israel's staunchest supporters will regard as radical.

Ayalon is a realist, not an idealist, and many who consider themselves Zionists will regard as radical his conclusions about what Israel must do to sustain itself as a Jewish homeland and a liberal democracy.

In this deeply personal journey of discovery, Ami Ayalon seeks input and perspective from Palestinians and Israelis whose experiences differ from his own. As head of the Shin Bet security agency, he gained empathy for the enemy and learned that when Israel carries out anti-terrorist operations in a political context of hopelessness, the Palestinian public will support violence, because they have nothing to lose. Researching and writing Friendly Fire, he came to understand that his patriotic life had blinded him to the self-defeating nature of policies that have undermined Israel's civil society while heaping humiliation upon its Palestinian neighbors. If Israel becomes an Orwellian dystopia, Ayalon writes, it won't be thanks to a handful of theologians dragging us into the dark past. The secular majority will lead us there motivated by fear and propelled by silence. Ayalon is a realist, not an idealist, and many who consider themselves Zionists will regard as radical his conclusions about what Israel must do to achieve relative peace and security and to sustain itself as a Jewish homeland and a liberal democracy.