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The Arab-Israeli conflict is in the news almost every day of our lives. There is no better guide to some of its intricacies than Samir El-Youssef. The Palestinian author and essayist was born in Rashidia, a refugee camp in Lebanon and has become a controversial figure by daring to critique the central truisms of the Palestinian “resistance”.
By calling the ‘right of return’ unrealistic and undesirable, by pointing out the cravenness, authoritarianism, and in-fighting of the various Palestinian factions, and by demanding that Palestinian leaders work to improve the lives of their people, rather than prolonging the war with Israel for their own ends, he has made himself a lot of enemies. He has consistently and courageously promoted humanitarianism over militarist dogma, and insisted on dialogue over martyrdom.
El-Youssef’s novel, The Illusion Of Return, is being published in February, 2007. His essays and reviews have appeared in various publications including The Guardian, Al-Hayat, New Statesman, Nizwa, Jewish Quarterly and The Washington Post, amongst others. In 2005 he won the Tucholsky Award for promoting the cause of peace and freedom of speech in the Middle East.
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