Vroege RecensentenDonald Macintyre

Gaza: a city of contrasts. For most of its recent history Gaza has been seen as a touchstone for the problems of the Middle East. Yet historically Gaza was also a coastal civilization open to the world. Today the Gazans are a uniquely imprisoned people, most unable to travel to the West Bank, let alone Israel – where tens of thousands once worked – and unable to flee in wartime. The surprise is that so many remain courageous, outspoken and steadfast. From the notorious camps to the factories struggling under economic stranglehold and bombardment, Donald Macintyre brings empathy to an honest and revealing portrait of Gaza – encompassing the tragedy but also the hope, albeit increasingly fragile, for normality. Through the stories of its people and interviews with policymakers, he explains how Gaza became what it is today. On the ground in the world’s biggest prison, he shows us why, given the chance, Gaza has the creativity and resilience to play a positive leading role in both a Palestinian state and the wider Middle East.