Rafik Halabi has taken on one of the most difficult tasks in writing this book: giving an objective account on the difficulties between Jews and Palestinians in the Middle East since the founding of Israel. Of course, opinions may vary on Halabi's objectiveness, but I feel he had done an excellent job on portraying both sides of this conflict. As a Druse who has lived in Israel all his life, Halabi has experienced what it is like to live as an Arab in Jewish society. As he speaks both Hebrew and Arabic, the author was able to talk to many different people on both sides of this conflict, making friends and enemies along the way. Halabi is a career reporter and his book is full of details, so this is not a quick read. It can be difficult to keep up with the names and different groups, but I believe this is due more to the incredible complexity of this conflict rather than the fault of the author. This is a great book that can give the reader background on a conflict that may seem confusing to many.