My name is Sara Powell and I am honored to have been asked to edit a compilation of Uri Avnery's writings. Avnery is the pre-eminent Israeli peace activist-co-founder of Gush Shalom, the largest Israeli peace organization, and largely responsible for the fact that Palestinian and Israeli officials are able to negotiate with each other for an end to their decades-long conflict. His is one of the most powerful voices calling out to other Israelis to pay attention to what is being done in their name and to take responsibility for it. Moreover, through translating his essays into English, and making them available through collections such as this, and on the Internet, Avnery is introducing many citizens of the world to a situation that has been frequently misrepresented and misunderstood. The fact that his is an Israeli voice documenting the problems of Israeli occupation makes his observations difficult to refute. His life and his work authenticate the unpopular truth he tells, and his engaging style draws in even those who have no direct interest in the region. Moreover, he has been-and continues to be-actively, physically engaged in (sometimes dangerous) demonstrations and direct action for many years. He has also been-and continues to bean inspiration for all those interested in peace and justice in Israel and Palestine.
I first became aware that there was an issue surrounding
Palestinians and Israelis as a small child in Beirut, Lebanon, in the early 1960s. My notions of the situation were, of course, fuzzy and unformed; I only knew that there were nice people I knew who, because they were Palestinian, could not go back home. The issue was discussed at the family dinner table, but I absorbed little of the details of the debate.
Later, as an adolescent in Tehran, Iran, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, I learned more about the issue in school-where we studied the history of the region, Israel and various Palestinian organizations,