If this book has added something of value to the extensive literature on Israel and Palestine, it is thanks to the many previous authors on whom I have relied. For the title chapter, I owe a particular debt to three: William B. Quandt, Yezid Sayigh, and Avi Shlaim, who have written the definitive accounts of American peacemaking in the Middle East, the Palestinian national movement, and Israeli diplomatic history, respectively.
This book began with an assignment in April 2010 from the editor of The New York Review of Books, Robert B. Silvers. He is in many ways responsible for launching my career. So, too, is Robert Malley, who, on the basis of the resulting piece, sent me to Gaza to write my first report for the International Crisis Group.
At Crisis Group I’ve been fortunate to work under three accomplished scholars, each of them experienced in Israel and Palestine: Robert Blecher, Rob Malley, and Joost Hiltermann. Few have influenced my thinking on this conflict more than my three local colleagues: in the West Bank, Suheir Freitekh, whose caustic wit sustained me through the dreariest of meetings; in Israel, Ofer Zalzberg, who commands a deep understanding of his society; and in Gaza, Azmi Keshawi, a veteran journalist, dogged researcher, fearless investigator, and cherished comrade.
A number of this book’s chapters are based on pieces published in different form elsewhere, primarily in The New York Review of Books and the London Review of Books, but also in Foreign Affairs online and in a report for the International Crisis Group. At The New York Review, I am grateful to its polymath editor, Bob Silvers, as well as the editor of NYR Daily, Hugh Eakin, and Christopher Carroll. At the London Review of Books, Adam Shatz has been my champion and counselor, and I have been the recipient of the skillful editing of numerous others, including Christian Lorentzen and Daniel Soar. I owe thanks, too, to Gideon Rose at Foreign Affairs; Kate Lee at Medium; Mark Lotto at Matter; and, at The New York Times, Matt Seaton, Nick Fox, Sewell Chan, and, especially, Sasha Polakow-Suransky. During the past seven years, I have been a contributing editor at Tablet, whose editor-in-chief, Alana Newhouse, and literary editor, David Samuels, have generously offered me institutional backing and use of their beautiful home. David gave me one of my first breaks as a journalist many years ago. Another came from André Aciman.
In working on this book I have relied on the writings, research, and general assistance of numerous colleagues, officials, editors, language teachers, scholars, and interviewees, a number of whom will disagree with the conclusions they helped me reach. There are too many who should be named, and quite a few who do not wish to be. In the former category, several answered specific queries in their areas of expertise: Elliott Abrams, Tal Becker, Steven M. Cohen, Boaz Karni, Karim Nashashibi, William Quandt, Mouin Rabbani, Dan Rothem, Yezid Sayigh, Matti Steinberg, and Azzam Tamimi.
Two individuals deserve special acknowledgment. Hussein Agha worked behind the scenes to promote my career from an early stage, and he has enlightened, encouraged, and jovially taunted me in the years since. Ahmad Khalidi gave graciously of his time and vast erudition to provide detailed and astute feedback on the title chapter.
Five devoted friends have bolstered me over the course of this project. In July 2010, Joshua Yaffa and I took a writing retreat at a cabin in the Hudson Valley, and it was there that the earliest chapter was conceived. I’m beholden to Josh for his years of editorial assistance, but it is for his friendship that I am truly grateful. My closest companion from graduate school, Jesse James Wilkins III, has my copious appreciation for reading and editing nearly all my initial pieces, as well as several of the book’s chapters. Rob Blecher has gone over every word herein. His dispassionate and exacting eye have improved my writing, and, on several occasions, saved me from myself. Finally, my confidants, guides, neighbors, and drinking partners, Adina Hoffman and Peter Cole, for whom no question—not even the choice of hues for the cover—was too slight. They have done more to support me as I wrote this book than I had any right to ask. The better part of it was completed in their marvelous, book-lined Musrara apartment, a writer’s dream. I can never repay them.
When not in the field, at home, or at Adina and Peter’s, I wrote at the Weizmann Institute of Science, the Abramov Library of Hebrew Union College, and the Musrara School of Art. In Gaza, I was privileged to do my earliest writing in the apartment of Amr Hamad.
No editor could have been more perfectly suited to working with me on this book than its tremendously talented, dedicated, and discerning steward, Riva Hocherman. Time and again, I was taken aback by her detailed knowledge of Israel and Palestine, which, though perhaps the least valuable of her many gifts, rescued me from missteps that only she could apprehend. I am profoundly indebted, too, to my publisher, Sara Bershtel. In Metropolitan she and Riva have created something truly uncommon: an imprint with a coherent worldview. I am honored to be published by them. I am thankful to the rest of the wonderful team at Metropolitan/Henry Holt, including Grigory Tovbis, Molly Bloom, Jolanta Benal, and Carolyn O’Keefe. For his innovative design, geniality, and patience with my meddling, I am obliged to Rick Pracher. Long before the first words of this book were written, I was lucky to find in Flip Brophy not only an agent but a nurturer, who welcomed me into her home and onto her list when I was just getting started.
My grandmother, Yulia, died seven years before I began this project, but I am sure that I would never have embarked on it without her. Nor could I have done it without the aid of the rest of my family, in particular my grandfather, Syoma, and my brother and parents. Sana’a Allan, who has come to be a beloved part of our family, made the work possible.
My wife, Judy, is a professional editor, and among the best I know. Her parents like to joke that I wouldn’t send a text message without first running it by her. Everything good in my life I owe to her: this book; her parents, who have become my parents; and, most of all, our girls, Zoe and Tessa. I would not trade the past six years we’ve had together for eternal life without them.