I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey

Every once in a long while you come across a book that touches your heart so deeply you will always remember where you were when you read it. And well after you turn the last page, the story will remain with you - imprinting a message that in some small way changes how you see the world. I Shall Not Hate, Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish's personal memoir, is one such story.

Born into abject poverty in the Gaza strip, Abuelaish fought every spirit-breaking condition put in front of him to become a highly trained and internationally respected physician and infertility expert. He financed much of his education working summers on farms just across the Gaza border in Ashkelon where deep and unexpected friendships shaped his belief that Palestinians and Israelis are inherently connected, as are brothers and cousins, destined to share a history and a land forever.

As a physician living in Gaza but practicing in an Israeli hospital, his optimistic and brave view of a future where both people live in peace was often tested as he submitted to checkpoint searches and saw firsthand the impact of the deadly cycle of action and reaction. Still he invested his energy building bridges between both sides, one patient, one relationship, one meeting at a time. And then, just after losing his wife to cancer, the unthinkable happened. Shelling into Israel provoked a full scale operation by the Israeli Defense Force into Gaza. Dr. Abuelaish was at home with his eight children when shells struck, killing three of his eight children as well as a niece. A fourth daughter was badly injured. The news of this horrific event was televised almost instantly when Abuelaish reached out to an Israeli friend and on air journalist. Hours later, and due directly to this specific event, the 5 day battle was over and the Doctor's injured daughter was rushed to an Israeli hospital.

Few people in the world today have a better, more richly etched perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian situation than Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish. Few could have as much reason to be angry, disillusioned or combative. But such is not his story. I Shall Not Hate is his story. Unshakeable courage, optimism, and belief in the healing power of love is his story. Currently a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, Abuelaish believes that only understanding and respect between Palestinians and Israelis will make sense of the deaths of his beloved daughters. It is his intention to do all within his power to make this a reality. This book, penned from his heart, with grace and insight, is his way of engaging us all in this quest.

In answering a question about seeking revenge for a horrible wrong, the great humanitarian, Mahatma Ghandi said "an eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind."

The world has watched in either in angst or cold detachment at the never-ending eye for an eye conflict impacting the people of Israel and Palestine, a turmoil that does not appear to be solvable by politicians. From afar, it appears this conflict will not end until the whole world is blind. After reading "I Shall Not Hate", my perspective has changed, and I now think hope will prevail. This hope for peace is not based in the words or deeds by political leaders, but from examples of the Palestinian and Israeli people themselves, such as Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish (and his Israeli and Palestinian friends and supporters), and their efforts to create a peace through education, understanding and taking peaceful action.

In this memoir, Izzeldin Abuelaish tells his fascinating story, from his birth in a Gaza refugee camp, his youth and overcoming poverty to becoming a doctor living in Gaza, and working in a hospital in Israel. 2009 was a year of anguish, with Dr. Abuelaish losing his wife to cancer, and then having three of his eight children taken away by unnecessary tank shelling.

If you have viewed the Israeli-Palestine conflict in a state of cold detachment, there is another reason to read "I Shall Not Hate". The book helped improve my understanding of the situation impacting Palestine and Israel, but the story also engages emotions, tugging on the heart strings for empathy and compassion. The narrative is riveting, especially the sequence of detail during January 2009 events, when the Israelis launched a 23 day assault on the Gaza strip. A warning to the reader, it is hard to even imagine the horror this man must have felt on the evening of January 16, 2009 when an Israeli tank shelled the apartment where the Abuelaish family lived, killing three of his daughters, Bissan, Mayar, and Aya, and his niece Noor, in their bedroom. Another daughter, Shatha, was badly injured. The post blast description of the bedroom is graphic and emotive.

Dr. Abuelaish is a remarkable man of commitment and courage. His reaffirmation of faith, after the death of his daughters, and his new commitment to give meaning to their lives after their passing, with messages and life lessons on forgiveness, hope and love, is truly heroic. Mahatma Ghandi also said "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." There are no stronger humans than Izzeldin Abuelaish.

Dr. Abuelaish lays out some ways for us all to get involved in the peace process. In honour of his daughters, he has established a new Foundation, "Daughters for Life", an organization that will provide scholarships for girls and women living in the Middle East.

Such horrific tragedy has been bestowed upon this family living in the Gaza Strip. Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish lost his wife to leukemia, three of his daughters and a neice in a bombing of his home and suffered irreparable grief.

The story is heartbreaking is asad and full of struggle and pain. However, it is Dr. Abuelaish's response to the loss of his children that made news and headlines around the world as well as winning him humanitarian awards. Most people would seek revenge in this instance but not Dr. Abuelaish, instead he called for the people of the Middle East to begin talking to each other, to learn to settle things and treat each other as they are, brothers in humanity. Palestinian, Israeli, Egyptian, Jewish or whatever does not matter, we are all human with the same feelings and emotions.

Dr. Abuelaish's biggest wish is that his daughters will be the LAST sacrifice on the road to peace between Palestinians and Israelis.

This is a book that we can ALL learn something from. If YOU think YOU have a hard life, read this book and see how deeply ashamed you feel for complaining. My wish is for Dr. Abuelaish's wishes to come true, that peace will be restored in the Middle East and with that the knowledge that his daughter's did not die in vain.

Definitely a must read for those interested in the middle-east conflict. I was truly amazed by the integrity and humanity of Dr. Abuelaish and how he was able to turn horrible tragedy into something positive. If only more people thought like him, the world would be a much better place!