About the Book

AN INDISPENSABLE BOOK IN OUR ERA OF REACTIONARY POLITICS AND REFUGEE CRISES, POLITICAL VIOLENCE AND ECOLOGICAL DEVASTATION, FREEDOM AND DESPAIR IS A GRIPPING MEMOIR OF STRUGGLE, ACTIVISM, AND HOPE FOR PEACE.
Interweaving powerful stories and deep meditations, Freedom and Despair offers vivid first-hand reports from the occupied West Bank in Palestine as seen through the eyes of David Shulman-an experienced Israeli peace activist who has seen the Israeli occupation close up as it impacts on the lives of all Palestinian civilians.
Alongside a handful of beautifully written and often shocking tales from the field, Shulman meditates deeply on how to understand the evils around him, what it means to persevere as an activist decade after decade, and what it truly means to be free. The violent realities of the occupation are on full display. We get to know and understand the Palestinian shepherds and farmers and Israeli volunteers who face this situation head-on with nonviolent resistance.
Inspired by these committed individuals who are not prepared to be silent or passive, Shulman suggests a model for ordinary people everywhere. Anyone prepared to take a risk and fight their oppressive political systems, he argues, can make a difference-if they strive to act with compassion and to keep hope alive.

About the Author

David Shulman is the Renee Lang Professor of Humanistic Studies in the Department of Comparative Religion at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the author of several books, including Dark Hope: Working for Peace in Israel and Palestine and The Hungry God: Hindu Tales of Filicide and Devotion, both published by the University of Chicago Press.