The Punishment of Gaza Book

AN HONOURABLE ISRAELI

"The Punishment of Gaza" is a collection of forty shortish articles written by the brave and honourable Israeli journalist Gideon Levy. The focus of the articles is on the Israels continued aggression against the Gaza strip, despite having "withdrawn" in 2005, during the period from 2006 to summer 2009.

Levy tackles his subject in a wonderfully direct and principled manner, his anger is palpable and his scorn searing. It is hard to imagine a non-Israeli writing in this voice, though it is one that is totally justified.

The collection crescendos with Levy's articles on what is perhaps the most brutal and bloody concentration of violence against the Palestinian people since the formation of Israel in 1947-48. Levy doesnt mince his words on Cast Lead, and is scathing about the politicians who commissioned the slaughter, the army who executed it and the cheer leaders in the Israeli media who egged them on. These pieces dealing with operation "Cast Lead" and its aftermath are amongst the most powerfull, direct and urgent pieces within this collection.

In short this a fine collection of the thoughts of one Israeli journalist on the brutality of his countries behaviour with regard to the Palestinians imprisoned in Gaza. There are no doubt other books of a more analytical nature that give a fuller picture of the events covered by Levy, but they are unlikely to be approached by a writer with such an appetite for justice.

For readers interested in learning more about the Gaza strip I would recommend any of Sara Roys book such as "Hamas and Civil Society in Gaza" and "Failing Peace: Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict". Other Israeli writers that are well worth reading would include the late Tanya Reinhart (The Road Map to Nowhere") and Avi Shlaim ("The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World").