This book is fascinating, there is no denying it but it is unexpectedly brutal. In reflecting on his change in perspective about the conflict over the Holy Land, Ami reflects on his time in the military by writing a blow by blow of the various missions he went on. It’s like something out of the war movies I close my eyes though. He has endured an astonishing amount, worked his way to the highest levels of government and certainly has an important voice to add to this millennia-old dispute. However, I couldn’t manage to read through the details of his journey. It is too heartbreaking.

This is a memoir by one of the leading military men of modern Israel. Ayalon grew up on a kibbutz in Israel during the 1940's. Against his mother's wishes he joined the Shayetet 13 naval commando unit and was honored with the Medal of Valor, the Israeli equivalent of the Medal of Honor. He rose in the ranks to become the commander of the Israeli Navy from 1992 to 1996. After the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin he was asked to be the head of Shin Bet, Israel's version of Mossad that deals with internal security and anti-terrorism. He is an advocate for peace with the Palestinians and went against his conviction to avoid politics and was elected to the Knesset in 2006. He ran against Ehud Barak for leadership of the Labor Party, but lost in a runoff.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in modern Israel. Ayalon spent most of his career killing terrorists. However, when he started meeting with the Palestinians during his time with Shin Bet, he realized that they are human beings with needs and desires. "Seeing Palestinians as people changed me. I saw them no longer as abstract targets but as people with dreams mostly thwarted because of Israelis' determination to actualize our own dreams. Learning to view Palestinians as humans beings with rights alerted me to a basic flaw in our approach to security. Our absence of empathy corrupted our ability to assess dangers and opportunities. Fear made us overreact." He came to realize that retaliation for terrorist attacks only lead to more attacks.

Ayalon is a strong advocate for a two state system in Israel. "Our most pressing security question was, therefore, no longer a military one. It is how best to foster hope among Palestinians. Only when the Palestinians believe that the political process will lead to an end to the occupation and discrimination, and to the establishment of their own state alongside Israel, will they stop supporting terror."

One of the eye opening aspects of this book was the revelation that Israel is becoming increasingly radicalized. Ayalon described a conversation he had with a messianic rabbi who described the preparation for the alter and sacrifices to be built on the ruins of the Dome of the Rock. Ayalon stated that these are the people we should really be afraid of.

This book is a philosophical look at a new nation that is torn apart by warring factions. It is also an autobiography of one of the heroes of modern Israel. It is as important a book as any that I have read in a long time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Steerford Press for providing an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.