Friendly Fire

August 1, 2020
A military, intelligence, and political veteran rehearses his life and career in Israel. Ayalon has had a distinguished career, serving as the head of the Shin Bet, the Israeli security agency; commander in chief of the navy; and member of the Knesset. In his latest book--written with the assistance of David, who has published widely on Israeli and Palestinian issues--Ayalon discusses his dawning realization that no progress can occur in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict until both sides develop empathy for one another. This position did not make him popular with regional hard-liners. The author has several stories to tell: his autobiography, the history of that sanguinary conflict, the process of writing this book. Some chapters include interviews with key players on both sides. Ayalon notes that, early in his career, his life was kill-or-be-killed, and he writes about his military encounters with candor and, sometimes, gory detail--which also accompanies his multiple descriptions of terrorist attacks by Hamas and others and the harsh Israeli military reactions. After leaving the military for intelligence work, he began to meet with Palestinian leaders (including Yasser Arafat) and with the leaders of his own country. Ayalon has nothing but disdain for Ariel Sharon and others who believed that war and revenge were essential. The author also became a prominent peace activist, even creating a peace proposal with Sari Nuseibeh, a Palestinian professor and activist. They promoted their plan widely, but hawkish politicians (in the region and elsewhere, including the U.S.) remained dominant. There is a bit of self-flattery here: Ayalon continually notes that he tells the truth, no matter what--while others, by implication and action, do not. Still, his aims and accomplishments are so undeniably impressive that open-minded readers will quickly forgive him these light trespasses. Dennis Ross provides the foreword. Hope finds a prominent presence in what so many think is a hopeless, endless conflict.

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