MANY readers, I imagine, will have had the experience of voicing an opinion on an aspect of the Palestine/Israel conflict and finding that it is a fast route to an argument. Some may also have decided that they will refrain from entering into the Middle East fray because of the intense reactions that are stirred up. This book arises out of the experience of a group of people who were determined not to be intimidated and who then recorded the painful journey as a benefit for the rest of us. It is an honest and brave attempt at a very challenging project, but I’m not convinced that it achieves as much as the authors hoped.

Nevertheless, there is value in the project, and it does give the sense of being the record of an experiment in conflict resolution. One can only admire the intent of the group of child psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychotherapists who felt that they could not avoid facing the implications of Hamas’s atrocities of 7 October 2023 and the ensuing utter devastation that Israel indiscriminately launched on the population of the Gaza Strip.

Surely, this group of highly skilled practitioners could put the traumatic impact on children of the horrors of war in the centre of a discussion circle and find that empathy created a bridge of mutual understanding? Tragically, the book is a record of the painful realisation that dawned upon them, that this fine group of individuals more or less failed in that honourable intent.

Nevertheless, simply in publishing a book that records the attempt and allows contrary voices to have their say is itself something of an achievement. The honesty of reflecting on that sense of partial failure makes the book a worthwhile read: better than pretending otherwise. There is also value for the reader to be exposed to opinions that may be a tough read even if expressed thoughtfully. At least you can expect to turn the page and find there a more comfortable view. The book shows the value of being prepared to face up to conflict in a “brave space” rather than the usually preferred “safe space”.

The Very Revd Canon Richard Sewell is the Dean of St George’s College, Jerusalem.

How do we even talk about Palestine and Israel?: One group’s experience in unspoken territory
Nadia Taysir Dabbagh, Mona Freeman, Kathryn Hollins and Cathy Troupp, editors
TWiG £9.99
(978-1-0369-2411-9)
Church Times Bookshop £8.99