Shafaq News / The British capital, London, hosted the book launch event titled "Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab Jew" by Professor Avi Shlaim, an Iraqi-born British-Israeli historian specializing in Iraqi heritage.
The event was sponsored by the British "Middle East Monitor" center at London university and featured a discussion in which the distinguished historian Jacqueline Rose, a professor of humanities who shares Jewish roots, participated.
As reported by the "Middle East Eye" website, the event was introduced by the writer Nassim Hamad, who began by stating that this discussion would take place "in the shadows of the tragic events in Gaza." He criticized two major political party leaders in the UK for their refusal to acknowledge the existence of war crimes and crimes against humanity currently taking place in Gaza, pointing out the indifference and complicity in the suffering of the Palestinians.
The report quoted Shlaim as saying that the book launch event had been planned for some time and that he had no way of knowing it would occur during such challenging times, referring to the events in Gaza.
Shlaim continued by stating that mutual hatred on both sides of the conflict can be attributed to the "destructive and divisive force of nationalism," which he distinguishes from "patriotism" by its need, namely nationalism, for an external enemy to exist.
The report explained that in his book, "Three Worlds," Shlaim delves into a distant era when there was coexistence between Muslims and Jews in their original homeland in Iraq. He added that "this civilization suddenly stalled due to Arab and Zionist nationalisms."
The Professor of Iraqi origin emphasized that his book is an attempt to interact with, revive, and restore the rich Jewish civilization in the Middle East.
According to the report, the book traces Shlaim's personal and family history, covering three countries: Iraq, followed by his formative years in Israel, and then his adolescence in Britain.
The report quoted Shlaim as saying that the book "follows the evolution of my thoughts on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." He advocates for a single democratic state, "from the river to the sea, with equal rights for all citizens, regardless of religion or ethnicity."
The first half of the book explores the rich Jewish history in Iraq and his family history. Shlaim is quoted as saying that it also serves as a "non-personal autobiography," relating to his self-identification as an Arab Jew.
Professor Rose commented, noting that the interesting point is the author's failure to define himself as Israeli and the challenging times he experienced during his school years, where he was not happy. This suggests that the project of absorbing Jewish immigrants into Israel has failed, and therefore, Israel as a state has failed, which becomes more evident with the evolution of current events.
According to the report, Shlaim and Rose's discussions focused on the path forward, suggesting that Israel, having exhausted all options of using force "with more force," will eventually be compelled to reach a settlement with the Palestinian people.
Rose was quoted in the report saying that it's essential that young American Jews are increasingly looking at the conflict through the lens of human rights, marking a significant departure from Jewish nationalism compared to previous generations.
The report quoted Shlaim as saying that the American pro-Israel lobbying organization, AIPAC, remains the most potent lobby in U.S. foreign policy, representing only about 30% of American Jews. In contrast, liberal advocacy group J Street represents the vast majority within the American Jewish community when it comes to their stance on Israel. However, this has not yet influenced U.S. foreign policy.
Shlaim was also quoted as saying that there is still reluctance on the part of nations to issue apologies for past atrocities, and Israel is not exempt from this category, considering its responsibility for the Nakba in 1948 and its consequences since then.
Shlaim concluded by stating that there is also a responsibility on the part of Britain, pointing out that it "stole Palestine from the Palestinians and gave it to the Zionists without any recognition or apology." To address what he termed "historical injustice," Shlaim mentioned that he is collaborating with legal experts, activists, and academics to file a historic lawsuit against the British government, a declaration that received enthusiastic applause from the attendees at the book launch event.
