The Holy Land at War
More than any issue, the Gaza war has split the world into two camps, with seemingly no middle ground.
In “The Holy Land at War,” longtime journalist Mark Patinkin captures the stories of both sides, talking with people in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza itself.
He traveled to where Oct. 7 unfolded, and later witnessed Palestinian hardship – and hospitality – in Ramallah and Bethlehem. He saw the now dystopian landscape inside Gaza, spoke with wounded IDF soldiers, the parents of Israeli hostages, and heard the words of everyday folks in Rafah, the war’s ground zero.
Patinkin took a similar trip three decades ago, and in 2024, caught up with many he interviewed then, weaving in their views on what has – and mostly hasn’t – changed.
“The Holy Land at War” is not a political analysis but a personal odyssey – one writer’s attempt to bear witness through those touched by this long conflict, Jews and Arabs sentenced together by history and geography.
Patinkin’s hope is that readers will feel they have been brought along.
And that the journey will be revealing.
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