ABOUT THIS BOOK

A new edition of Martin Buber’s many writings on Arab-Jewish relations in Palestine, with updated forewords by two preeminent Palestinian and Jewish scholars.

The theologian and philosopher Martin Buber (1878–1965) was committed to radical socioeconomic reconstruction in pursuit of international peace. His voluminous writings on Arab-Jewish relations in Palestine interweave his religious and philosophical teachings with his politics, each essential to Buber’s vision of democratic and religious life.

A Land of Two Peoples collects the letters, talks, and essays in which Buber advocated for a binationalism that reconciled Arabs and Jews as a solution to the conflict in the Middle East. As relevant today as when it was first published nearly fifty years ago, this edition of A Land of Two Peoples includes two forewords from the preeminent Jewish and Palestinian scholars Paul Mendes-Flohr and Raef Zreik.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Martin Buber was professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he taught courses in anthropology, sociology, philosophy, and Hasidic and biblical studies. He is best known for his book I and Thou. Paul Mendes-Flohr was professor emeritus of modern Jewish thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and professor emeritus of Jewish intellectual history at the University of Chicago. He is the author or editor of many books, including A Companion to Martin Buber, also published by the University of Chicago Press. Raef Zreik is a Palestinian citizen of Israel, a jurist, and associate professor of law at Ono Academic College, Israel.

REVIEWS

“In this classic book, Buber envisions a partnership in which Jews and Arabs would share the land in mutual respect and dignity—a land of two peoples. His deep faith in the power of dialogue to bridge any divide and transform sterile monologue into a genuine conversation is a beacon of hope. Buber’s words transform a heart of stone into a heart of flesh.”

— Mohammed S. Dajani Daoudi, Wasatia Academic Institute in Jerusalem

“With important new forewords by Zreik, one of the most articulate spokesmen for the Palestinians, and the eminent Jewish scholar Mendes-Flohr, this collection charts a brilliant path between Buber the political prophet and Buber the colonial settler. An indispensable part of this still unresolved history, these essays deserve to be the objects of passionate debate.”

— Jacqueline Rose, author of 'The Question of Zion'

“Buber’s prophetic voice calls us again to value the national and spiritual aspirations of both Palestinians and Israelis to the same land. In the spirit of the Hebrew prophets, Buber repeatedly called for peace with and equal rights for Palestinians. Today, he reminds us to accept accountability for the horrific suffering inflicted on the Palestinians and resolve to make amends.”

— Rev. Dr. Saïd Ailabouni, former director of Europe, Middle East, and North Africa, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Paul Mendes-Flohr

Raef Zreik

Paul Mendes-Flohr

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Paul Mendes-Flohr