Rabbi Michael Lerner: Embracing Israel/Palestine

Rabbi Michael Lerner: Embracing Israel/Palestine: A Strategy to Heal and Transform the Middle East

Rabbi Michael Lerner is committed to full and complete reconciliation between Israel and the Palestinian people within the context of social justice for the Palestinians and security for Israel. His view is that solutions to intractable conflicts begin as increasing numbers on each side empathize with the other side's story. In his latest book, Embracing Israel/Palestine: A Strategy to Heal and Transform the Middle East, Lerner suggests that a change in consciousness is crucial to this reconciliation. He emphasizes that this new approach to the issue requires giving primacy to love, kindness, and generosity. It calls for challenging the master narratives in both Israel and Palestine, as well as the false idea that "homeland security" can be achieved through military, political, economic, or media domination.

In his previous book, Healing Israel/Palestine, published in 2003, he showed that it is possible to be both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine, and provided a clear blueprint for a peace settlement.

Michael Lerner has been a national leader of the social change movement in the U.S. for the past forty-five years. He is a founding editor of Tikkun magazine and is co-founder of The Network of Spiritual Progressives - the interfaith advocacy arm of Tikkun magazine. He also leads Beyt Tikkun, a Jewish Renewal synagogue that meets in San Francisco and Berkeley.

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