Friendly Fire Audiobook By Ami Ayalon, Dennis Ross - introduction cover art

Friendly Fire

How Israel Became Its Own Worst Enemy and the Hope for Its Future

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection of titles.
Yours as long as you’re a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for $8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Friendly Fire

By: Ami Ayalon, Dennis Ross - introduction
Narrated by: Rich Miller
Try Standard free

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.30

Buy for $24.30

FINALIST -- The National Jewish Book Award

In this deeply personal journey of discovery, Ami Ayalon seeks input and perspective from Palestinians and Israelis whose experiences differ from his own. As head of the Shin Bet security agency, he gained empathy for "the enemy" and learned that when Israel carries out anti-terrorist operations in a political context of hopelessness, the Palestinian public will support violence, because they have nothing to lose. Researching and writing Friendly Fire, he came to understand that his patriotic life had blinded him to the self-defeating nature of policies that have undermined Israel's civil society while heaping humiliation upon its Palestinian neighbors. "If Israel becomes an Orwellian dystopia," Ayalon writes, "it won't be thanks to a handful of theologians dragging us into the dark past. The secular majority will lead us there motivated by fear and propelled by silence." Ayalon is a realist, not an idealist, and many who consider themselves Zionists will regard as radical his conclusions about what Israel must do to achieve relative peace and security and to sustain itself as a Jewish homeland and a liberal democracy. Politics & Government Middle East Israel & Palestine World Biographies & Memoirs Africa Refugee Iran
All stars
Most relevant
In such a complex conflict, let’s listen more to soldiers than to politicians. The former know the cost of war. The latter just want to stay in power. Ami is brave and humaine.

Must read. A soldiers perspective is better than a politician.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book was a revelation: captivating, balanced and clear-sighted about the present and the future.

Insightful and fair-minded

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I have appreciated this book for uncovering a logical path from Zionism to reality. Infusing a stark logic to the need to let our humanity drive our politics rather than fear. Even if here and there there may be embellishments, I don’t find them distracting. I sense a guarded optimism for Israel future given that this utopian Prime minister Ami described, will be elected and supported to bring us back to our”promised land”. I am haunted though by the saying ( paraphrase) “ , who that controls the narrative of the present will control the future “,

Getting in touch with reality

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved the author’s journey from being convinced that he held the truth, to understanding the point of view of his adversaries, without giving up what is important for Israel.

There is hope

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I am new to this field of history so I was happy not to have hours and hours of all the different six day wars that happened. The book didn’t waste time and I feel I have gained a lot of knowledge.

A surprisingly understandable book over a complex subject.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.