Pulitzer Prize General Non Fiction Winner

Arab and Jew

by David K. Shipler

Summary

A meditative examination of the mutual perceptions, fears, and stereotypes that drive the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, written by a longtime New York Times correspondent in Jerusalem. Rather than focusing on diplomacy, Shipler studies textbooks, jokes, religious teachings, and family histories to show how each side imagines the other. The book argues that any durable peace must reckon with these deeply embedded human attitudes, not just borders or treaties.

Historical Context & Significance

Shipler focused on the "human" dimension—school textbooks, jokes, and shared traumas—to explain why a political peace remains so elusive.