An improbable friendship: the remarkable lives of Israeli Ruth Dayan and Palestinian Raymonda Tawil and their forty-year peace mission

Description

"An Improbable Friendship is the dual biography of Israeli Ruth Dayan, now ninety-seven, who was Moshe Dayan's wife for thirty-seven years, and Palestinian journalist Raymonda Tawil, Yasser Arafat's mother-in-law, now seventy-four. It reveals for the first time the two women's surprising and secret forty-year friendship and delivers the story of their extraordinary and turbulent lives growing up in a war-torn country. Based on personal interviews, diaries, and journals drawn from both women-Ruth lives today in Tel Aviv, Raymonda in Malta-author Anthony David delivers a fast-paced, fascinating narrative that is a beautiful story of reconciliation and hope in a climate of endless conflict. By telling their stories and following their budding relationship, which began after the Six-Day War in 1967, we learn the behind-the-scenes, undisclosed history of the Middle East's most influential leaders from two prominent women on either side of the ongoing conflict. An award-winning biographer and historian, Anthony David brings us the story of unexpected friendship while he discovers the true pasts of two outstanding women. Their story gives voice to Israelis and Palestinians caught in the Middle East conflict and holds a persistent faith in a future of peace."--;Prologue: A secret story -- Part I. 1917-1956: of this tormented soil ; "The happiest day of my life" ; The Syrian prince ; Night squad ; The "cripple" ; A Christmas tale ; Civil war ; Fall of Haifa ; Hotel Zion ; Villa Lea ; Married to the state ; Ave Maria ; Women of valor ; The beauty contest ; "Maskiteers" ; A mission in life ; Tristesse ; Moshe's war -- Part II. 1957-1970: two friends ; Punished by love ; Mandelbaum Gate ; Under the Shekhina's wing ; New face in the mirror ; Reverence for life ; A man problem ; The women's strike ; Six days ; The Dayan-asty ; Open bridges ; The return ; The emperor ; In the bosom of my country ; This is not a democracy! -- Part III. 1970-1995: dialogue ; St. Luke's Hospital ; Honor killing ; Umm al-Mu'in ; "Wrath of God" ; L'pozez akol (blow up everything) ; Mission renewed ; "Guns and olive branches" ; Neve shalom ; The quest ; House arrest ; The comedians ; Crossing boundaries ; The good witch ; Militants for peace ; Ms. ; The tomb of God ; A furious aura ; Borderline case ; Beyond the walls ; The bomb ; A debt of love ; "Better a living woman than a dead hero" ; Uprising ; Living with history ; Ring of fire ; Oslo ; Life according to Agfa ; Separation ; "I cry for you" -- Part IV. 1995-the present: walls ; Three kisses ; Suha ; The angel -- Epilogue: Great Wall of Zion. Prologue: A secret story -- Part I. 1917-1956: of this tormented soil "The happiest day of my life" The Syrian prince Night squad The "cripple" A Christmas tale Civil war Fall of Haifa Hotel Zion Villa Lea Married to the state Ave Maria Women of valor The beauty contest "Maskiteers" A mission in life Tristesse Moshe's war -- Part II. 1957-1970: two friends Punished by love Mandelbaum Gate Under the Shekhina's wing New face in the mirror Reverence for life A man problem The women's strike Six days The Dayan-asty Open bridges The return The emperor In the bosom of my country This is not a democracy! -- Part III. 1970-1995: dialogue St. Luke's Hospital Honor killing Umm al-Mu'in "Wrath of God" L'pozez akol (blow up everything) Mission renewed "Guns and olive branches" Neve shalom The quest House arrest The comedians Crossing boundaries The good witch Militants for peace Ms. The tomb of God A furious aura Borderline case Beyond the walls The bomb A debt of love "Better a living woman than a dead hero" Uprising Living with history Ring of fire Oslo Life according to Agfa Separation "I cry for you" -- Part IV. 1995-the present: walls Three kisses Suha The angel -- Epilogue: Great Wall of Zion.