I Shall Not Hate

A GLOBE AND MAIL BEST BOOK“This story is a necessary lesson against hatred and revenge.” ELIE WIESEL, Nobel Peace Prize laureateDr. Izzeldin Abuelaish captured hearts and headlines around the world in the aftermath of horrific tragedy: on January 16, 2009, Israeli shells hit his home in the Gaza strip, killing three of his daughters and a niece.By turns inspiring and heartbreaking, hopeful and horrifying, this is Abuelaish’s account of a Gazan life in all its struggle and pain. A Palestinian infertility specialist who lived in Gaza but worked in Israeli hospitals, he spent most of his life crossing the lines that divide the region. But it was his extraordinary response to the loss of his children that made news and won him humanitarian awards around the world. Instead of seeking revenge, Abuelaish called for the people of the Middle East to start talking to each other. He had hoped his daughters would be among the last sacrifices on the road to peace between Palestinians and Israelis. They haven’t been: thousands more innocents have died. But he hasn’t stopped believing that hate is not the answer or working for a peace based on equality, justice, freedom and dignity for all.