The General's Son: An Israeli's Journey in Palestine

Miko Peled, a peace activist, was born in 1961 in Jerusalem to a well-known family of Jewish Zionist activists. His grandfather, Dr. Avraham Katsnelson, was a leader in the Zionist movement and one of the signatories of Israel's declaration of independence in 1948. Peled's father, Israeli General Matti Peled, threatened to resign in 1967, which led to Israel's consequential war against its neighboring states of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. This war led to the occupation of large Arab territories and the current complicated situation in the region. In the later years of his life, Matti Peled vigorously advocated for reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians and for a just peace based on equality.

Miko, on the other hand, was more interested in his career as a martial arts teacher. It wasn't until 1997, when his thirteen-year-old niece was killed in a Palestinian terrorist attack, that Miko was shaken out of his relative political lethargy. Instead of responding with hate, he chose to dedicate himself to understanding the circumstances that led to this horrible event. He wanted to know who the people were behind the attack and what actions by the Israelis may have driven them to it. Most importantly, he sought to find a way to create a situation of peace between Israelis and Palestinians, rather than the senseless, destructive enmity that was costing lives daily.

In his book, Miko Peled shares his journey, including research expeditions into the "enemy territory" of the other side. The book is characterized by deep humanity and provides new insights beyond the usual political clichés and stereotypes. While this is his first book, Miko Peled is already known to German-speaking audiences through his lectures on the topic of Israel/Palestine.

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