Israeli Pacifist: The Life of Joseph Abileah (Syracuse Studies on Peace and Conflict Resolution)

By Anthony G. Bing

For more than 50 years, Joseph Abileah, a violinist from Haifa, has worked for reconciliation between Arabs & Jews. An ordinary man made extraordinary by his unwavering commitment to nonviolent social... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0815624883
• ISBN13: 9780815624882
• Release Date: January 1990
• Publisher: Syracuse Univ Pr
• Length: 180 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.9" x 9.8"

Customer Reviews

A good read

Joseph Abileah is not well known in modern society. A common Google search of his name brings up websites primarily pertaining to this biography of him, which is neither surprising nor fair, given the man's lifetime accomplishments. Some might challenge the use of the word accomplishments, seeing that Abileah never caused any sort of lasting peace in the Mideast, something to which he dedicated most of his life. However, what might not show up in history textbooks is nonetheless profound and important. Abileah spent his life trying to bring together Arab and Jew, trying to show each their common heritage, common struggles, and common humanity. Abileah was born on April 25, 1915 in Mödling, Austria to Ephraim and Miriam Abileah. His father was a musician and held pacifist beliefs. His son's life would almost completely consist of activities within one or both of those areas. The Abileah family moved to Haifa, in Palestine in 1926, a place which would forever shape Joseph's views of humanity. Living there, he saw the common interactions between Arabs and Jews; he noted the lack of ethnic and religious tension between the two groups during those times. As the author, Anthony Bing, writes, "Joseph's belief that Arabs and Jews can live together now is based on his experience of this having been true sixty years ago." (14) Throughout his life, Abileah made numerous trips throughout the broader Mideast, to both Arab and Jewish areas. Wherever he went, he brought with him the idea of universal brotherhood. He believed that every person was a part of the common human community, regardless of their ethnicity or religion. By treating everyone with whom he came in contact with dignity and respect, he was able to both stop violence which might have been aimed at him and cause people to think differently about the views of their neighbors. Abileah's most significant work came in the 1940s, when he became very politically active in promoting a united Mideast. He presented numerous plans to various international organizations, including the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine, which was charged with dealing with the first instance of today's Palestinian question. Abileah was in favor of a united federation of Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, which could be expanded to accommodate additional members. He started a group, known as the Society for Middle East Confederation, to promote the plan. Toward the end of his life, Abileah was a worldwide speaker, promoting his ideas of Arab-Jewish coexistence and his philosophy of pragmatic nonviolent pacifism. He never lived to see any of his ideas become reality, but his legacy of cooperation and respect should not be ignored. Bing's work does a thorough job of conveying what seems to be an accurate and easy-to-read description of Abileah's life. The biography utilizes many of Abileah's original writings and letters, which provide a compelling feel for the man's views and attitudes. Throughout