The Other Side of the Wall is my new book that recounts my experiences with the International Solidarity Movement in Palestine. It has recently been published by Cune Press and is now available at Amazon and Cune Press.
You can find a free sample from the book here.
Reviews:
Robert Fantina, Middle East Eye.
Jim Miles, Palestine Chronicle.
Ramona Wadi, Middle East Monitor.
Paul Larudee, International Solidarity Movement.
Testimonials:
- “A brave, poignant, and invaluable exposure to the daily suffering and dangers endured by the Palestinian people living under a cruel occupation that has lasted for 50 years with no end in sight.
- Richard Hardigan is no spectator of this ordeal, writing as one who has for some months stood shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with the Palestinians, inspired by their extraordinary resolve, resilience, and above all by their loving hospitality. Every American should be forced to read this illuminating book!”
– Richard Falk, Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University and former UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. Professor Falk has written 20 books, the latest of which is Palestine’s Horizon: Towards a Just Peace.
- “The Other Side of the Wall is a wrenching and revealing account that can only be conveyed by someone who has lived its exasperating and at times heartbreaking details. Richard Hardigan tells the story of the occupation of Palestine with utmost integrity. It is a powerful experience that is neither intended to be ‘balanced nor neutral’ but dauntingly real and unapologetically honest. A strongly recommended read.”
– Ramzy Baroud, scholar and author of several books, the latest of which is My Father was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza’s Untold Story.
- “In The Other Side of the Wall, Richard Hardigan not only takes you onto the ground in occupied Palestine, but into his shoes as a member of the International Solidarity Movement operating in the West Bank to try to bring the world’s attention to the suffering the Israeli occupation regime is inflicting upon the Palestinians. As the words flow off the page, candidly laying bare the thoughts and emotions that accompanied him on his journey, you feel the fear of confronting armed Israeli soldiers at demonstrations against the occupation.
- You feel the sense of surrealism as you watch Palestinian youths get shot and carried away, bleeding. You feel the anticipation of wanting to do something to make a difference, followed by the sense of helplessness that comes with the realization that, even if the outside world, beyond that wall, was aware of the reality of life under Israeli occupation, too few would care enough to do anything about it.
- You struggle with the sense of guilt knowing that, in the end, you, too, will be returning to a life of relative luxury and comfort, while the Palestinians you’ve gotten to know, who’ve opened their homes to you, will remain trapped in that nightmarish existence.
- The Other Side of the Wall is the next closest thing to doing what he has done and actually traveling into the West Bank to enter that reality for oneself. Hardigan does a tremendous job of bringing that reality to you and, in doing so, conveying the message that, for the sake of our own humanity, we must not avert our eyes and look away, but each in our own capacity join in solidarity with the oppressed.”
– Jeremy Hammond, award-winning political analyst, author and founding editor of Foreign Policy Journal. His latest book is Obstacle to Peace: The US Role in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.
- This is an important book. As Palestine has become a human rights cause, and large segments of the land turned into virtual prisons, a call has gone out to foreigners of conscience to help Palestinians and many have responded. Richard Hardigan is one and he has written what we have been waiting for for years: a measured, you-are-there account of volunteering for the International Solidarity Movement, a vivid journal that takes us past slogans and ideologies.
- Hardigan is a fine, mature writer. He tells us only what he saw and how he felt when he saw it, in a supreme effort to compensate those who gave him great hospitality with the only thing they sought from him in return: recognition in the eyes of the world.
- Hardigan’s record is marked by endless imprisonments, tear gassings, shootings, but also moments of comedy and weakness that show Palestinians to be human beings very much like others in political stories that last. The moral questions that haunt Hardigan will haunt his readers. What made one group of humans do this to another group of humans? How can these people go on like this?
– Philip Weiss, journalist and author. He co-edited The GoldStone Report: The Legacy of the Landmark Investigation of the Gaza Conflict, and he is the founder of Mondoweiss.
- “In this informative and disturbing book, Richard Hardigan brings the reader into the stark, brutal reality of Palestinian suffering. From personal accounts of the suffering of people who quickly became close friends, to the biased reporting in the western media, the reader is brought face-to-face with the harsh truths of the Israeli occupation. A must-read for anyone wanting to be fully informed about this timely issue.”
– Robert Fantina, activist, journalist and author of numerous books. His latest is Empire, Racism and Genocide: A History of U.S. Foreign Policy.
- “In this searing first-person account, Hardigan describes the murder, theft, desecration and destruction regularly visited on Palestinians by their Israeli tormentors with near-perfect impunity. He also chronicles systemic injustices such as the Wall that swallows land, water, and hope and a ‘justice’ system that regularly beats, incarcerates, and interrogates childen as young as twelve without due process. Any human who reads this account and is not furious enough to be spurred into action should check his or her pulse.”
– Pamela Olson, author of Fast Times in Palestine.
- “Following his experiences of the Tahrir Square uprising, in the summer of 2014 Richard Hardigan volunteered with the International Solidarity Movement to join in and to document the resistance to the brutal Israeli occupation of Palestine.
- THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WALL reveals his own personal awakening to the realities of the apartheid wall, the deadly struggles in Palestinian villages, and the level of violence of Israeli forces and right wing settlers. Set in a backdrop culminating in the devastating seven week assault on Gaza, Hardigan’s voice moves from innocence to a deep seated rage as he bears witness to the brutality of Israeli policies, politicians, and the soldiers tasked with committing a long list of atrocities.
- In the tradition of Rachel Corrie, this book joins a growing collection of voices from the ground, calling out the endless grief and loss, and making it more difficult for anyone to say they didn’t know.”
– Alice Rothchild, physician, author, filmmaker and social justice activist. Her films include the award-winning documentary Voices Across the Divide. Her latest book is Condition Critical: Life and Death in Israel/Palestine.
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