"'Rachel Shabi's revealing examination of Mizrahi culture, and its dismissal by the Ashkenazi - or European - elite of Israel, is a timely reminder that the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict is as much about culture as it is about land.' Siona Jenkins, Financial Times '... an eye-opening book... Not The Enemy is a disturbing and important document, which should be read by everyone worried about what its author calls the "corrosive, entrenched polarity" of the Middle East.' Gerald Jacobs, Daily Telegraph 'A British educated Iraqi Jew recently transplanted to Tele-Aviv, Shabi is well placed to catalogue the ongoing woes of Mizrahi Jews... Shabi's book tugs the cultural map of Israel back towards a more accurate version of history, paying homage to the musical, literary, theatrical and academic traditions of Arab Jews... On the evidence of her own lively intelligence, Shabi will do the Mizrahi cause proud...' Marina Benjamin, Evening Standard"

About the Author

Rachel Shabi was born in Israel to Iraqi parents and grew up in England. A journalist, she has written for a variety of national and international newspapers, including the Guardian, the Sunday Times, and the Independent.

Reviews

"Rachel Shabi’s revealing examination of Mizrahi culture, and its dismissal by the Ashkenazi – or European – elite of Israel, is a timely reminder that the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict is as much about culture as it is about land … [Shabi’s] account of [the Mizrahi’s] vibrant culture is fascinating."-  Siona Jenkins, Financial Times, 31st January 2009


“… an eye-opening book … Not The Enemy is … a disturbing and important document, which should be read by everyone worried about what its author calls the “corrosive, entrenched polarity” of the Middle East.” - Gerald Jacobs, Daily Telegraph


 “Shabi…carefully builds a convincing and readable narrative of how a section of Israeli society has been discriminated against since the formation of the state [of Israel].” - Richard Crowley, Irish Times


“…Shabi offers an unsettling illustration of the successive Ashkenazi-dominated government’s discrimination…(and) builds a compelling case against the simplistic portrayal of Arab Jews.” - Jonathan Mok, www.globalcomment.net

 “Using eye-witness accounts, Shabi lays down the full spectrum of experience of the Oriental/Mizrahi Jews in modern Israel … Shabi’s important book is … a wake up call to modern Israeli society. For a nation to be able to call itself a true democracy, all of its citizens must feel equally enabled and valued.” - Miriam Halahmy, Jewish Chronicle


“A British educated Iraqi Jew recently transplanted to Tele-Aviv, Shabi is well placed to catalogue the ongoing woes of Mizrahi Jews … Shabi’s book tugs the cultural map of Israel back towards a more accurate version of history, paying homage to the musical, literary, theatrical and academic traditions of Arab Jews … On the evidence of her own lively intelligence, Shabi will do the Mizrahi cause proud…’ - Marina Benjamin, Evening Standard