" (2) a paper calls this the second "Palestinian War of Independence," but at first Raja Shehadeh can only think of the inconveniences this occupation causes him and causes his law firm's efforts that extend far beyond the confines of a single city. (3)
The book alternates moments of high comedy with death and tragedy. One comedic moment occurs early on when some friendly soldiers cheerfully ask the author if he knows of good lodging anywhere, like tourists who have accidentally had their hotel reservations cancelled. (4) "The two of them were very polite," observes the lawyer, approvingly (5) a young scholar, out of a job because of the occupation, works as an incompetent cleaner, breaking Shehadeh's valuable vase, but gluing it together and providing interesting conversation. (6)
At first, in the face of such tragedy and absurdity Shehadeh focuses on his duties as a lawyer. He lives like a prisoner, exercising by walking around his apartment courtyard to blasting music, focusing on when his wife can return from the country, where she is trapped, and using his small space to live in a constructive fashion. As he concentrates on conserving his food supply, distracting himself with his legal work, he makes notes of the few small, positive details present in his cloistered existence, noting that today it was Shostakovich quintets, enthusiastically jotting in his journal, regarding his selection of music for the day's constitutional...
Shehadeh is filled with a deep rage at Israel's right-wing government of course, first and foremost. But he is also angry at the world media, which be believes sees the entire Middle East more as a spectacle, than an object of real and human sympathy. The author's perspective is extremely useful because, although he is a Palestinian human rights attorney, he does not identify with any particular aspect of the PLO or intifada movement, and he is sympathetic to the Israelis as well as those of his fellow ethnic group. He stands, above all, for human rights for all peoples. Currently, however, the Israelis and the Palestinian people are living in a military, occupied state, and forced to undergo negotiations, and there are no truly impartial mediating authorities to stand in between these two historically acrimonious groups, so they can see each other one on one, as human beings.
The smallness of the apartment of the author becomes a metaphor for the state and territory as a whole, limiting rather than enlarging his perspective until he takes active steps to improve his mental state.
Works Cited
Shehadeh, Raja. When the Birds Stopped Singing. New York: Steerforth, 2003.
