This is a conflict you can never truly understand as an outsider. It is grounded in years of severe hatred that almost seems irrational. But it is not- not at least to the people involved. The western media doesn't tell us the truth and while we see Palestinian youth throwing stones and hurling things at Israeli tankers but you may fail to understand why this is happening. It appears almost bizarre to a western eye but it makes absolute sense to the people living in these conflict-ridden region. Sacco has talked to people to find out how they feel about the conflict and is shocked at their naked hatred for the Israeli. The hatred is so obvious that they do not even try to mask it.

The brilliance of this book lies in its sincere desire to bring real stories to life while staying objective. While it is one thing to read about these stories, it is totally different to live with brutality and violence on daily basis. The author puts so much life into these stories that you wonder why are people still willing to live. But that is the essence of human spirit. It doesn't die. The utter nightmare of life in Palestine is not easy for any reader to digest or live with. So most of them would want to forget the whole thing as soon as they put the book down. But while you may want to forget, the utter brutality of these naked images will continue to haunt you. Sacco explains how beneath the obvious such as -- "traffic, couples in love, falafel-to-go, tourists in jogging suits licking stamps for postcards" --, the brutal truth is living a powerful life in the form of "people strapped to chairs, sleep deprivation, the smell of piss" all in the name of national security.

The irony of the situation can be gauged from the fact that when Sacco meets a young Palestinian man who has never been to prison, he is shocked. This is because it seems that every single person has at least once been to jail especially the young males. Sacco's approach to the conflict is moving and witty while at the same time objective as one could possibly remain amidst such horrifying pictures of the truth. Since the writing of this book, a few things have changed in Palestine. There has already been a second intifada and a Palestine Authority has been installed. Peace talks resumed too but while these changes may have taken place, they have only cosmetic value and no real substance. Thus we can say that the conflict is very much still in place and definitely as brutal as it had been in 1991-92.