Reviewed by Ian Thomas Shaw
Despite not typically gravitating toward epistolary works, Crossing Qalandiya: Exchanges Across the Israeli-Palestinian Divide drew me in with its powerful premise. In 2008, two young mothers—one an Israeli diplomat, the other a Palestinian civil servant—meet in the neutral, cosmopolitan city of Geneva. Free from the looming fears and political barriers that mark their homelands, Daniela and Shireen form an unexpected friendship. But the reality of their divided lives soon beckons them back—Daniela to Tel Aviv, Shireen to Ramallah—where mere kilometers become an almost insurmountable chasm.
Unable to reunite physically, they begin a long, heartfelt exchange of letters. Each letter unfolds the intricacies of their worlds—their hopes, their fears, their personal and national pain. Through these exchanges, the reader is invited into two lives lived amidst the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where the divisions that tear their nations apart contrast with the intimate, human connection they share.
In today's context, with the grim backdrop of continued bloodshed, the poignancy of Crossing Qalandiya is undeniable. When I met Daniela Norris in Montreal, she reflected, almost wistfully, on whether the hope embedded in their letters, written over a decade ago, now seems naïve. Perhaps, she suggested, it failed to make a tangible difference. I would argue otherwise. In a world where militarism and cynical political agendas often drown out calls for peace, the voices of these two educated, open-minded women stand as a quiet but potent form of resistance. Their letters are not empty, idealistic exchanges; they are candid and often uncomfortable. There are moments of deep misunderstanding, when stereotypes about the "other" are laid bare. But even in the bitterness, their bond survives.
And so, compelled to move beyond words, they plan to meet at the Qalandiya checkpoint, a site symbolic of the physical and psychological barriers between their peoples. The book leaves us on the cusp of this meeting, with the haunting question of whether they managed to see each other, face to face, amidst the conflict.
Crossing Qalandiya is more than a book—it’s a window into the complex humanity behind headlines of violence and division. For readers with personal ties to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or those seeking to grasp the conflict in human terms, it offers a path towards understanding and empathy. In stripping away political rhetoric, the book reveals something fundamental: the shared humanity that lies beneath.
What I found particularly striking is the simplicity of the letters. Unembellished and direct, they speak with an immediacy that no novel could improve upon. The authors' voices ring clear, unencumbered by literary artifice, and in doing so, their message resonates all the more deeply.
My conversation with Daniela also revealed a hopeful coda. After the book was published, the authors decided to contribute a part of the proceeds to a charity, Children of Peace, which works to build friendships between Israeli and Palestinian children. The charity lives on today, and is a testament to the enduring efforts to promote peaceful co-existence. Though hard copies of the book are now out of print, an e-book version remains available on Amazon. I encourage you to seek it out—not only to witness the courage of two women reaching across one of the world's deepest divides, but to challenge your own assumptions about this seemingly intractable conflict.
Crossing Qalandiya is published by Reportage Press.
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