Two lifelong peace activists and guides to Israel/Palestine, both of whom have lost family in the conflict, take readers on a revealing life-changing journey across this holy, bloodstained land and discover the mythic, political, and personal history that divides but also binds them and their peoples.
“We do not see ourselves as Palestinians and Isrealis, or as Jews and Arabs, but as human beings who believe in fostering a culture of dialogue, a culture of forgiveness, and a culture of peace. To those who see only division lines, we say: If you must divide us, let it be as those who believe in peace and equality and those who don’t ... yet.”
Palestinian Aziz Abu Sarah and Israeli Maoz Inon forged a bond of brotherhood when the world expected them to be enemies. Both have lost family to the conflict. Both have known the bitterness of righteous anger. Yet, they chose a different path.
In The Future Is Peace, Sarah and Inon take readers on a transformative weeklong journey across a sacred and bloodstained land. Facing competing narratives, they explore how compassion and unity can pull humanity back from the precipice of blind hatred. Throughout their travels, they have been constantly asked: In the face of so much loss, how can we ever find hope? Their answer is always the same. One cannot find hope. We must create it.
This book is a rebuttal to a broken world and a bold challenge to the belief that more violence can ever bring security. Told with unflinching honesty, their story is proof that peace is not a naive dream, but a courageous choice—for reconciliation to heal the wounds of revenge, for partnerships to change a destiny of war, and for empathy to save us from drowning in sorrow.
Pairing unapologetic candor and inspirational prose, Sarah and Inon are sending an urgent message that the people have the power to make change. Peace is inevitable. For Palestinians, for Israelis, and for the world that awaits their example, it is not just possible—it is the future.
“If there is ever to be a sustainable settlement in the Middle East, it will come not from bombs and bogus peace boards, but from ordinary people coming to respect each other and tolerate each other's differences - and even finally to enjoy them. This moving book shows the essential first step on that path, as two courageous men stop hating each other and start talking together. If you’ve lost your faith in the future, read this beautiful book by two people who’ve found it.”—Brian Eno, musician and songwriter
“A book of hope in a time of despair. After unbearable personal suffering, Aziz and Maoz refuse to give up on a shared future in Israel Palestine. Here they show us how it can, and must, happen.”—Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize winning author
“Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon are not only brilliant guides to the tortured geography of the Holy Land. They are guides for how to retain our humanity, no matter how much pain we endure.”—Peter Beinart, author of Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza
“The Future is Peace is a remarkable book that brilliantly captures 'the inescapable network of mutuality,' accessed so powerfully by Martin Luther King. It's a passionate book, carefully constructed and heartbreakingly true. The message is both simple and immense: we are all helixed together by our humanity. As a guide to the torn heart, it also allows a vision of repair.”—Colum McCann, bestselling author of Let the Great World Spin
“Hopeful and inspirational, The Future is Peace is a walk through the land and history of Israel and Palestine that shows how two peace activists - an Israeli and a Palestinian - respect each other's narratives and dare to dream magically of peace amidst the reality of conflict.”—Simon Sebag Montefiore, bestselling author and historian
Aziz Abu Sarah is Co-CEO of InterAct International, a nonprofit dedicated to Middle East Peace. He is a peacebuilder, entrepreneur, National Geographic Explorer, TED Fellow, and renowned speaker and trainer on conflict resolution and responsible travel. Aziz is the co-founder of MEJDI Tours, a travel company on a mission to transform tourism into a global force of citizen diplomacy. He has won numerous awards, including from the United Nations, Institute of International Education, and The Explorers Club. Aziz is consistently named one of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Jordan. He has written opinion pieces for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Al-Quds, and Haaretz.
Maoz Inon is Co-CEO of InterAct International, a nonprofit dedicated to Middle East Peace. He is an Israeli peace activist and entrepreneur. He was honored with the prestigious Franco-German Human Rights Prize and the Shared Living Award from Abraham Initiatives. He has spoken on Capitol Hill, at U.S. universities, and the European Parliament. He has written pieces for The Washington Post, Al Jazeera, Haaretz, and more. He has founded several peace-focused initiatives within Israel and the Middle East, including the Jesus Trail, Fauzi Azar Inn, and Abraham Hostel & Tour brands.
Two lifelong peace activists and guides to Israel/Palestine, both of whom have lost family in the conflict, take readers on a revealing life-changing journey across this holy, bloodstained land and discover the mythic, political, and personal history that divides but also binds them and their peoples.
“We do not see ourselves as Palestinians and Isrealis, or as Jews and Arabs, but as human beings who believe in fostering a culture of dialogue, a culture of forgiveness, and a culture of peace. To those who see only division lines, we say: If you must divide us, let it be as those who believe in peace and equality and those who don’t ... yet.”
Palestinian Aziz Abu Sarah and Israeli Maoz Inon forged a bond of brotherhood when the world expected them to be enemies. Both have lost family to the conflict. Both have known the bitterness of righteous anger. Yet, they chose a different path.
In The Future Is Peace, Sarah and Inon take readers on a transformative weeklong journey across a sacred and bloodstained land. Facing competing narratives, they explore how compassion and unity can pull humanity back from the precipice of blind hatred. Throughout their travels, they have been constantly asked: In the face of so much loss, how can we ever find hope? Their answer is always the same. One cannot find hope. We must create it.
This book is a rebuttal to a broken world and a bold challenge to the belief that more violence can ever bring security. Told with unflinching honesty, their story is proof that peace is not a naive dream, but a courageous choice—for reconciliation to heal the wounds of revenge, for partnerships to change a destiny of war, and for empathy to save us from drowning in sorrow.
Pairing unapologetic candor and inspirational prose, Sarah and Inon are sending an urgent message that the people have the power to make change. Peace is inevitable. For Palestinians, for Israelis, and for the world that awaits their example, it is not just possible—it is the future.
Praise
“If there is ever to be a sustainable settlement in the Middle East, it will come not from bombs and bogus peace boards, but from ordinary people coming to respect each other and tolerate each other's differences - and even finally to enjoy them. This moving book shows the essential first step on that path, as two courageous men stop hating each other and start talking together. If you’ve lost your faith in the future, read this beautiful book by two people who’ve found it.”—Brian Eno, musician and songwriter
“A book of hope in a time of despair. After unbearable personal suffering, Aziz and Maoz refuse to give up on a shared future in Israel Palestine. Here they show us how it can, and must, happen.”—Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize winning author
“Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon are not only brilliant guides to the tortured geography of the Holy Land. They are guides for how to retain our humanity, no matter how much pain we endure.”—Peter Beinart, author of Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza
“The Future is Peace is a remarkable book that brilliantly captures 'the inescapable network of mutuality,' accessed so powerfully by Martin Luther King. It's a passionate book, carefully constructed and heartbreakingly true. The message is both simple and immense: we are all helixed together by our humanity. As a guide to the torn heart, it also allows a vision of repair.”—Colum McCann, bestselling author of Let the Great World Spin
“Hopeful and inspirational, The Future is Peace is a walk through the land and history of Israel and Palestine that shows how two peace activists - an Israeli and a Palestinian - respect each other's narratives and dare to dream magically of peace amidst the reality of conflict.”—Simon Sebag Montefiore, bestselling author and historian
Author
Aziz Abu Sarah is Co-CEO of InterAct International, a nonprofit dedicated to Middle East Peace. He is a peacebuilder, entrepreneur, National Geographic Explorer, TED Fellow, and renowned speaker and trainer on conflict resolution and responsible travel. Aziz is the co-founder of MEJDI Tours, a travel company on a mission to transform tourism into a global force of citizen diplomacy. He has won numerous awards, including from the United Nations, Institute of International Education, and The Explorers Club. Aziz is consistently named one of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Jordan. He has written opinion pieces for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Al-Quds, and Haaretz.
Maoz Inon is Co-CEO of InterAct International, a nonprofit dedicated to Middle East Peace. He is an Israeli peace activist and entrepreneur. He was honored with the prestigious Franco-German Human Rights Prize and the Shared Living Award from Abraham Initiatives. He has spoken on Capitol Hill, at U.S. universities, and the European Parliament. He has written pieces for The Washington Post, Al Jazeera, Haaretz, and more. He has founded several peace-focused initiatives within Israel and the Middle East, including the Jesus Trail, Fauzi Azar Inn, and Abraham Hostel & Tour brands.
