LOVE AND DESIRE IN THE PROMISED LAND: THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS

Love and Desire in the Promised Land gives voice to a dozen real-life citizens of Israel,Gaza,and the West Bank who navigate messy boundaries in their homes and bedrooms against a background of geopolitical violence.
Collecting interviews conducted before the October 7 attack unleashed a new wave of bloody conflict,the book introduces fascinating individuals and couples who speak frankly about the transgressions that define their experiences with intimacy. The portrayals represent a diverse population,including an interfaith celebrity power couple,an Orthodox gynecologist,a young gay Muslim,a Palestinian American feminist,a Ukrainian Israeli artist,and a Palestinian lesbian in a relationship with an Israeli soldier.

Through these candid conversations,recorded by Parent-Rachdi and illustrated with a warm touch by Deloupy,the authors illuminate a culture and a people whose humanity has been shrouded by the fever pitch of politics and the tragedy of genocide. In a strict society,where norms are enforced by tradition,religion,and the threat of violence,these ordinary citizens follow their heart and risk it all in the name of love and desire.