The Attack by Yasmina Khadra - Essay Example

? Attack Attack Arab-Israeli quest for peace is a worthy cause that has often been inhibited by both the Palestinians’ interests and the Israelis’ interests. Although both nationalities thirst for stability and security in the region, they are caught up fighting for their individual interests. Palestine fights for its nationalism. On the other hand, Israel maintains an iron fist in its bid to survive in a region where she is surrounded by her enemies. For that cause, Israel is willing to use oppressive and defensive measures to uphold and extend her territorial boundaries. Israel uses all possible means to ensure that the balance of power in the Middle East shifts in her favor. Palestine on the other hand is gripped by fear as Israel strives to maintain and extend her territorial boundaries. Israel has continually done everything in her power to dominate Palestine. In an attempt to fight that dominance, Palestinians have realized their cause, for which they are willing to give up anything – even their own lives. In the fight for their cause, Palestinians have opted for radical measures, including guerilla tactics and terrorism. Extremist groups have emerged, and suicide bombers have realized the need for their hostile acts. In “The Attack”, Khadra depicts this situation, vividly describing the complexities entailed in both the Palestinian cause and the Israeli cause. In both, the end justifies the means. “The Attack” neutrally highlights the Arab-Israeli conflict. It offers a multidimensional scope on the hindrances for quest for peace in the Middle East. Through a political fiction, it aims to elaborate what drives extremists to fight for “the cause”. It shows why extremists would not think twice about blowing themselves up in order to achieve their end. The author portrays this through the narrator of the story, Dr. Amin Jaafari, an Israeli-Arab. Dr. Amin seems to blend well in an Israeli society, in Tel Aviv. He is a successful surgeon, married to a loving, beautiful and seemingly secular wife. He seems oblivious of the separatist views experienced by Arabs and the Israelis. Unlike most people in the region who are driven by ethnic and religious differences, he is driven by his ambitions to succeed in his career. His bubble bursts when he finds out that his wife was involved in a suicide bombing that left innocent people dead and injured. At first, he did not believe that his wife could be capable of such an evil act until the police asked him to identify the body of the suicide bomber. He was shocked when the police told him that his wife had not gone to the restaurant where the incident occurred to have a snack. Instead, she went to have a blast (Khadar, 2006). Later, a letter from his wife confirmed his doubts. The incidence gives him the desire to understand his wife’s extremist side, a side he had barely figured out before. The author poses fundamental questions regarding the complexities of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He leaves the reader wondering whether the cost paid for the cause is worth it. Lives are lost; people are left psychologically disturbed by the effects of recurrent bomb attacks, hostilities and general unrest. Those close to the attackers are left tormented by betrayal and deceit. For Dr. Amin, news of his wife’s involvement with a fanatic group leaves him with a lot of unanswered questions. After the attack, Amin loses his friends, neighbors and political affiliates, who think that he was his wife’s partner and is therefore equally guilty. Truth is, unlike his wife, he was dedicated to setting aside religious differences; and focusing on his career and success. It is disturbing to imagine why “a beautiful, intelligent, modern woman, esteemed by the people around her, thoroughly assimilated, pampered by her husband and worshiped by her friends” could end up as a suicide bomber (Khadra 2006). The author leaves the reader wondering whether seemingly modernized individuals from the Middle East may just be putting on a mask of secularism; a mask that hides their painful experiences and vengeful motives. It leaves readers wondering if it is possible to stay oblivious of deeply rooted separatist views which are based on religion and culture. Is it possible to stay neutral in a deeply divided world? The question of how secretive extremists are also emerges. Though married, Dr. Amin’s wife hides her involvement with a fanatic group from him. Not even bonds of marriage can hinder extremists from “their cause”. An extremist would rather betray her marriage than betray “the cause” for which she fights. The reader is left wondering what it takes to unveil the mask of an extremist. It also leaves questions on why one would choose race over life. Why would race be such a barrier that an Israeli on the verge of death would rather die than get treated by an Arab, and vice versa? Can ambition, modernism and secularism dismantle deeply rooted prejudices? Is it possible to unite two worlds that are so separated by religion and stringent cultures? Is there a solution to the war torn region of Israel and the West Bank? At the end of book, one wonders if there is any hope for those living in areas of war and conflict. These questions are important and they help understand the war prone area and the difficulties people undergo in the region. “The Attack” provides answers, which enable readers to understand the effects of sectarian violence. It gives meaning to why seemingly normal people can opt for absurd and brutal ways to fight for what they believe in. When Dr. Amin sets out to understand what drove the woman he loved to extremism, he understands her motives better. He regrets his ignorance and states that had he known his wife’s other side, he could have “idealized her less and idolized her less”. The book highlights why people become extremist and why terrorists have nothing to lose. Extremists consider dying for “the cause” the noblest act. The socio-political and economic stresses that extremists undergo leave them no room for bargaining. Achieving their end is a matter of do or die. In conclusion, the book tries to highlight the need for peace in an environment tearing itself apart in violence. It gives a multidimensional scope of understanding the Arab-Israeli conflict. It shows that first- hand experience of war and violence triggers the need for radical measures. It premises that people may be comfortable in a war zone, but not for long. Dr. Amin believed that he and his wife were safe. It turned out that his wife was a threat. This shows that terrorists do not necessarily have to be extremist long bearded Arab men resembling Osama Bin Laden. They can be conserved, educated, modernized, classy women. Suicide bombers do not have to be rusty poor landless people. They may be rich and successful individuals. When it comes to extremism, no reason can stop an attacker. To radicals, “reason has a mouth full of broken teeth and it rejects any prosthesis capable of giving it back its smile” (Khadra, 2006 ). References Khadra, Y. (2006). The Attack. New York: Random House Read More