• Leading with Compassion

Palestine: Prophetic Principles over Prophecies highlights the moral underpinning of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. It outlines a proposal for the creation of a new political dynamics in the Middle East that has the potential for bringing an amicable peace to the region. It calls on all people of conscience to work towards a political solution rooted in human rights and international humanitarian law. It stresses the need to recognize the equal dignity of all human beings, respect the universal principles at the core of modern consciousness, and forge a new political state suitable for the emerging global order.

This book calls, in short, for rejecting current political justification of the greatest injustice of our time based on parochial religious interpretations, and for adopting a solution rooted in the notions of equal dignity and universal rights. It stresses, that is, the need to privilege prophetic traditions over prophecies!

"In this small book, Louay Safi has produced a mini-encyclopedia on the modern Holy Land, with profound historical and political analysis accompanied by handy maps, demographic charts, a glossary, and copies of all the relevant U.N. resolutions. This is ideal for both college students and knowledgeable policy advisers seeking to understand the challenges and opportunities in the Middle East today."

- Robert Crane, Author and former Deputy Director (Planning) of the U.S. National Security Council


“In this exposition, Louay Safi envisions a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict rooted in a new political system that transcends liberal democracy and the ethnically exclusive nation state. Combining international laws and universally-sanctioned moral values, including sanctity of life, equal dignity, freedom of religion, democracy, and the rule of law, Safi’s arguments capture the historic injustices and the Palestinian tragedy in the last century and masterfully illustrates how Zionist expansionist ideology has turned both Palestinians and Israeli Jews into victims of the belief that ‘might makes right.’ This monograph is among the few writings that succinctly narrate the century-long-conflict dynamics and identify the failing elements of the many political initiatives and agreements. The author’s visionary call to abandon past and existing power frameworks and adopt prophetic principles of equality and human dignity is long past due for Palestinians, Israelis, and the global community as well.”

- Dr. Mohamed Abunimer, Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies and Director of Salam Institute, American University, Washington, DC


"The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is often falsely depicted as a religious conflict. In reality, it arose as a nationalist conflict in the context of late 19th and first half of the 20th century, in the broader matrix of colonial and post-colonial politics. While religion did not cause this conflict, it may well be a part of its solution. This monograph is a passionate yet level-headed call for justice that appeals to the best and noblest aspects of religious traditions to bring sanity, compassion, and peace to this crucial region."

- Dr. Omid Safi, Professor of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina


"The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the longest running conflict in modern history, and is poisoning relations between the Arab and Muslim worlds and the West. Dr. Louay Safi makes some compelling arguments about how the one-state solution could work by giving Israelis and Palestinians equal rights under the law, and this idea needs to be carefully discussed and studied. Although major political and religious forces in both Israel and the Arab world are not likely to accept this solution, the main thesis of the book deserves serious consideration. It is time for Muslims, Christians, and Jews to work together for peace in the Holy Land to avoid further deaths and suffering on both sides."

- Dr. Radwan Masmoudi, President of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy, Washington, DC