Holygarchy

PLATO2 · Aug 4, 2006

About the Book:

"Holygarchy" tells the true story of an Israeli citizen of Jewish origin recognized by a sovereign country as a refugee due to active persecution by the State of Israel. The book was adapted from the authorâs life and offers a moral critique of the modern State of Israel, from a human rights point of view.

The author spent much of his exile in Asia, where the book largely takes place, and wrote the manuscript while hiding in a Bolivian church. After a perilous trip to the USA, he lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Following a career in the academic world, where he published in prestigious journals, he moved to the business world, where his first troubles with the State of Israel appeared. During his travels, he began writing for Rough Guides and published over 270 articles about Asia, South America, Europe and the USA. He has evolved, through a painful process, from being a collaborator with an oligarchical discriminating society to a person willing to pay the highest price of all for the sake of Humanistic ideals.

The Need for Such a Book:

Exposing the mechanisms of control used by discriminating regimes is an essential tool for bringing change in such societies. It is also a fascinating theme for outsiders who do not usually have access to such information through the mainstream media.

The Purpose:

The purpose of the book is to describe the reality of living in Israel through the eyes of the first recognized Jewish-born political refugee from that country. Themes like Human Rights and their violation, the Security Servicesâ methods and tools, commercial espionage and the transfer of classified military technologies from the USA to Israel are skillfully exposed. The author hopes to focus international interest on the core problem: the Israeli and Palestinian leadership both ignore basic Human Rights.

The Audience:

The book's intended audience is English speakers interested in the topic of Israel. Secondary audiences with a special interest include Evangelical Christians, and the greater Jewish community, especially those belonging to the Reformist and Conservative streams which are the largest Jewish communities in the USA. Exiled Palestinians will find the descriptions of the Israeli military and settlers in the occupied territories fascinating. Other interested parties include those seeking information regarding the activities of armies, industrial espionage and security services in general.

The Language:

The story is told by a foreigner in foreign countries; these facts are the basis for the specific blend of international English chosen for the book. This is a crucial aspect of the book and I am open to discussion and suggestions regarding it (and any other topic). The International English Amalgam used - the Unofficial Global Village Language - best suits the book's purpose.

The Structure and a Short Synopsis:

Chapters 1 to 3: A description of the attempt to assassinate the author and two introductory chapters.
Chapters 4 to 17: Israeli Background. The life of the author in Israel, from the kibbutz to the army, university and business until he is forced to leave.
Chapters 18 to 22: The First Asian Trip. The attempt to begin a new life and a careful preparation for the description of the later events that lead to the assassination attempt.
Chapters 23 to 27: Back in Israel. The author is recruited to the reserve army and participates in the siege of the Nativity Church; afterwards he decides to leave his country forever.
Chapters 28 to 54: The Second Asian Trip. A detailed description of continuing persecution.

Short Synopsis: The three introductory chapters describe a shooting event designed to kill the author in China and introduce the bookâs rationale. Then, the story moves backward and describes the life of the protagonist in Israel, revealing many aspects of Israeli society unknown to the average CNN watcher. The kibbutz, the army, the universities, the secret services, the ruling oligarchy and details of Israeli personal life are described from a Humanistic perspective, exposing and explaining this deeply discriminating society. Following certain events, the protagonist leaves for Asia, where he tries to begin a new life and write his memoirs. When he returns to Israel, he is called up to the army, as a reservist officer, to participate in the re-occupation of the West Bank after the 2002 Passover terrorist attack. After spending a disturbing month in Bethlehem at the siege of the Church of the Nativity, he decides to leave his country, this time forever.

Subsequent chapters describe his persecution in Asia and include a close analysis of the immoral methods used by secret services.
Some names in the book were changed to protect identities, the four trips to Asia in real life were transformed into two, and some subsequent events leading to his recognition as a refugee were skipped.

The Topics:

Discrimination: The book exposes this immoral aspect of Israeli society at different levels and in different organizations, including within the army.
Constitution: The lack of a Constitution in Israel is pinpointed as the main reason for its many discriminating laws, since there is no regulating mechanism on Parliamentâs activities.
Religion: The desire of certain groups to maintain the present situation in Israel is carefully shown to have its roots in specific Jewish religious principles, from which certain immoral practices have permeated the rest of the society.
Credibility: The book delves into the conflict between individual and institutional truth, especially the attempt to disgrace individuals by resorting to institutionally originated lies.

Occupation: Different aspects of the occupation of Palestinian Territories are revealed from first hand experience, including the mistreatment of prisoners and the population. The leadership on both sides, who make substantial profits from the business of war, gets the blame.

Kidnappings and Extrajudicial Executions: This illegal and immoral part of Israeli society is illustrated from several angles.
Related Books:
It is hard to find books similar to Holygarchy. However, of those recently published, âConfessions of an Economic Hit Man,â by John Perkins, comes to mind. An older work related to the extrajudicial crimes committed by a society is âThe Trial,â by Franz Kafka. In a sense, the last part of the book is the negative image of "CIA Diary" by Philip Agee. The author's awareness of the trails left by his persecutors and his correct analysis of their meaning, however strange, enable a comparison with "The Cuckooâs Egg" by Cliff Stoll.
More...

Reuven Schossen's website: http://www.geocities.com/schossen

Daryl Bradford Smith interviews Reuven Schossen:
http://www.iamthewitness.com/DarylBradfordSmith_Ruben-Schossen-3Aug2006.html

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Holygarchy

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