The central character in the novel, The Attack, is Amin Jaafari, an Arab naturalized Israeli citizen who becomes a surgeon in Tel Aviv. Amin earns respect with his colleagues. Amin & his Palestinian born wife, Sihem, form friendships in Tel Aviv. Nonetheless, he does suffer 2nd class citizenship amongst the general public who view him with disdain & distrust for his Arabian heritage. Still, Amin has been happily married for more than 10 years to Sihem, until his marriage & his life are irrevocably shattered. An exploison erupts in close proximity to the hospital Amin works & it becomes an immediate triage for the severly wounded. The blast takes the lives of dozens of innocent victimes & children & the life of Sihem. Sihem, however, was not an innocent victim. She was the fundamentalist suicide bomber to the complete horror & total disbelief of Amin. "We had no secrets from each other," Amin tells the polic Capt. Therein lies the guise for understanding the deep rooted hated between Israelis/Palestinians. Amin's quest for answers leads him to his Arabian relative complicit with Sihem who explains why. "Humiliation. It takes away your taste for life. Other people are trying to confine them {Palestinians} to ghettos until they're trapped in them for good. The reason why they prefer to die. When dreams are turned away, death becomes the ultimate salvation. She died for others." Yet, Amin maintains, "Every Jew in Palestine is a bit of an Arab, and no Arab in Israel can deny that he's a little Jewish. So why so much hate between relatives?" The Attack is somewhat preachy but it does serve to open vital dialogue.
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