You can’t hide the sun

Written by former hostage, John McCarthy, who was held in Lebanon for over five years, ‘You Can’t Hide the Sun’ is a detailed and moving investigation into the lives of Palestinians living in Israel. Though they make up 20% of Israel’s population, they have been systematically and brutally discriminated against by Israeli state apparatus since 15^th May 1948.  This date is known as Independence day by the Jews living in Israel, and the Nakba (Catastrophe) by Palestinians.

John crosses Galilee and the Negev, meeting with countless Palestinian families that have been displaced from their homes and live as ‘Present Absentees’, a status similar to being an internal refugee. Often tearfully, and always with great sadness, the families describe how they were forced from land and homes that had been theirs for generations.

The book gives a view of the situation between Jews and Palestinians as it is experienced on the ground in Israel. It is not anti-semitic, since it also tells the stories of Jewish people who are acting with compassion to help their Palestinian neighbours. However, Israeli institutions are acting to remove all Palestinians from Israel, despite them having lived there for millennia.

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The book will be discussed at the forthcoming Embrace Annual Lecture in January and/or February. The organisers suggest that anyone attending the lectures reads the book first, so now’s your chance to purchase and read it in time.

Embrace the Middle East is a Christian charity with over 160 years’ experience helping people of all faiths and none to free themselves from a life of poverty and injustice. Together with local Christian communities they bring lasting change to the Middle East through healthcare, education and community development projects. Their vision is to see lives and communities in the Middle East transformed by the compassion of Christ.

Here are further details about the lecture from Embrace:

We are delighted to announce that our postponed Embrace Annual Lecture will be available to watch online in January and February. We will provide details of how to join the online lecture closer to the time.

Our speaker this year is the writer and broadcaster, John McCarthy. Following on from his 2012 acclaimed book You Can’t Hide the Sun – A journey through Israel and Palestine.

The event will be broadcast at the following times:

30th January, afternoon

1st February, morning

3rd of February, afternoon

4th of February, evening

John will join in conversation with Elizabeth Oldfield, director of the think tank Theos, to talk about what hope remains for the Palestinian people in the light of recent seismic political changes in the region during the Trump presidency. They will also discuss the implications of the November Presidential elections.

We’re particularly keen to encourage book groups to read You Can’t Hide the Sun and then join us on one of the above dates. If you are a member of a book club, do pass these details on to your fellow members and encourage them to sign up for the lecture.

Please register your interest and your preferred date for the lecture using this form:

Annual Lecture Sign Up Form

We look forward to welcoming you to the Annual Lecture in the New Year.

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