Judas

Author: Amos Oz

Lately, I have been on a reading binge of books written by Israeli authors. A selected set of short stories from Tel Aviv Noir set me off on this exploration. When I saw that Amos Oz, the celebrated Israeli author had a book selected for the 2017 Man Booker Prize, I quickly ordered it from my local library. 

The main story is set in Jerusalem in the late 1950s where the protagonist Shmuel Ash, a young Israeli student, is struggling to make ends meet. He finds a job taking care of an infirm old man who is living with his beautiful and mysterious daughter-in-law Atalia.  The book is split between Shmuel falling head over heels for the older woman Atalia and a theory that he is developing that Judas was the real founder of the Christian Faith. 

The author builds up the suspense and mystery of Atalia, but I was quite disappointed in the story that unfolds. On the other hand the theory of Judas truly believing in Jesus and convincing him to go to Jerusalem and endure the ignominy of Crucifixion is fascinating. I  would love to read a more seriously researched non-fiction version of this story if there is any merit to it.

In parallel with the above, there is the story of Shaltiel Abravanel, a one-time respected founding member of Israel’s Zionists, who pushed for integration of Israel’s Jews with the local Palestinians. He clearly did not want Israel to be a Jewish State, but rather a home for both Jews and Muslims from Palestine. It is an interesting time to surface these ideas as Trump tries to broker peace in the region. 

Amos describes an Israel that is drunk with power against it's Arab neighbors. His character Abravanel opines that Israel does not realize the fact that "all the power in the world cannot transform someone who hates you into someone who likes you." He goes on to say that he is not against building up Israel's military might as long as we remember that "it can't solve anything. It can only stave off disaster for a while.”

Sobering thoughts for all of us to consider. The storyline however is weak and I was thankful that it was a quick read.