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What happens when a Jewish-American humanitarian and a Muslim Palestinian poet decide to write a book together — in the middle of a war? Allan J. “Alonzo” Wind spent two years leading a humanitarian assistance mission in Gaza. Mohammed Arafat grew up there, surviving blockade after blockade before fleeing to the United States. They could have been enemies. Instead, they chose to listen. One Conversation, Two Identities, Four Faiths is the unforgettable dialogue between these two unlikely friends — one a retired USAID diplomat with a Jewish background who embraced the Bahá’í Faith, the other a Gazan poet whose family remains trapped in the rubble. Their voices alternate page by page, marked AJW and MA, creating an intimate back-and-forth that is by turns heartbreaking, funny, furious, and full of hope. Through memoir, poetry, and brutally honest conversation, they take you inside the Gaza most Americans never see — the fish markets and fig groves before October 7th, the staff meetings under rocket fire, the twelve-kilometer walk along the shore under a sky full of stars — and into the moral questions that haunt everyone watching from afar. This is not a policy book. This is a human book. If you have ever wanted to understand what it actually feels like on both sides of this conflict — and what it costs to choose compassion over hatred — start here. Includes original poetry, photographs from Gaza before and during the war, and practical steps every reader can take toward interfaith understanding.
A Jew in Gaza
My book A Jew in Gaza is now available on Amazon in different formats. It includes a candid view of Gaza and a frank discussion of the current conflict, humanitarian assistance and international humanitarian law.
By Allan J. “Alonzo” Wind
This book offers an exclusive view into Gaza few have had, as an American Jew, as a Baha’i, as a humanitarian living under the threats of the interminable conflicts between Israel and Gaza. Mr. Wind lived through multiple escalations and Israeli counterstrikes. His narrative precedes, includes and goes beyond the October 7 attack and the current war. Leading a $10 million health and humanitarian assistance program there, Mr. Wind shares insights about the realities and paradoxes of Gaza and providing humanitarian assistance in the face of conflict and the dangers to innocent civilians.
This war did not start on 10/7, however murderous and brutal the Hamas terror attack. There is a long history behind it, with death and violence on both sides that have blinded leaders to the needs and rights of the innocents. This book testifies to violations of international humanitarian law as well as the corruption and dangers from extremist groups.
No partisan or ideological polemic here; he brings to bear a balanced perspective and a call for action in terms of reconciling hated enemies, honoring the long burden of dispossession and exile of the Palestinians and coming to grips with the long-term safety, security and future of both peoples in this tormented land.
NOW ON AUDIBLE, AMAZON OR YOUR FAVORITE BOOKSELLERS!
By Allan J. “Alonzo” Wind
Andean Adventures
An Unexpected Search for Meaning, Purpose and Discovery Across Three Countries
SECOND EDITION: Revised and Updated in 2024. A memoir of public health and community development service and spiritual discovery overseas in Peace Corps and nongovernmental organizations and USAID, sharing with self-deprecating humor experiences across the Andes and Latin America. For some, a provocative discussion and meditation on searching for meaning and purpose after college. A story of successes, failures, redemption, challenges, faith and perseverance.
By Allan J. “Alonzo” Wind
Wolf Warrior Watch
Transforming the China Challenge
China, a challenge that looms large, is often depicted as a menacing force to be met with confrontation and containment. In some circles, there is even talk of an inevitable or imminent conflict. The Chinese Communist Party is often cast as a unique axis of evil, a threat to liberal democracies and emerging democracies in Asia and beyond. The Belt and Road Initiative, a sprawling infrastructure project that spans continents, is viewed with suspicion, seen either as a tool for economic subjugation or a pathway to conquest.
What if this need not be the case? What if we were to calmly assess, analyze, and counter President Xi’s autocracy’s policy actions in ways that discourage adventurism, incentivize collaboration and cooperation, and promote partnership to address global dilemmas?
This collection of musings is meant to examine flashpoints in a dispassionate, nonideological, and constructive manner and suggest steps that might offer greater success in overcoming, converting, and transforming the China challenge into a more helpful framework.
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