Ally: My Journey Across the American-Israeli Divide | Summary

Ally as an account of Michael Oren's life is mainly focused on his thoughts, feelings, and achievements while serving as Israeli ambassador to the US government. Politically and historically accurate, it brings about a sense of how it might feel to know the land of your ancient ancestors and the land of your faith when under violent attack by enemies. Michael suffered racism, in America, from an early age as his was the only Jewish family in his working-class neighborhood, watching it grow into the horrific events in Israel and those of 9/11. It can't be said this is an unbiased view of the events surrounding the Middle East crisis, many of the accounts of attacks and brutality have been reported form a specifically Israeli point of view. Michael Oren presents the facts, however, regarding these attacks on his home and faith, even if the attacks and atrocities committed by the Israelis themselves have been left out. I see no blame in this, Michael Oren is now an Israeli Jew and as such has had his homeland, religion, and close family attacked on hundreds of occasions. Some stretching back into antiquity.