I Am Not A Spy: An American Jew Goes Deep in the Arab World & Israeli Army

While in high school, Mr. Bassin had an opportunity to meet former Ambassador Dennis Ross. When asked what he could do to bring peace to the Middle East, Mr. Ross replied, 'Educate yourself as much as you can. Never doubt your own ability to influence the minds of others. You must get to know the parties on a personal level. Never forget that you don't make peace with friends.'And so begins Michael's odyssey into the Arab world. This liberal American Jew from Cincinnati, Ohio learns textbook Arabic while in college and starts a journey to Egypt during the summer of his junior year and continues onto Dubai for a semester to get to the heart of the Arab world and learn about their beliefs and aspirations. What he/we learn during his adventures is that antisemitism and anti-Israel feelings are alive and kicking and are not restricted to the uneducated masses, but permeate throughout the entire Arab society. While one might assume that college students would be open to intellectual and challenging dialog what one finds is a so-called intellectual elite of close-minded and superstitious individuals having been nurtured by intolerant religious ideology (acknowledged in this book as Saudi brand of Islam).What is Michael to do? He accepts this challenge and goes thru a gauntlet. He challenges his student/'friend' belief systems with logic. His student friends cannot believe a Jew is in their midst (he had told his parents he would never reveal his religious identity), a person not having blood dripping from his mouth or devilish horns emanating from his head. The students develop the preposterous theory that the only reason for Michael being in the Arab world is because he must be an Israeli spy! Of course if he were a spy, he probably would have taken a different name and religious cover, and would not demonstrate his Hebrew mastery. Michael's friends believe that his only salvation is to become a Moslem. He learns the Koran and and under an Islam cover is invited to speak about jihad in America in a mosque. He travels to South Lebanon (Hezbollah land) and Syria (where he smartly does not reveal his religious identity) to experience the mouth watering Jew hatred. But Michael DOES make some genuine friends and does break their insolated shell.From school Michael eventually moves to Israel and joins the Army. Thinking that his experiences in the Arab world and proficiency in Arabic would naturally land him a job in intelligence, once again he is perceived to be a spy! He ends up in a unit that covers the West Bank and makes use of his Arabic skill set, to the point he becomes a valued hero among both his Israeli soldier peers and Palestinian Arabs.This is simply a beautiful story. Fact is ALWAYS stranger than fiction...This book should be required reading for anyone who wants to truly learn about the MidEast, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the challenges we face to influence the region.

Light, humorous, and yet reveals fascinating insights into a part of the world that is rarely traversed by Westerners, let alone Zionist Jews. Michael's tale skillfully integrates instructional and historical/geopolitical tidbits which adequatly equip the reader to better understand the context of the experiences the progagonist experiences in an unfamiliar landscape. Unlike a purely historical or political novel, "I Am Not a Spy" is highly personal and interlaced with heavy use of character dialogue and humor which is what makes it so engaging. You learn quite a lot without even noticing since you're engrossed in the progression of Michael's adventure. Fun read!

Michael Bassin started out as a nice American Jewish boy whose good Jewish education inspired him to try to help the cause of peace in the Middle East. He thought that if he just met anti-Israel Arabs face to face and honestly, he could connect with them through their common humanity. So he enrolled for his junior year of college at the American University of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, where his classmates, wealthy young Muslims, kept accusing him of being a spy, even though he was open about being a Jew. He shares his failures and small victories in a wonderfully honest way. He is not all earnest; he has a wonderful sense of humor and even a mischievous streak, skillfully exposing the ironies and doublethink he encountered. In the second part of the book he reports that after returning to college and graduating, he made Aliyah to Israel and joined the Israeli Defense Forces. He describes his army experiences vividly, with a keen wit and an abiding awareness of the humanity of all involved. Even if you think you know all about the issue, his unique voice and views are worth your time.

This is one of the most entertaining books I have read in a long time and I read it in a breeze. The adventures of Michael in Arab countries where he went to study the Arabic language and to make Arab friends are described in very clear and simple language with little adornment. He makes friends and the traditions and misinformation of Arabs on Jews and of Jews on Arabs are mended at the human interface that Michael establishes. His knowledge of the language is carried on to his soldier life in the Israeli army. Michael proves that humans can learn to understand and trust each other but that the faulty education of the masses drowns the best intended personal initiatives.

I was very sorry when I finished the book for two reasons. One is that I enjoyed it so much that I wished it had been much longer. The second one is that I regretted that Amazon allows me to give only a maximum of five stars. In my opinion it deserves many more stars. It is an exciting book with fascinating insights into the long lasting never ending Israeli-Arab conflict.

Even if you have no personal stake of Middle Eastern geopolitics, I would consider this book a must-read. Michael's accounts of interactions with Arabs after they find out he's a Jew illustrate how deeply entrenched cultural mistrust can prevent positive relationships. The lessons of the book are not limited to untangling any Mideast conflict, and would be applicable to any source of prejudice. While reading this book, I spent a great deal of time thinking about how my surroundings may have imparted prejudicial beliefs in me, and how society helps reinforce prejudice in others. If we can learn to talk to people who we fear or mistrust, we can learn to live better side by side.

Very interesting and very enlightning. Not what I expected the book to be about. A very enjoyable read and a balanced insight to the troubles in the middle east.

Could hardly put this book down. The writer was obvious somewhat foolhardy, but the world would be a better place if there were more people like Michael.

When a book can make you laugh, shed the odd tear, leave you frustrated yet also optimistic, you know you’ve found a good story with terrific writing. For those who believe in simple solutions to the problems of the Middle East, this is a sobering account. For those that believe peace will never come, this will leave you with hope.A work of non-fiction, this account of the author’s time in the Arab world and then Israel reads more like an action-adventure. From one episode to the next, key insights are drawn while taking you on a roller coaster ride of optimism and pessimism. In the end, it’s perhaps a sad commentary that this book is so unique in that more interactions between peoples can only lead to better understandings. I hope this book encourages others to step out of their comfort zone (maybe not the extent the author has) and do the tough work that leads to mutual understanding.

Fascinating insight into the thinking and biases in the Arab world. Certainly essential reading for anyone planning to study or teach in UAE, Saudi Arabia and surrounding regions.