This collection of three new essays - all based on talks delivered by Amos Oz - was written out of a sense of urgency, concern, and a belief that a better future is still possible. It touches on the universal nature of fanaticism and its possible cures; the Jewish roots of humanism and the need for a secular pride in Israel; and the geopolitical standing of Israel in the wider Middle East and internationally. These three pleas illuminate the argument over Israeli, Jewish and human existence, and Amos Oz sheds a clear and surprising light on vital political and historical issues, daring to offer new ways out of a reality that appears to be closed down.

Dear Zealots is a significant document that outlines Amos’s current thinking about the Middle East - urgent reading for anyone interested in the conflict.