Ten Books and Ten Movies Set in Israel
This was a tough list to put together and I’ll be the first to admit that I might have gotten it wrong. Israel is a complicated country with both a long and a short history depending on how you look at it (Israel as most of us know it did not exist until 1948). There’s a lot of political strife there’s a lot of personal passions, so it’s hard to find books and movies that are unbiased and/or that don’t seem to “take a side.”
I’ve visited Israel and I found it to be a surprisingly spiritual place (I really was surprised at how much it touched me) with beautiful scenery, a fascinating blend of old and new, and an intriguing mix of cultures and religions co-existing in a clearly delicate way.
Many of these books and movies are heavy and there is a heaviness to Israel…but there is also a lightness–you just have to understand the heaviness to find the light.
Ten Books about Israel
Author: Amos Oz
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir
Places Featured: Jerusalem, Israel
Amos Oz is one of Israel’s most well-known authors–he’s written over 40 books including novels, children’s books, short story collections and this biography/memoir about his childhood in Jerusalem, focusing on his mother’s struggle with depression and ultimate suicide. The book was also made into a movie, included below.
Author: Leon Uris
Genre: Fiction, Historical
Places Featured: Israel
Although it’s actually fiction, Exodus is based on the true story of how Israel became an independent country–as you can imagine, there’s a lot to the story. It’s important to note that many see this book as anti-Arab or anti-Palestinian, so it may not be the most accurate representation. It was also made into another popular movie mentioned below.
Israel is Real: An Obsessive Quest to Understand the Jewish Nation and Its History
Author: Rich Cohen
Genre: Nonfiction, Historical
Places Featured: Israel
Israel is Real is another attempt to capture the history, creation and reality for the Jewish people and Israel. It’s also sweeping and full of information, so might be a lot for newcomers to the religion and the history, but many enjoy Cohen’s storytelling.
My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel
Author: Ari Shavit
Genre: Nonfiction, Historical, Biography/Memoir
Places Featured: Israel
My Promised Land might be a more accessible version of Israel’s history for those new to exploring the country’s complex history. Ari Shavit weaves personal stories into the story of Israel’s history
O Jerusalem: A Novel of Suspense featuring Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell
Author: Laurie R. King
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Crime/Mystery
Places Featured: Jerusalem, Israel
While learning about the complex history of Israel is important to understanding the country, we also wanted to include something for those who aren’t necessarily fans of nonfiction. This is the fifth book in a series from Laurie King about crimesolver Mary Russell…and her husband Sherlock Holmes. In this novel, the duo travel to British-occupied Palestine (it’s set in 1918) to solve a rash of murders.
Promised Land: A Novel of Israel
Author: Martin Fletcher
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Drama
Places Featured: Israel
I know: finally, a book that isn’t all about the creation of Israel. It’s the fictional story of two brothers who lived through Nazi Germany (one by being sent to the U.S. and one by actually living through a concentration camp) and reunite in the new nation of Israel only to find themselves in love with the same woman.
The Lemon Tree: An Arab, A Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East
Author: Sandy Tolan
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir, Historical, Drama
Places Featured: Israel
Sandy Tolan is a journalist who traveled to Israel and the West Bank to find a story about two families from different sides who were linked by the region’s history–he found just that in the story of Palestinian Bahsir al-Khairi and Israeli Dalia Eshkenazi who are linked by a lemon tree. It’s a well-researched story, but also an enjoyable read.
The Seven Good Years: A Memoir
Author: Etgar Keret
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir
Places Featured: Israel
A collection of short stories, The Seven Good Years is Etgar Keret’s memoir about the seven years between the birth of his son and the death of his father. While it takes place in Israel and there are parts of the story that make that very clear (his son is born during a terrorist attack on the city), his story is relatable to anyone dealing with life and family and grief and joy.
Author: James Michener
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Drama
Places Featured: Israel
As with all James Michener novels (the guy’s a great storyteller and good researcher), The Source is a dramatic saga focused on an archaeological dig in Israel that actually tells a story about religion, God, and the Jewish people. It’s long, but it’s informative and covers a lot.
Author: David Grossman
Genre: Fiction, Drama
Places Featured: Israel
Israel has a conscription military meaning that all Israeli citizens over the age of 18 must serve in the Israeli military. Although it is part of life there, it is still a struggle–David Grossman explores this struggle in this story about Ora, a mother whose son is deployed, and set out on a hike with her former lover, Avram.
Honorable Mention Books Set in Israel:
Pinnacle Lust by Michelle Dim-St. Pierre
The Bethelehem Murder Series (Omar Yussef Mysteries) by Matt Rees
The People of Forever are Not Afraid by Shani Boianjiu
Bonus Children’s Books Set in Israel:
One City, Two Brothers: A Story from Jerusalem by Chris Smith
Hare and Tortoise Race Across Israel by Laura Gehl
Ten Movies Set in Israel
Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Drama, Historical
Places Featured: Israel
Based on the novel by Leon Uris included above, Exodus is the sweeping epic film starring Paul Newman about how 600 Jewish refugees fled Cyprus to Palestine on a ship called the Exodus to begin the new Israeli state. It isn’t quite as anti-Arab and anti-British as the book, but it certainly takes a side and is believed to have been very influential in shaping American sentiments. Watch it and appreciate it for a film with cultural influence on the 1960s.
Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Comedy, Historical
Places Featured: Israel
Sallah Shabati is a Jewish immigrant arriving to Israel with his wife and family (seven children!) looking for a better life…although he isn’t quite willing to do the hard work necessary, so he schemes and plots to try to make the money his family needs. It’s an interesting example of what life was like for Jewish immigrants. Fun fact: this is the film that first brought Chaim Topol (of Fiddler on the Roof fame) to the world.
Rating: G
Genre: Drama, Historical, Musical, Religion/Spiritual
Places Featured: Israel
I debated on actually including this one, because although it was filmed in Israel (with many recognizable sights), Jesus Christ Superstar isn’t actually *about* Israel. It’s a musical about the final days of Jesus’s life based on a rock opera with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. As you can imagine, any attempt to tell this story (especially with rock music) has some people who love it and some people who hate it.
Rating: PG
Genre: Musical, Romance
Places Featured: Israel
Another musical based on a play–this one has gone through a few different variations to end up with this movie. First, it was a dramatic play (called Casablan), then a dramatic movie (also called Casablan), then a musical play, then eventually this film which as been described as “a cross between Jesus Christ Superstar, Fiddler on the Roof, and West Side Story.” Some don’t like the stereotypes used in the movie for laughs.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Places Featured: Israel
A band from the Egyptian police force travel to Israel to play at the grand opening of an Arab arts center…it isn’t quite that easy, though, and the group finds itself in a small (fictional) town in the middle of the Negev Desert. It’s a funny meaningful look at cultural differences in a country where there are a lot of cultural differences.
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama, Religion/Spirituality
Places Featured: Tel Aviv, Israel
Fill the Void tells the story of Shira Mendelman, an 18-year-old girl in the Haredi Jewish community (often considered “ultra-Orthodox’), who is being pressured to marry her sister’s husband after her sister died during childbirth, so she is torn between her sense of familial duty and what she really wants. The story is told with compassion and honesty.
Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Documentary
Places Featured: Jaffa, Israel
Pierre Dulaie is a well-known dancer and instructor who was born in Jaffa to an Irish father and a Palestinian mother. In 1994 he founded the Dancing Classrooms program and invented the “Dualine Method” to encourage children to bridge differences through dance. He takes this program to his native Jaffa in this film–a testament to the beauty of dance and peace.
A Tale of Love and Darkness (2016)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Military & War
Places Featured: Jerusalem, Israel
A Tale of Love and Darkness was a special project for super-star Natalie Portman–it was her directorial debut, it took her eight years to the write the script and she played the main role. Based on the memoir by Amos Oz, as described above, it’s a complex and powerful story–some say it was too much to fit into a two-hour movie, but the beautiful cinematography makes it worth it.
Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Drama
Places Featured: Israel
Set in a Bedouin village in the Negev Desert, Sand Storm is about the challenges two women face when trying to balance love and family in their traditional household. Don’t look for wan exciting film, but a thoughtful look at reality for many women.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Historical, Romance
Places Featured: Israel
Based on a true story, An Israeli Love Story is the story of a young woman falling in love with a young man set against the dramatic events that created the state of Israel. Knowing that it’s a true story makes it even more powerful.
Honorable Mention Movies Set in Israel:
Bonus Children’s Movies Set in Israel:
