Blood Brothers

Told through the eyes of Elias Chacour, a Christian brought up during the Jewish–Palestinian conflict in the 1940s, Blood Brothers shows that friendship can come from conflict and hope can come from oppression.

Blood Brothers sketches the life and spiritual journey of Elias Chacour, a Palistinian born and raised near Galilee in the small village of Biram. During his childhood, Chacour’s mother enriched his life with stories of Jesus, specifically the Beatitudes, and his father taught him history, family history in particular. Struggling to make sense of the Beatitudes and their innate conflicts, Chacour settled on “Blessed are the peacemakers,” which eventually became his life motto.
Set during the well-documented conflict of the Middle East, Blood Brothers tells a story often overlooked: the story of the Palestinians. The children of Ishmael, Palestinians suffered at the hands of the Jews, the Zionists resettling Palestine in particular. Chacour shares how at the age of seven, his world was turned upside down and his Christianity challenged in ways he never thought possible. Struggling to understand the suffering of his Palestinian people, Chacour followed his dream to be educated and become a minister. His story is one of conflict, pain, rejection and reconciliation.
“As a boy I had been so little aware of events outside our secluded hills. But major decisions had already been made by nations far more powerful than ours—decisions that would soon leave us without a homeland or an identity (page 45).” Modern Israel birthed out of severe conflict and misunderstanding. Chacour outlines his love for his Jewish brothers, the sons of Abraham, and his own people, the misrepresented Palestinians. Bringing “peacemaking” into reality, Blood Brothers will challenge you to ask yourself tough questions as you see a deep picture of history and the behind-the-scenes account of the Middle East. Is peace really possible in the chaos of our modern world? Chacour believed it was and made it a reality in his own life as he followed in the footsteps of the ultimate Man, Jesus.
Blood Brothers
Elias Chacour,
Chosen Books, 2003, 238 pages.