Berlin Hosts Book Launch for Tuvia Tenenbom’s “What Do You Call This Land? Among the Settlers”
A presentation for the latest book by American-Israeli author Tuvia Tenenbom, *What Do You Call This Land? Among the Settlers*, was recently held in Berlin. The event took place at the New Synagogue on Oranienburger Straße, drawing a full house.
Released by the prestigious German publisher Suhrkamp, the title quickly secured a spot on the *Der Spiegel* bestseller list. To research the work, Tenenbom spent several months in the West Bank conversing with religious Zionists, ultra-Orthodox Jews, economic settlers, and local Arabs.
Eschewing the traditional political framing of the conflict, Tenenbom shifts his focus to the social and everyday realities of the region. He highlights the individuals living at the epicenter of the territorial dispute, exploring their motives, daily routines, and internal contradictions—free from conventional media stereotypes.
Organizing the book tour in Germany, however, was fraught with challenges. In May, Tenenbom held an online meeting with representatives of the Israeli organization Im Tirtzu, which provoked protests from left-wing and pro-Palestinian activists, including the Gaza Committee. Consequently, several venues canceled his scheduled appearances, and one moderator publicly stepped down, labeling Tenenbom’s interviewees “fascists.”
In the fall of 2025, Tenenbom also ended his long-standing collaboration with the German newspaper *Die Zeit*, where he had been a contributor for over 17 years. The rupture occurred after the editorial board refused to publish his review of the film *No Other Land*, citing the ongoing events in Gaza.
Ultimately, the Berlin Jewish Community stepped in to host the book launch. Actress Naomi Krauss delivered a brilliant on-stage reading of excerpts from the work. Tenenbom later posted a photograph of the packed auditorium on social media, describing it as the ultimate response to attempts at censorship.
