Book talks Jewish woman's WWI espionage, author talks Hamas war

I recently read a book titled A Tale of Love and Destiny written by my dear friend Barry Shaw, a British immigrant to Israel who lives with his wife in Netanya.

When one thinks about the war that Israel is fighting right now, I cannot think of a more appropriate book to read at this time. After the horrific attack on October 7, in which 1,200 innocent people in Israel were brutally slaughtered and over 240 hostages taken into Gaza by the Hamas terrorist regime, the nation of Israel has united now more than ever to fight this evil and prevail. 

A Tale of Love and Destiny “follows a beautiful young woman through an unsuccessful love affair and a failed marriage into the turmoil of war, heroism, and espionage. Based in Palestine during World War I, the dedication and courage of Sarah (Aaronsohn) helped pave the way for the creation of the Jewish state.” 

Shaw was co-founder of the Netanya Terror Victims Organization to help Israeli victims of Palestinian terror. He is also the International Public Diplomacy Director at the Israel Institute for Strategic Studies.

Shaw speaks and writes on the source of attacks against Israel and is an eloquent public diplomacy advocate for Israel. Israel Reclaiming the Narrative was Shaw’s well-received first book. His third book, BDS for IDIOTS, reached the number one spot on Amazon’s list of New Hot Releases. He also authored highly acclaimed books entitled 1917 and Fighting Hamas, BDS and Antisemitism (the first book that I read by Shaw, after which I reached out to him and we became friends). I recently had the chance to interview him about A Tale of Love and Destiny.

In your book, you write about the heroic life of Sarah Aaronsohn. What inspired you to write this book now?

I knew about the Aaronsohns as agricultural pioneers in pre-state Palestine and how Aaron created a spy network to provide the British with vital intelligence on Turkish and German troop movements ahead of the British-ANZAC invasion into Ottoman Palestine in World War One, but I was intrigued by the role that his sister, Sarah, played. So I delved into her life and discovered an independent young woman ahead of her time, at the same time both a headstrong and a dependable person when dedicated to a cause. I was dragged into her life story, full of love and passion, that went from the passion of a love affair to one of her love affair for her people that led her into danger by becoming the only woman to lead a major espionage network in warfare under the noses of the enemy and, of course, her courageous and tragic fate.

We are living in an age where intelligence gathering is essential to the nation of Israel’s survival. The life of Sarah and her heroic espionage was essential to the survival of Israel at the beginning of the 20th century. How can we apply her heroic story to modern times, especially pertaining to being a step ahead of our enemies whether it be Iran, Hamas, and every terrorist supporter that wants to harm us?

Sarah became a folk heroine. Her story was told in schools, causing many boys and girls to become courageous fighters for Israel, an example set by her and her friends who formed the Nili spy ring. In a way, she pioneered the Israeli intelligence agencies that have achieved so much for Israel. These covert operators and their remarkable exploits in uncovering the Palestinian terror networks to penetrate Iran’s nuclear secrets, and much more, have silently and secretly saved untold lives and are at the forefront of setting back Iran’s nuclear ambitions. It all began with Aaronsohn’s Nili network.

What lessons can we learn from the past as Israel fights for its survival to prevail against Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, Iran, and antisemitism that has spread worldwide in recent weeks?

Think of this, and this will be a central point of my Israeli and Jewish activism. During WW II when news seeped in that Jews were being slaughtered, the world was silent. When the horrors of the Holocaust were shockingly revealed, the antisemites went silent, shamed by the scale and horror of the mass murder of Jews. What happened immediately after October 7 was worse. The antisemites did not hide their shame. On the contrary, they took to the streets and the campuses to celebrate, and to affiliate themselves with the mass murderers and torturers of Jews. More shockingly, the epicenter of this Jew-hatred and celebration of dead Jews was in the Western world, from Australia to America. In Australia, the local and national governments declared themselves neutral as the mob chanted ‘Allahu Akbar! Gas the Jews!’ In America, the Biden administration ignored Jewish fears by implementing a new campaign to counter Islamophobia. The fear of the Jews increases as governments ignore them. Politically, they no longer have the political appeal of a growing Muslim and Islamic constituency for the selfish career interests of ambitious politicians. Israel has to win its battle against Hamas, and win it decisively, because only a strong and dominant Israel can give Jews in fear the protection they seek. The modern-day antisemites are worse than those of 1945. We live in dangerous times in which immorality reigns from Sydney via London to New York. With the kibbutzim devastated by their families being slaughtered and dragged off into Gaza, and with the fruit ripening in the orchards, a large group of Israeli bikers recently rode south to pick the fruit and give the kibbutzim a much-needed helping hand. This is the spirit of Israel. This is what the heroine Sarah gave her life for. 

Sarah Aaronsohn was a member of Nili, a ring of Jewish spies working for the British in World War I, and a sister of agronomist Aaron Aaronsohn. She is often referred to as the ‘heroine of Nili.’ What can future generations learn from the life of Sarah Aaronsohn? 

Sarah’s personal example of courage, dedication, and sacrifice is a story, a true story, that deserves to reach a global audience. It seems that TV series or movies with an Israeli theme, such as Fauda and Golda are winners. In my opinion A Tale of Love and Destiny is ready-made for either a blockbuster movie or a successful Netflix series. If any executive producer or screenwriter is looking for a successful project, I invite them to contact me at Barry Shaw <theviewfromisrael@gmail.com>. 

What do you think of Israel’s current war against Hamas, and how do you see the future of Gaza? 

Clearly, Gaza needs to be built from scratch. The rubble of its violent past has to be swept away, along with its ideology. It must not be mismanaged by those whose principles led to its ruin. It must be led by people rejecting its violent past, totally dedicated to making Gaza a better place to live rather than looking obsessively at territories they do not possess and never will. The Gaza project must be based on rejecting the intrusion of radical Islam and Palestinianism into the founding values of a new Gaza. These two ills would ultimately lead to a failed project. Instead, the new experiment should be incorporated into the spirit and fabric of the Abraham Accords. Let me make it clear. Not only should the PA have no role in governing a future Gaza, but neither should Israel. Israel, though, must have a commanding presence in the creation of a new Gaza. Following the October events, it has a vested interest in ensuring that the curse of Palestinianism will not strike again out of Gaza. The reconstruction of a new Gaza should be established by a regional board led by Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt, and the United States, and incorporating both the UAE and Bahrain into its management. In other words, an ‘Abraham Accords Reconstruction and Management Project’ leading to the new independent state of Gaza. A successful new Gaza can be an example to Palestinians living under their failed Ramallah leadership. In that future, Gazans can and will decide on their own whether they want to remain independent or join a confederation with either the PA, Israel, or both. A three-state solution is a far better vision than a half century two-state failure. A new Gaza heralds a new Middle East.  ■

The writer received his undergraduate degree in business (cum laude) from Yeshiva University and his MBA with double distinction from Long Island University. He is a financial adviser who resides in New York City and is involved in Israel-based and Jewish advocacy organizations.