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Sandy Tolan, author of The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East, discusses his article “It’s the Occupation, Stupid” about how the encroachments on historic Palestine leave little room for a two-state solution; how Tolan’s extended research for his upcoming book gave him ample opportunity to observe daily life in the West Bank – and the omnipresent signs of occupation; the large percentage of Palestinian men who have spent time in Israeli jails; and the “musical intifada” at an Israeli checkpoint, where Mozart’s music brought a brief glimmer of hope to a desolate Palestinian town.

MP3 here. (29:52)

Sandy Tolan is author of The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East. He is associate professor at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California. He is at work on a new book, Operation Mozart, about music and life in Palestine. He blogs at ramallahcafe.com.