A Decade in Conflict: One Reporter's Shifting Perspective on Israel-Palestine
A Decade in Conflict: One Reporter's Shifting Perspective on Israel-Palestine
A Decade in Conflict: One Reporter's Shifting Perspective on Israel-Palestine
Steffi Hentschke, a German freelance reporter based in Tel Aviv, has documented her decade-long struggle with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a new book. Titled Sometimes I Just Want to Scream, it explores her shifting perspectives after years of engagement with the region. Her journey began in 2012, when she first visited Israel as a political science student. Hentschke’s connection to the conflict deepened through her work with the peace organisation IPCRI and later as a journalist. Over time, she encountered people who criticised both sides without succumbing to hatred—figures she chose to stand with in the conflict.
Her latest book takes readers across the region, presenting the Israeli occupation as a central barrier to peace. One pivotal moment came in May 2024, when she attended the funeral of Shani Louk, a 22-year-old German-Israeli woman kidnapped and killed by Hamas on 7 October 2023. Footage of Louk’s abduction had earlier shocked the world.
At the funeral, Louk’s father, Nissim, openly condemned Israel’s leadership for repeating past errors. The event marked another turning point in Hentschke’s long reflection on where her solidarity should lie. The book captures Hentschke’s evolving stance after years of reporting and personal encounters. It arrives amid ongoing violence and political deadlock in the region. Through her experiences, she offers a view of the conflict shaped by both criticism and empathy.