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In the second half of the fourth chapter, Coates leaves Susya and travels to Tel Aviv. He reflects on the creation of the Israeli estate as he describes historical events. He sees Israeli protesters and the image makes him think of democratic Israel, “which must exist in ‘that part of the world’ where child brides, chemical weapons, and bin Laden reign.” He notes that many of the Zionist events are made to mirror the United States, such as the phrase, “It’s 1776 in Palestine.” Coates references the 1958 novel Exodus, comparing the depiction of Arab people, savage and prone to rape, to that of Black people in the 1915 film Birth of a Nation. He discusses the treatment of Jewish “Displaced Persons” after World War II and how they were treated very poorly by the Allies. He then discusses the notion that the United States government, through changes to immigration, tried to keep such Displaced Persons from coming to America, the overall goal being to keep Jewish people in Eastern Europe and the Middle East “warring against natives and savages.”

Coates argues that violence against a lower caste is a rite of passage to join the Western nations. Using quotes from several different Israeli prime ministers, Coates asserts that the goal of Israel is to keep Palestinians as a small minority and to gain as much land as possible, with a minimum of Arab people on it.  

Coates next travels to the Old City Basin in Jerusalem. He comments that it has the largest concentration of holy sites for all Abrahamic religions. It also has a 20-to-1 ratio of Palestinians to Israelis. Coates travels to the adjacent City of David, which he refers to as an “archaeological amusement park.” The City of David contains an entertainment complex that has a 3D theater (with plans for a zipline and cable car) where Coates watches a video describing the archaeological discovery of the seat of King David. Coates states that, despite a lack of scientific evidence, Israel uses the potential connection to King David as evidence of Jewish nationhood going back to ancient tilmes Similar to his experience in Susya, Coates notes that places labeled as archaeological sites by Israel make it much easier to displace any Palestinians who live there. After leaving the City of David, Coates describes it as feeling fake.

Coates later returns to the Old City with a guide. On his previous visit, he entered as a Muslim through the Lion’s Gate and traveled around the city alone. On his second trip, he accompanies Alon Arad, an archaeologist, and enters through the Jaffa Gate, as a non-Muslim tourist. He states that he felt it was like entering a different city. He accompanies Arad to the Western Wall, one of the most holy sites for Jewish worshipers.

Coates recounts the history of the site, which was formerly known as the Moroccan Quarter, and had existed for more than 800 years. Previously, Jewish worshipers negotiated access with the Muslim rulers of Jerusalem. In 1967, when the IDF took over the Old City, they immediately bulldozed the Moroccan Quarter to create the current plaza before the Western Wall. He states that the destroying the Moroccan Quarter also effectively removed any competing claim to the space. Thinking about the loss of the Moroccan Quarter, Coates is reminded of sites of discrimination and violence in the United States (such as Rosewood and Tulsa). Arad tells Coates that the City of David made it extremely uncomfortable for Palestinians to live there. Coates is reminded of the monuments at the capital in South Carolina and describes the City of David’s story as a “slow but constant ethnic cleanse.”  

Before leaving, Arad shows Coates a plaque that stated the City of David was part of the bond between the United States and Israel. The plaque also has a quote from an American ambassador that declared the City of David “part of the glorious heritage of the United States.” Coates becomes overwhelmed and steps away to collect his thoughts. He tries to reconcile that the “use of archaeology, the destruction of ancient sites, the pushing of Palestinians out of their homes” had the sanction of the United States. Coates states, “This was not just another evil done by another state, but an evil done in my name.” 

After returning to the United States, Coates reflects on his time in Palestine. He tries to reconcile his time at Yad Vashem and the Israeli treatment of Palestinians. Coates examines the history of Israel’s connection to South Africa and states that despite Israeli leaders speaking out against the practice of apartheid, by 1970 Israel was the prime supplier of arms to South Africa. Coates remarks that the system currently within Israel is apartheid.

After Coates returned to America, he learned about Deir Yassin, a Palestinian town that was massacred by Zionist militias in 1948. The remnants of the town are near Yad Vashem. Coates also learns that the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem was built on the site of a Muslim cemetery. Coates describes feeling a sadness for Palestine. 

In the last part of the chapter, Coates visits a 91-year-old man in Chicago who lived in Deir Yassin when the militias destroyed it. The man tells Coates of his experiences and sadness that he cannot return to his home, even 76 years later. Coates describes how he no longer accepts the version of “Palestinian” that U.S. news sources depict. Coates discusses the need for writers, specifically authentic Palestinian voices, to write about Palestine. He sites 2020 study that says that less than two percent of published opinion pieces about Palestinans were written by Palestinian authors. Coates restates that the future Palestinian body of work “demands new messengers tasked, as are we all, with nothing less than saving the world.”

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