Alena Jabarine | Der letzte Himmel

Colourful scoops of ice cream, sweet juices, long balmy nights with chirping crickets – nestled in the security of a large family. These are the images that characterise Alena Jabarine’s memories of her childhood summers. Less than 20 kilometres separate her grandparents’ house – which is located in present-day Israel – from the occupied Palestinian territory. As a child, she had only an inkling that an initially invisible border divided this country into two worlds – with major differences in terms of rights, life expectancy, and status in the eyes of the world.

In 2020, Jabarine moved to Ramallah in order to understand what ‘Palestine’ means: for the people on one side of the wall, and for those on the other. And also for her own identity. In her book, she tells stories of humanity and joie de vivre, but also of resistance. Stories that help us to understand the reality in Israel and Palestine.

The Spiegel bestseller ‘Der letzte Himmel’ (‘The Last Heaven’) was published by Ullstein Verlag in May 2025.