The Book of Israela

Jerusalem 2002: the height of the second intifada. Kobi Benami is a middle-aged psychologist whose life is in shambles. His wife has thrown him out for his casual philandering; his daughter refuses to speak to him; and the new clinic director has placed him on probation for his indifferent work habits. At this desperate juncture Kobi gets a new patient Israela whose story is full of uncanny biblical references and whose powerful and enigmatic husband Y may or may not exist. Israela hasnt seen Y in months but she is being stalked by his prophet-like emissaries who span a wide spectrum of Israeli society--Orthodox to secular right-wing settlers to left-wing urban elites--united only in their harsh condemnation of Israela fierce devotion to Y and connection to The Outstretched Arm a sinister organization purported to be run by Y. As Kobi becomes ensnared in a surreal encounter with the anthropomorphized story of ancient Israel and increasingly preoccupied with questions about the nature and existence of Y he is forced to confront his own dysfunctional life patterns his familys tragic past and the endless war that rages around him.