Israeli author says tensions in Middle East will worsen in 2007 Book parallels conflicts between civilizations

OMER, Israel — A new year usually arrives with hope for a better tomorrow. Unfortunately, some would say the future isn’t so bright for the Western World.

Dr. Kfir Luzzatto, author of “The Odyssey Gene” and a former officer with the Israeli Defense Force spokesman, said he expects the clashes between opposing civilizations and attacks by terrorist organizations to worsen in 2007.

“Israel will continue to be the outpost of the war on terror, but many other countries, such as France, who make efforts to appease radical Islam, don’t seem to realize how grave a menace it is to them,” said Luzzatto, who lives in Israel, only 35 miles from the Gaza Strip. “I expect more conflicts in the Middle East because terror groups are strengthened when they see that their ‘enemies’ are losing the will to fight and, instead, exhausting their energy in arguments among themselves.”

Luzzatto’s latest book, which parallels the current events in the Middle East, is a political commentary about western world politicians who sacrifice the welfare of their people to satisfy their own petty desires.

The author, who was discharged from the Israeli Army in 2005 with the rank of major, after 30 years of reserve duty, said many leaders turn the other cheek and are unwilling to confront issues such as Islamic terror that wants to bring an end to western ways.

“Dealing with the root of the problem requires long, difficult and unpopular efforts, so politicians try to live out the problem until it becomes the next guy’s problem,” said Luzzatto. “With each day and event, the problem becomes more and more difficult to deal with.”

That is also the case in Luzzatto’s “The Odyssey Gene,” in which two futuristic colonies collide over territory and the leaders of those camps are too concerned with themselves to acknowledge the severity of the issue.

Dr. Hsien Hsien Lei, a writer for Genetics & Health and editor of the Science and Health Channel, said “The Odyssey Gene” “eerily mirrors the current situation between Israel and Lebanon.” Rosalind Jackson, a book critic with Warpcore SF, agreed, saying, “It’s easy to see this story as an allegory of the Arab-Israeli conflict.”

To learn more about Luzzatto, his views and other books, visit www.theodysseygene.com, or call Bisson Barcelona at (603) 664-5776.