Jakub Szántó
Jakub Szántó (b. 1977) is a journalist and television reporter. He holds a Doctorate in Modern History from Charles University in Prague. He has covered many international crises for television, focusing primarily on the Middle East and Africa. Szántó is the holder of the Open Society Fund Prague’s Journalism Award (2014) and the Ferdinand Peroutka Award for journalism (2017). Drawing from over two decades of reporting, crowned by five years as a permanent correspondent in the Middle East, the author offers in his two books, Behind the Curtain of War and From Isratine with Love, an unorthodox view of the Israelite and Palestinian peoples– their lifestyle, culture, and history. This year, together with his Czech TV correspondents, he wrote Putin’s War, a unique chronicle of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
One of the best Czech reporters, who is also a historian, comments on the conflict in Gaza
Between the Millstones: Gaza and Her Story
by Czech TV Correspondent Jakub Szántó
March 2025, 336 pages
Available material: English synopsis
A report on the state of the country and its people, directly from the conflict zone
On October 7, 2023, a world already rocked by Russian aggression against Ukraine and global instability was further shaken by the unprecedented brutality of Palestinian Islamist attacks against Israel. This sparked a new war, the devastating impact of which fell mainly on Gaza and its 2.25 million inhabitants, making it the most destructive Arab-Israeli conflict to hit the small region of the southern Levant. Renowned Middle East correspondent and bestselling author Jakub Szántó follows in the footsteps of history to explore these events.
In a coastal area smaller than Prague, he delves into the roots of the vibrant cultural mix that has emerged amid the ruins of ancient civilizations, more recent empires, and the turbulent history of the last millennia. Drawing on extensive personal experience in times of both peace and war—and bolstered by numerous personal connections—he paints a portrait of a society celebrated for its unique character, resilience, and cohesion. Amid a period of intense social debate, the book offers an unbiased and insightful journalistic perspective.
