The irony of coexistence
There are battles in Palestine throughout the book, especially during the Three Week War in Gaza, and the battles are always heartbreaking, horrifying, and violent. Meanwhile, Abuelaish is already coexisting with the Israelites. The pregnant women near the battlefields come to Abuelaish to deliver their babies, and he always helps them and treats them with the utmost respect. He treats the birth of a Jewish child has a gift from God, and he celebrates all life. Some people think that peace in Palestine is impossible, but Abuelaish is already doing it.
The irony of arbitrary divides
Which of these religions is Dr. Abuelaish obeying by his love for all people and his respect for the divine value of human life, Islam, Judaism, or Christianity? The answer, of course, is that all three of those religions clearly advocate for peace among the nations, and yet, the warfare in Palestine is presumably religious in nature. Ironically, it seems the only deeply religious man in the story is Abuelaish, and all the people doing terrorist warfare in the name of their religion have misunderstood or misrepresented what their religion teaches.
The irony of babies born during wartime
There is situational irony in the novel when Abuelaish helps to deliver Jewish babies, first of all because the babies are actually the enemy's children (but Abuelaish does not believe in enemies, so he helps them). Secondly, the juxtaposition between warfare (people dying) and childbirth (new people being born). These ironies are deeply religious and existential in flavor.
The irony of forgiveness
When tank fire kills Abuelaish's daughters, he does his best to forgive the people who killed them. Instead of joining the army and seeking vengeance, he does what he firmly committed to do as a pacifist: he does not retaliate whatsoever. Instead he moves his remaining children to Canada and begins a new life there, free from the terror and tragedy of war.
The irony of a single dad
Abuelaish has eight children, three of whom died in 2009 as the story tells, but he is also an ironic character before that happens. When his wife dies of cancer, he becomes a single father of eight. To make matters worse, he lives in Gaza during wartime. Yet, as a man, this single father of eight living in the Gaza strip is able to succeed in his career as a voice of reason and as a doctor. Whatever ethical guidelines are leading Dr. Abuelaish in this book, they seem to be working, and it's highly ironic that someone should succeed at a life so challenging.
