In the world's most conflict ridden zone - Israel and Palestine - there is a community of Maltese people who quietly but enthusiastically have been leaving a mark on the society torn by half a century of bloodshed.

They settled there in the 1960s and are now an ageing community. For this reason, author Clare Azzopardi, sociologist Nathalie Grima, and photographer Gilbert Grima travelled to the Holy Lands to document the journey of the Maltese Diaspora.

They interviewed 31 Maltese nuns, priests and laymen living in Israel and the Palestinian territories. The result is a light-hearted and enthusiastic account of people who lived a life in one of the most sensitive and strife-ridden territories in the world.

The idea of the book came about when His Excellency Simon Pullicino was first posted as an ambassador to Israel. As he travelled around the area to meet the Maltese community dotted around the Holy Land, he realised that the community was dwindling and that unless their lives and work were documented, their legacy would be lost forever. He discussed the idea with his counterpart in Ramallah, Dr Mark Pace - and they immediately started working on the project together. Apart from its chronicle value, the book is also a symbol of intercultural dialogue.

This work is probably the only such record for posterity of the work of the Maltese community in the Holy Land, described by HE Pullicino as "the true ambassadors of Malta".

Author Clare Azzopardi says that one of the things that struck them most during their fieldwork was the sense of adventure of all the Maltese living in the conflict thorn area.

"They have one thing in common, they were all open to a new culture, with all its fears and risks that come along with it," said Ms Azzopardi. However, they all stuck it out and grew to love the land more than their home country. "The elder ones of the community now all say that they want to die and be buried in the Holy Lands," she said.

Most of the nuns based in Israel and Palestine left Malta, when they were barely out of their teens in the 1960s. "In fact the move was often a cause a rift between them and their families. Their mothers often took it badly. We have to keep in mind that communication at the time was limited - once you left, you literally left your family behind," she said.  

The sense of vocation of these missionaries is palpable. Over the decades they believed in intercultural dialogue, and this helped them being accepted and respected in a 

society where the main religion is not Catholic.

This is a sumptuous 214-page large-size hardback, in full colour with fantastic photography and was sponsored by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, APS Bank and Merlin Publishers. It is a Melitensia collectors' items - which can be treasured for its amazing photography and for the unique snapshot it provides of the Maltese diaspora there.

The project L-Art tal-Kliem is available from all bookshops, or online directly from www.merlinpublishers.com