I have long been looking for a book that would provide a thorough and balanced history of the Israel-Palestine conflict. While I realize that is a tall order, I believe this book comes as close as what is humanly possible to telling a thoughtful, compelling, and fair version of the story. If you know nothing about the conflict, you will learn the story from this book. If you are well versed on the issue, you will appreciate the powerful prose and humbling perspective that will challenge the firmly-held beliefs of proponents on both sides. On the one hand, Israel is the only nation in the West that is occupying another people. On the other hand, Israel is the only nation in the West that is existentially threatened. Both occupation and intimidation make the Israeli condition unique. Both occupation and intimidation have become the two pillars of our condition. Most observers and analysts deny this duality. The ones on the left address occupation and overlook intimidation, while the ones on the right address intimidation and dismiss occupation. But the truth is that without incorporating both elements into one worldview, one cannot grasp Israel or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 19:43:30 +0000