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Palestine-Israel Conflict: A Basic Introduction

Palestine-Israel Conflict: A Basic Introduction

by Gregory Harms (Author), ToddM.Ferry (Author)

  • Used

    Paperback 2005

    $5.85
Synopsis

This is Pluto's most accessible book yet on one of the most controversial conflicts of our time. This book walks the reader through the entire history of the region. It is ideal for undergraduates and the general reader alike. A historical cover spanning 2000 years, this first book offers a balanced, focused history of the conflict, complete with endnotes, suggested reading, and a secular explanation of the ancient eras. The Palestine-Israel conflict is the most notorious and ingrained conflict of the twentieth century. Yet the way it is reported in the media is often confusing: we are given little background information, so it is hard for the casual observer to understand the reasons behind the violence. Devoid of context, it is easy to think that this is an ancient conflict with its roots in ancient history. This is the first book to provide a clear, accessible introduction that covers the full 2000-year history of the region, from biblical times until today. Perfect for the general reader, as well as students, it offers a comprehensive yet lucid rendering of the conflict, setting it in its proper context. It shows how today's violence is very much a product of recent history, with its roots in the 20th century. The reader is guided through ancient Israel and Islam, and on through two world wars, before coming to a detailed account of the current situation. Each chapter contains notes for further reading.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
 Pages: 230
 Publisher: Pluto Press
Published: 20 Jul 2005
ISBN 10: 0745323782
ISBN 13: 9780745323787

Media Reviews
Gregory Harms' comprehensive, detailed, yet lively and readable account of the Arab-Israeli conflict and its antecedents, from ancient times until today, is a new and uniquely valuable resource. The book provides both essentials to those unfamiliar with the basic facts, and points of departure for challenging research for others seeking greater expertise. I have seen no other recent work that dispels persistent and misleading myths, such as that of the 'thousand-year violent conflict' and at the same time illuminates all important aspects of today's central Palestine-Israel dilemma and the related interstate issues between Israel and Arab and Muslim states and societies. The book is a tour de force in the depth and breadth of its research and in its clarity. -- John K. Cooley, veteran foreign correspondent and author on the Middle East.
Harms' is an indispensable, basic introduction to the topic of Zionism, going back in history to provide the essential background and carrying the account of the violence-wracked Arab-Jewish conflict to the present time. There is no better single volume, objective in every way as well as so informative, to equal it. -- Gabriel Kolko, Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus at York University in Toronto and author of Another Century of War?
This work, written with a relaxed informality that will allay the anxiety of readers who do not already know about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, is especially good at highlighting key issues. Sensitive to the perceptions and feelings of both Israelis and Palestinians, the book becomes increasingly detailed as its narrative reaches the contemporary conflict. It will be especially helpful to students and to adult readers with no prior knowledge of the Middle East in general or of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in particular. -- Arthur Goldschmidt Jr. Professor Emeritus of Middle East History at Penn State University and author of A Concise History of the Middle East
This book delves into the ancient history of Israel-Palestine. The Palestinian peasants under the Ottoman Empire did not register their land by themselves. Fearing taxation and conscription they left ownership to Arab and Turkish notables. When Zionist Jews started arriving in large numbers around 1900 they purchased the land from the registered owners and proceeded to farm it themselves using newly discovered agricultual methods that made the land much more productive. After World War I more Jews arrived and the violence began and continues to this day. -- Donald Epstein, History: Review of New Books
Freelance writer and researcher Harms rightfully asks, Where is someone to go and get a basic understanding of the most notorious conflict of the twentieth century? His brief but carefully written analysis, which offers clear definitions and deft explanations, significant but not lengthy details, and appropriate annotated suggestions for further reading, offers just that. Harms begins with the background history of the region, showing that Palestinians and Israelis share similar Canaanite origins; he then outlines the development of the peoples themselves through the Jewish Diaspora, the Islamic caliphates, and the emergence of nationalisms to WWII. He concludes with the controversial evolution of the conflict itself to the present time. The author cautiously notes, however, that the background survey merely introduces Arabs/Palestinians and Jews/Israelis, but that the actual conflict over the land is a recent national struggle, not a historical process. This superior and remarkably thorough, if brief, study of the Holy Land enigma is strongly recommended as an introduction. Summing up: Highly recommended. -- Choice
Author Bio
Gregory Harms is an independent scholar based in Chicago. He is co-author of the classic textbook The Palestine-Israel Conflict (Pluto, 2017) and author of Straight Power Concepts in the Middle East (Pluto, 2010). Todd M. Ferry is an archaeologist and historian. He received his MA in Syro-Palestinian Archaeology from the University of Chicago, and has worked as a supervisor at the sites of Ashkelon and Tel Beth Shemesh in Israel. He is the co-author of the classic textbook The Palestine-Israel Conflict (Pluto, 2017).