A High Price: The Triumphs and Failures of Israeli Counterterrorism

by Daniel L. Byman

The product of painstaking research and countless interviews, A High Price offers a nuanced, definitive historical account of Israel's bold but often failed efforts to fight terrorist groups. Beginning with the violent border disputes that emerged after Israel's founding in 1948, Daniel Byman charts the rise of Yasir Arafat's Fatah and leftist groups such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine--organizations that ushered in the era of international terrorism epitomized by the 1972 hostage-taking at the Munich Olympics. Byman reveals how Israel fought these groups and others, such as Hamas, in the decades that follow, with particular attention to the grinding and painful struggle during the second intifada. Israel's debacles in Lebanon against groups like the Lebanese Hizballah are examined in-depth, as is the country's problematic response to Jewish terrorist groups that have struck at Arabs and Israelis seeking peace. In surveying Israel's response to terror, the
author points to the coups of shadowy Israeli intelligence services, the much-emulated use of defensive measures such as sky marshals on airplanes, and the role of controversial techniques such as targeted killings and the security barrier that separates Israel from Palestinian areas. Equally instructive are the shortcomings that have undermined Israel's counterterrorism goals, including a disregard for long-term planning and a failure to recognize the long-term political repercussions of counterterrorism tactics.

Genres: History, Middle East, Israel, Nonfiction, Terrorism, War, Politics

464 pages, Hardcover

First published May 4, 2011

Reviews

[Daniel]

This book gave me much better insight into the various Palestinian organizations and political trends than any work I'd read before. It gave much more understanding of what's different between the PFLP and the Fatah PLO and Hamas and Hezbollah, and how the different goals that Egypt and Jordan and Syria had from the 60s to the 90s changed the strategy and tactics. Also the author isn't afraid to point out places where Israel's tactics are not in line with its strategy, and where its goals seem to be chosen in a completely non-Genre-Savvy way.

[Patrick Belair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book, so much info hard to keep straight. Author did his homework.I liked it and in my opinion there will never be peace, to much hatred always be some one who wants something different.Even if someday the masses do!!

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long and detailed, and valuable for that, but has the same shortcomings it gives to IDF actions: focuses on the events and tactics, without giving enough air to longer term strategies and how those might have been helped and harmed by actions and planning.

A bit too willing to substitute official and analysts’ statements for truthful assessments.

Seems not to believe that peace is desirable to Palestinians as well, or perhaps better said, that the Palestinian people have any vested and communicable interest separate from the relatively small numbers involved in the conflicts. The nods it makes in that direction are generally of the most extreme kind, and slot this book into the “balanced” treatments that aren’t so very balanced.

Still, it is solid and packed with info.

[Adrian Fanaca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book full of real information from insider. I guess this guy has very high connections and his book was even cleared by the US government, so you'd better believe that what is written here is according to the official narrative of the West. I guess biased towards the Israeli, however the author tries to keep impartiality. Full of numbers of casualties after each major bombing, with lots of quotes from bosses of Mossad, Shin Bet or other secret police or army officers.

[Eli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of good insight into Israel’s war on terror and felt pretty well balanced politically.

[Jonathan Sweedler]

From Ezra Klein 10/31/23 - Zack Beauchamp - If not this, then what should Israel do

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have no doubts that Byman has accurately researched the historical actions of both Israel and Palestine over the past 60+ years. I struggle through epic behavior of both parties in their religious overtones - one group has a God who charges them with the responsibility of killing all infidels (superficially defined as those who don't agree with them) and the other group has a God who gave them that land millenniums ago. Neither one is too concerned with peace. It reminds me of the summarization of a book written by Newberg/Waldman entitled How God Changes Your Brain where one of the authors said one can only believe there is a God by faith and he hopes there is one while the other said he can't believe their is a God but if you can and that God gives you the strength to advance life through love, charity, and compassion then go for it. If that God is your reason to kill or make life miserable for others, he has a problem with it. I agree with that concept. So a 380 page book documenting the viability of The High Price is not the kind of message I need.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting read on the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts over the latter half of the 20th and early 21st centuries. However, if the reader is one that follows the news on a regular basis, then most of the content in the book isn't new, but more of a refresher with some added insight/commentary. Having said that, most people don't, so this book is a must read if one desires to understand Israel's basis for their domestic and foreign policy regarding terrorism. This book also gives some lessons as to how the United States could learn from Israel's successes and failures and apply them in the current situation in Afghanistan before we pull out and abandon a decade of work in that country.

Overall, this was a good read, but I would have liked more in depth descriptions of "Munich" style Mossad assassination attempts from the author. It would be interesting if he came out with an update with his take on the overwhelming success of the Iron Dome missile system in the future.

[Gabriel Schoenfeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daniel Byman's judgments of Israeli counterterrorism from the sidelines are both unduly harsh and contradictory. Throughout the decades of its existence, Israel has faced enemies determined to wipe it out and willing to use the most brutal attacks on civilians to accomplish that end. If Israel has failed to devise a strategy to solve its terrorist problem "once and for all," as Byman charges, that fact owes far more to the incorrigible character of its neighborhood than to the lack of a "long-term plan."

Byman may not have intended to, but the most powerful lesson he offers with "A High Price" is that there is no silver counterterrorism bullet. The very quest for a single solution, by diverting attention and energy away from more modest and difficult and tiresome measures, can have terrible consequences.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book, however I wouldn't purchase the audiobook version as the narration is terrible.

[Foxglove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read.