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Arabs and Israelis: Conflict and Peacemaking in the Middle East
Thoughtful and innovative in its approach, this textbook provides a balanced overview of one of the most protracted and bitter struggles of modern the Arab-Israeli conflict. It sets out to relay basic information on the evolution of the conflict and explore the efforts to resolve it, and then goes on to portray the differing perspectives of each of the important parties. Written by a distinguished team of leading scholars, the book outlines key developments in the history of the conflict without imposing propagandistic ideas. It places the events of the conflict within a regional and international context, making it an invaluable insight into the opposing narratives that have fuelled the conflict for so long.
This is essential reading for students, academics and policy-makers wishing to understand the history and politics of the Arab-Israeli conflict and its pivotal role in the Middle East, and will be sure to enlighten those who are new to what is considered to be a highly contentious subject, as well as encourage critical thinking and discussion.
This is essential reading for students, academics and policy-makers wishing to understand the history and politics of the Arab-Israeli conflict and its pivotal role in the Middle East, and will be sure to enlighten those who are new to what is considered to be a highly contentious subject, as well as encourage critical thinking and discussion.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published November 22, 2013
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1552 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 22, 2019
A very balanced review of the conflict. Balanced because the authors come from different perspectives. Each time period covered, from the 19th century to the Arab Spring is presented in a number of ways: a general introduction followed by Palestinian, Arab, and Israeli perspectives of the same events. In addition these are placed in different contexts: internal politics, international influences and the role of political/military leaders.
I gave it 4 stars only because it hasn't been brought up to date. I wish that there was a 4.5 star option.
Very worthwhile for any student of the Arab-Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
I gave it 4 stars only because it hasn't been brought up to date. I wish that there was a 4.5 star option.
Very worthwhile for any student of the Arab-Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Read
October 19, 2023Bone dry briefs on history followed by three analyses: Israeli narrative, Palestinian narrative, and Arab narrative, often further broken down (e.g. Egyptian vs Syrian narrative). About as exhaustive wrt to analyses as one book can get, feels useful for understanding the different angles that pop up on historical mentions in the natural world of media. Like an encyclopedia of takes.
June 7, 2016
Every imaginable perspective on the Arab Israeli conflict from 1880 to ~ 2010. This book goes into detailed analysis of all the parties involved in every major issue, very dense, slow reading. But if you want to know the whole story, this will do the heavy lifting for you.
May 23, 2016
This is a textbook, so it's very dense, but it's very well written and helpful. Every chapter includes a narratives section, explaining viewpoints from Palestinians, Israelis, Arabs, and others.
November 1, 2024
This book is a bit of a slog to get through. After all it is essentially a graduate school level textbook; however, if you want a balanced detailed objective analysis with a three sided view (Israeli, Palestinian, and Arabic) of the Arab-Israeli conflict, this is the book for you.
August 6, 2025
One year later 😅 This was a doozy. Very dense. I’m definitely not going to retain everything, by a long shot. But it’s still a very helpful intro to a lot of factors and events in the conflict of which I had no concept before reading.
September 9, 2025
Arabs and Israelis: Conflict and Peacemaking in the Middle East is a rare achievement: a rigorous, tri-national inquiry that distills a century of upheaval into a framework readers can actually use. Co-authored by Abdel Monem Said Aly, Shai Feldman, and Khalil Shikaki—Egyptian, Israeli, and Palestinian scholars—the book is less a single narrative than a disciplined architecture for holding competing narratives together without flattening their differences. Its core choice is methodological, not ideological: set the main perspectives side by side, explore the logic and fears behind each, and let clarity emerge from comparison rather than judgment.
That approach pays off. What is often grouped as a single “conflict” is broken down into separate issues—refugees, borders, Jerusalem, security, state-building—each with its own history, stakeholders, and veto players. The result is a clear map of how the parties often talk past each other. For Israelis, borders are tools for risk management and verification; for Palestinians, they are a way to express recognition and dignity; for Arab states, they also serve domestic legitimacy and regional rivalry. The book doesn't erase disagreement but dissects it, showing where interests can be exchanged and where they are fundamentally incompatible.
The chronological backbone is straightforward but effective. Early chapters quickly cover late Ottoman unrest, imperial division, and the key wars of 1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973. Mandatory Palestine is presented not as a simple imperial trick but as a series of wartime promises and strategic moves that couldn’t be fully aligned. The 1948 war is examined fairly—covering military actions, political context, and human displacement—to replace mythology with a more detailed understanding of decision-making and outcomes. The most compelling part traces how military results shaped diplomacy: 1967 turned borders into bargaining chips; 1973 revitalized Egyptian agency and led to Camp David; the pressure from the first intifada made Oslo possible.
From history, the book moves into thematic analysis. Chapters focus on refugees, Jerusalem’s layered sovereignty, Palestinian institutions, Israeli security policies, and Arab state priorities. These are organized around a three-part view: what each side perceives, fears, and might concede. This structured approach is a hallmark. Timelines, maps, tables, document excerpts, and contrasting negotiating positions make the analysis accessible and useful for students, journalists, and policymakers. The prose stays straightforward—more like a matrix than poetic—avoiding slogans and emphasizing process: 1967 lines, confidence-building measures, final-status issues.
Peacemaking as a craft is where the analysis really shines. The authors unpack deals as strategic exchanges, the choreography of third-party mediation, and the design of security setups. Camp David and the Egyptian-Israeli treaty are used as examples of different needs: Israel wanted strategic depth, early warning, and verification; Egypt wanted territory back and a shift from war. Oslo receives a nuanced look—it was imperfect but genuine, creating a platform for two-state talks embedded in international support—though its deliberate ambiguities on borders, refugees, and Jerusalem left room for spoilers. Settlement expansion and suicide bombings are seen as intertwined triggers of mistrust, without falling into cynicism.
External actors are included thoughtfully. U.S. policies are shown not as unchecked control but as choices influenced by domestic politics, presidential priorities, and broader strategic interests. Surges of activity—Kissinger’s shuttle diplomacy, Carter’s summitry, Clinton’s marathon efforts—are contextualized within regional calculations in Cairo, Damascus, and Amman. The account is clearest where Arab interests diverge: Egypt’s national aims differ from Syria’s; Jordan’s interest in stability contrasts with Iraq’s revolutionary stance. Non-Arab actors and shifts—Iran’s shadow conflict, Turkey’s reemergence, Gulf diversification, the 2020 Abraham Accords—are discussed with care, alongside a reminder that normalization can sometimes sideline Palestinian claims.
A recurring theme is asymmetry. Israel negotiates from a position of sovereign strength but faces serious security threats and international scrutiny; Palestinians negotiate from weakness but hold a veto because their approval is vital for any deal; Arab states fluctuate between support and national interests. The authors don’t romanticize equality that does not exist. Instead, they explore how agreements can be structured to be acceptable internally—because deals that can’t be sold at home tend to fail.
The discussion of final goals is cautious. A two-state solution remains the main option aligned with global support, but the authors acknowledge that geography, politics, and trust have made it harder to achieve. Alternatives—confederations, shared sovereignty, managed separation—are seen as different approaches rather than fundamental changes, each requiring strong institutions, mutual support, and secure enforcement. Managing the conflict this way may seem like settling, not solving; the book resists hopelessness but avoids idealism.
Some limitations reflect the strengths. The focus on documented facts sometimes softens the human side—the daily struggles, personal stories, and social realities under occupation, siege, or threat. The emphasis on states and security can overlook social movements, cultural identities, and religion; Islamism is mostly viewed as a political force, not a social landscape. Coverage of regional non-Arab influences—Turkey’s assertiveness, Gulf diversification, Iran-Israel tensions—is lighter than the Arab-Israeli core. The sober tone, while clear, might feel dry to some, risking the larger picture getting lost among diplomatic details.
Yet, the book is not emotionless. Personal stories and primary voices ground the issues: a Palestinian diary from 1948, an Israeli civilian under rocket fire, a Jordanian diplomat recalling treaty negotiations. A chapter on narrative wars emphasizes how memory—the Holocaust, the Nakba—can deepen grievances or, when honestly acknowledged, create space for dialogue. Another chapter highlights grassroots peace efforts—joint projects and youth dialogues—showing that beneath formal diplomacy, human connections endure. These moments remind us that policies are rooted in human lives.
That approach pays off. What is often grouped as a single “conflict” is broken down into separate issues—refugees, borders, Jerusalem, security, state-building—each with its own history, stakeholders, and veto players. The result is a clear map of how the parties often talk past each other. For Israelis, borders are tools for risk management and verification; for Palestinians, they are a way to express recognition and dignity; for Arab states, they also serve domestic legitimacy and regional rivalry. The book doesn't erase disagreement but dissects it, showing where interests can be exchanged and where they are fundamentally incompatible.
The chronological backbone is straightforward but effective. Early chapters quickly cover late Ottoman unrest, imperial division, and the key wars of 1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973. Mandatory Palestine is presented not as a simple imperial trick but as a series of wartime promises and strategic moves that couldn’t be fully aligned. The 1948 war is examined fairly—covering military actions, political context, and human displacement—to replace mythology with a more detailed understanding of decision-making and outcomes. The most compelling part traces how military results shaped diplomacy: 1967 turned borders into bargaining chips; 1973 revitalized Egyptian agency and led to Camp David; the pressure from the first intifada made Oslo possible.
From history, the book moves into thematic analysis. Chapters focus on refugees, Jerusalem’s layered sovereignty, Palestinian institutions, Israeli security policies, and Arab state priorities. These are organized around a three-part view: what each side perceives, fears, and might concede. This structured approach is a hallmark. Timelines, maps, tables, document excerpts, and contrasting negotiating positions make the analysis accessible and useful for students, journalists, and policymakers. The prose stays straightforward—more like a matrix than poetic—avoiding slogans and emphasizing process: 1967 lines, confidence-building measures, final-status issues.
Peacemaking as a craft is where the analysis really shines. The authors unpack deals as strategic exchanges, the choreography of third-party mediation, and the design of security setups. Camp David and the Egyptian-Israeli treaty are used as examples of different needs: Israel wanted strategic depth, early warning, and verification; Egypt wanted territory back and a shift from war. Oslo receives a nuanced look—it was imperfect but genuine, creating a platform for two-state talks embedded in international support—though its deliberate ambiguities on borders, refugees, and Jerusalem left room for spoilers. Settlement expansion and suicide bombings are seen as intertwined triggers of mistrust, without falling into cynicism.
External actors are included thoughtfully. U.S. policies are shown not as unchecked control but as choices influenced by domestic politics, presidential priorities, and broader strategic interests. Surges of activity—Kissinger’s shuttle diplomacy, Carter’s summitry, Clinton’s marathon efforts—are contextualized within regional calculations in Cairo, Damascus, and Amman. The account is clearest where Arab interests diverge: Egypt’s national aims differ from Syria’s; Jordan’s interest in stability contrasts with Iraq’s revolutionary stance. Non-Arab actors and shifts—Iran’s shadow conflict, Turkey’s reemergence, Gulf diversification, the 2020 Abraham Accords—are discussed with care, alongside a reminder that normalization can sometimes sideline Palestinian claims.
A recurring theme is asymmetry. Israel negotiates from a position of sovereign strength but faces serious security threats and international scrutiny; Palestinians negotiate from weakness but hold a veto because their approval is vital for any deal; Arab states fluctuate between support and national interests. The authors don’t romanticize equality that does not exist. Instead, they explore how agreements can be structured to be acceptable internally—because deals that can’t be sold at home tend to fail.
The discussion of final goals is cautious. A two-state solution remains the main option aligned with global support, but the authors acknowledge that geography, politics, and trust have made it harder to achieve. Alternatives—confederations, shared sovereignty, managed separation—are seen as different approaches rather than fundamental changes, each requiring strong institutions, mutual support, and secure enforcement. Managing the conflict this way may seem like settling, not solving; the book resists hopelessness but avoids idealism.
Some limitations reflect the strengths. The focus on documented facts sometimes softens the human side—the daily struggles, personal stories, and social realities under occupation, siege, or threat. The emphasis on states and security can overlook social movements, cultural identities, and religion; Islamism is mostly viewed as a political force, not a social landscape. Coverage of regional non-Arab influences—Turkey’s assertiveness, Gulf diversification, Iran-Israel tensions—is lighter than the Arab-Israeli core. The sober tone, while clear, might feel dry to some, risking the larger picture getting lost among diplomatic details.
Yet, the book is not emotionless. Personal stories and primary voices ground the issues: a Palestinian diary from 1948, an Israeli civilian under rocket fire, a Jordanian diplomat recalling treaty negotiations. A chapter on narrative wars emphasizes how memory—the Holocaust, the Nakba—can deepen grievances or, when honestly acknowledged, create space for dialogue. Another chapter highlights grassroots peace efforts—joint projects and youth dialogues—showing that beneath formal diplomacy, human connections endure. These moments remind us that policies are rooted in human lives.
May 29, 2025
I bought this book after the 7 October 2023 attacks due to my lack of understanding of the subject and all the questions I was receiving from my coworkers that I could not answer. This book was written by three professors, one Israeli, one Palestinian, and one Egyptian. Originally they taught a class together on the subject, and were encouraged to publish a textbook. The book does its best to not inject bias into the explanation of what has happened in the 120 years of the conflict. Starting with immigration during the Ottoman Empire and ending in 2022 it looks at first what events happened during each period of the conflict, the narratives that each side had, the leaders involved, and the international, regional, and domestic influences on those events. Overall the book is extremely informative and eye opening to how each sides thinks and feels. The book though does in no way address solutions to the conflict leaving the reader to build their own based on the facts. The only reason I give this book four starts instead of five is due to much of the information repeating itself in a chapter, most likely due to the separate professors writing the different sections. it can feel repetitive at times and could be tightened up in the third edition, but that repetitiveness can also help drive home certain ideas as well. Either way I recommend it for anyone wanting to better understand the full history of the conflict with a multi-faceted point of view.
July 27, 2025
While serving as a textbook, "Arabs and Israelis: Conflict and Peacemaking in the Middle East" is still a very worthwhile read for anyone looking to learn about the Arab-Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Contrary to popular narratives, the textbook does not cast the Palestinians as innocent bystanders abused by the Israelis or terrorists, nor are the Israelis bloodthirsty, genocidal killers or innocent people who have done nothing wrong. Rather, each group is portrayed as a valid, serious party, with strengths and flaws, positives and negatives. The book accomplishes this by spending less time on the details of the conflict, and more on the opposing narratives, taking each party at their word. It's a refreshing centrist take in a world where the most extreme voices are often the loudest.
November 22, 2024
Thank you, iCenter, for turning me on to this book. It gives the history of the Arab/Israeli and then Israel/Palestine conflict from three points of view: the Israeli (or pre-state Zionist), the Palestinian (or pre-state Arab Palestinian), and the larger Arab world. Each chapter covers a discrete time period.
The facts are presented in a dispassionate manner; many important documents and biographies of major figures are provided, and then each of the three points of view are described in great detail but with no conclusions drawn about whose view is right. Tons of footnotes to relevant documents not included. So well done!
The facts are presented in a dispassionate manner; many important documents and biographies of major figures are provided, and then each of the three points of view are described in great detail but with no conclusions drawn about whose view is right. Tons of footnotes to relevant documents not included. So well done!
July 10, 2025
A truly essential read for anyone trying to understand one of the most complex and emotionally charged conflicts of our time. What makes this book so valuable is its balanced presentation of three distinct perspectives - Israeli, Palestinian, and broader Arab. It doesn't force conclusions on you but arms you with historical context, competing narratives, and deep insight so you can draw your own.
Reading this in the wake of October 7 and its aftermath, it feels like watching a long-smoldering fire suddenly erupt. The book helps you understand not just the flames, but the fuel - why the fire has been burning for so long. Vital for anyone who seeks more than just headlines.
Reading this in the wake of October 7 and its aftermath, it feels like watching a long-smoldering fire suddenly erupt. The book helps you understand not just the flames, but the fuel - why the fire has been burning for so long. Vital for anyone who seeks more than just headlines.
May 7, 2024
First off: I admit I did not finish this. Dense. Heavy. But full of information, and things I needed to learn. After two, separate loans, facilitated by my ILL department, I am throwing in the towel. But what I did learn was worth the time.
I majored in "International Affairs" at a reputable university, and never focused on this region of the world. That seems ridiculous in hindsight.
I majored in "International Affairs" at a reputable university, and never focused on this region of the world. That seems ridiculous in hindsight.
August 25, 2025
it's such a rare thing to find a balanced approach to a conflict so full of pain for everybody involved.
i have my biases and convictions, but it should be mandatory to explore both sides of history before forming an opinion.
really brilliant to see nuance unfold in an age of simplistic, unilateral narratives of good side - bad side
i have my biases and convictions, but it should be mandatory to explore both sides of history before forming an opinion.
really brilliant to see nuance unfold in an age of simplistic, unilateral narratives of good side - bad side
Want to read
December 8, 2023From Ezra Klein 11/21/23 - Aaron David Miller - The best primer I've heard on Israeli-Palestinian Peace Efforts
From Ezra Klein 11/3/23 - Amaney Jamal - She polled Gazans on Oct 6. Here's what she found.
From Ezra Klein 11/3/23 - Amaney Jamal - She polled Gazans on Oct 6. Here's what she found.
March 12, 2024
Very tough read but it was a text book. Worth digging through it. Takes you up to the Oct 7 Hamas attack. If u want a comprehensive review of how the Middle East got where it is, this appears to be a level presentation of the history.
Want to read
November 4, 2023Now planning to read this book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2023
Perfect to understand the core of this conflict.
January 3, 2024
Skimmed. Textbook.
February 7, 2024
Hey, does anyone know why this book doesn’t mention the iron dome and how it has influenced the conflict at all?
September 9, 2024
Great book and it gives you 3 different perspectives: Palestinian, Israeli and Arab. It is very intellectual and gives you a deep background.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews