The Palestine-Israel Conflict: A Basic Introduction

by Gregory Harms, Todd M. Ferry

Especially after the September 11 attacks, books on the Middle East are flooding bookstore shelves. Yet, regarding the Palestine-Israel conflict -- the most notrious and ingrained conflict of the twentieth century -- the general reader is left with very little in the way of introductory explanations. The Palestine-Israel A Basic Introduction provides the student and general reader with a comprehensive yet clear and easy rendering of not only the conflict, but the entire history of the region (Canaan and Palestine). By including the ancient background, the common assumption that the Israelis and Palestinians have been "fighting for thousands of years" is put to rest.

Broken up into three sections -- Background History, Pre-Conflict, and Conflict -- the reader is walked through Ancient Israel, Muhammad and Islam, and on through two world wars and up to the current situation covered on the evening news. In addition to the brief history, the
reader is also provided with further direction, such as detailed citing of sources, and suggested reading lists and resources (books, periodicals, web sites, etc.).

Written in a comfortable style, people wanting to look beyond the myths and death-tallying news coverage now have available to them a balanced and accessible introduction to the nucleus of Middle Eastern affairs.

"An indispensable, basic introduction ... There is no better single volume -- [this is] objective in every way."
-- Gabriel Kolko, Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus at York University in Toronto, and author of Another Century of War?

" Written with a relaxed informality, [this book] is especially good at highlighting key issues."
-- Arthur Goldschmidt Jr., Professor Emeritus of Middle East History at Penn State University, and author of A Concise History of the Middle East

"Comprehensive, detailed, yet lively and readable ... A tour-de-force in the depth and breadth of its research and in its clarity."
-- John K. Cooley, veteran foreign correspondent, and author of Unholy Wars

About the

Gregory Harms is a freelance writer and researcher. He lectures on the
Middle East and US foreign policy, and has traveled throughout Israel,
the West Bank, and Gaza.

Todd M. Ferry studied Syro-Palestinian archaeology at the University of
Chicago and has worked as a supervisor at both the sites of Ashkelon
and Tel Beth Shemesh in Israel.

Both authors live in Chicago.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Middle East, Politics, Israel, Historical, Military Fiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Monica Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided finally to figure out what the Arab-Israeli conflict was all about. It is obviously a crucial issue in America's foreign policy, fiscal policy, political divide, etc., but I never felt I had a comprehensive overview of the subject. I stumbled upon this book and found it to be extremely well-written, and of exactly the right size and scope for an introduction. In addition, it did not seem to have the emotion this issue seems to engender in the mainstream media.

The book lays out some important facts about the conflict that are often ignored and definitely paints Israel as more of an aggressor in the overall conflict than I expected. Perhaps this is self-evident since the State of Israel is a relatively new player in the region and is the center of the issue. The author insists that his view is balanced, though it does portray Israel in a more negative light than we are used to seeing in this country. I highly recommend reading this book, but also reading others to validate or refute the author's conclusions.

[Emma Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in a a bit to try and educate myself of a conflict that has been in the news for as long as I can remember yet was never taught about.

I found the book easy to read and easy to follow from a ‘reading’ perspective - but obviously the content was difficult to read and comprehend.

It is a definitely a good starting place and I feel more educated - and will likely read more on the topic.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is true to its title... either an introduction or a refresher to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Does a good job at defining certain terms and distinguishing the Israel/Palestine conflict from the Arab/Israeli conflict. Nothing too long or tenuous to take in... just a good briefing on war and reforms that have led up to around 2004.

I believe there is a newer edition that goes to the present.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

At times I felt it was a little bit too concise an introduction. A lot happens in these periods and I had trouble orientating myself before we moved on to the next piece of the puzzle, often with a regime shift on all sides of the conflict. It has a lot of really good information. I would have been willing to read another hundred pages at least to feel like I was getting a little more than just the broad strokes of everything.

[Sebastian Beltran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great unbiased perspective on a polarizing topic. Clearly delineates time periods, negotiations, and changes in territory occupancy

[Kevin M. Femenias · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction, not only to the Israel-Palestine conflict, but also to the continuous turmoil we see in the middle east. I take that it has helped me understand the region a tiny bit better.

I’d highly recommend reading this to anyone curious to understand the conflict from a non-sensationalist point of view.

[Gabe Segal]

I'm no expert, but this book seemed unbiased. Was hard for me to go in without my own biases, but the author succeeded in moderating my opinion.

[عدنان العبار · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introductory book on the Palestine-Israel conflict, but by no means unbiased and now slightly outdated. I liked the scope and the area covered by the book. In most instances, it is impartial. However, as the end of the book is approached, the book becomes pro-Palestine and anti-Israel, and I feel that this disposition is not really favorable in writing a 'textbook.'

The book often uses UN resolutions as if they were the opinions of the right-faction of history, and when we complement this book by others which are, say, pro-Israel (e.g. The Case for Israel by Alan Dershowitz) it starts to show in which ways this way of looking at problems is silly.

I loved the book and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in this problem, even if he is completely clueless about all things middle-eastern. I have to mention though that whatever reason you read this book for, this book is NOT enough. And in 2020, you might want to read more updated books, especially ones incorporating the latest news concerning the conflict.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book as it seemed to offer a basic, unbiased introduction to the Palestine-Israel conflict. After reading this, I believe that the author has succeeded in offering a balanced account of this often misunderstood conflict with his clear, concise and engaging style of writing. Harms has made an extremely complex issue accessible to anyone who wants a clear and easy-to-read guide to this conflict.

[Marlowe Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book when it was published in 2005 but got sidetracked. I restarted it and was hooked right away. Harms' style is engaging and conversational while ensuring a detailed analysis of a vast topic. His historical atlas of the issue of land ownership and his straight forward explanation of post WW2 machinations are excellent. Anyone who is going to form a well rounded opinion on the issue of Palestine and Israel would be well severed to have this book in his or her library.

[Yannis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book describes the conflict from a distance and in a very comprehensive and objective way. It's a topic where most western sources are extremely biased and it's hard to find an objective overview. Still after 10 years of having read this book, I keep bringing it up in my mind, every time I want to evaluate the developments in this conflict. Great work!

[WiseB · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book provides excellent background and information to understand the conflict between Palestine and Israel. This includes history and perspective of the various states and parties engaged in the conflicts ... Israel, Palestine, Arab, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, US and UN.

Part I of the book started out with the history of the region of Palestine ... from ancient era Bronze Age (3300 BCE) to Ottoman Empire before the eve of World War 1 (1914 CE). This includes the author's favored Peasant Revolt Model ... scholastic view where ancient Israelites originated from Canaan (area slightly larger than modern land of Palestine to encompass Lebanon, southern Syria, western half of Jordan and the Sinai Peninsula) ... in early Iron Age (1150-900 BCE) "a conglomerate of Canaanite peoples from different backgrounds who broke away from their native Canaanite heritage and gathered in the highlands of Canaan forming the early Israelite tribal population and later organizing to become the kingdom of Israel." The Kingdom of Israel existed from 1000 BCE to 925 BCE until it was split into Kingdom of Judah (in south) and Kingdom of Israel (in north), with the northern kingdom sacked and turned into an Assyrian province in 720 BCE during the Assyrian Empire rule of the region; this was then followed with the southern kingdom also sacked by Babylonians in 586 BCE during the Neo-Babylonian Empire rule of the region. As a result of the fall of these kingdoms, Israelites were sent into exile in Europe (majority in Eastern Europe) and continued on only as a religious community of Jews practising Judaism.

Part II of the book started out with coverage of (a) the history of Jewish persecution ... especially the hash experience in Russia, and Zionism movement ... desire for a national homeland haven state; and (b) Palestine history and Jewish-Zionist immigration. The book then proceeds to the genesis of the Palestine-Israel conflict ... during World War I to World II period.

Part III of the book, which is more than half of total pages, reveals the various key events from 1947 to 2015 including conferences, accords, agreements, UN resolutions etc, relating to the numerous conflicts. These were laid out in chronological order ... (a) 1947 post war partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab, 1948 civil war, and 1967 Six-Day War; (b) 1967 to 1982 Arab-Israeli conflict; (c) 1987 first Intifada, 1991 Madrid Conference, 1993 & 1995 Oslo Accord & Oslo II; (d) 2000-2016 second Intifada, and Gaza disengagement and operations.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book as I wanted an accessible, non bias resource which dug into the history of the region (what was happening there prior to the creation of the state of Is r a el). I appreciated the detail this book went into, the complicated ancient history (about the different empires etc who conquered the land) was briefly explored at the start which was helpful. It covered the rise of Islam, Isr a elites and Philistines in the Bible, many different political declarations, the role of the UN, Britain and France's actions in the Middle East, war in Lebanon, the literal definition of Zio nism and how it manifests in practice, the persecution of Jewry worldwide and various different accords and treaties. I believe the book did a great job at making this content accessible. Short chapters helped keep the pace, you didn't feel like you were getting too information overload. This book is definitely aimed at beginners.. even going as far as to explain what the terms 'Middle East' and 'Qu'ran' meant, so bear in mind some sections you may 'skim read'.

[Ellie Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book, slowly and carefully explaining the history and dynamics of this conflict. The authors don’t overwhelm the reader with loads of information all at once. They take it one step at a time and refer back to information already covered, clarifying the conflict’s progression. I also really appreciated the author’s sharing the diverse views of historians on the events, and appreciated even more that the authors attempt to remain detached and impartial throughout. Instead, they state the facts as they are and let the reader form conclusions on it. It felt very heavy and dense, but that is likely to be the content matter.

[Emiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to judge the quality of an introductory book (especially on a contested topic such as this) but I enjoyed the occasionally informal register, factitious summaries (though the chapter full ineffective of Madrid and Camp David Agreements is a tough sell), and concise but complete overview. The book made me feel much more confident about the facts and their implications without pushing toward any one narrative. It also opens up new windows for further reading.

[Rajesh Mohta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good details of history of the area and it's people and the genesis of the issue.. With all imperial powers using them for self benefits
The long held insecurities of Jewish people
But currently no compromise position taken due to banking of US (due to its own influential Jewish community) and disunity and weaknesses of the Arabs
The situation seems doomed as far as Arabs Palestine cause more or less
Worth a read

[Andrew Vidler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, level-headed breakdown of the conflict including a complete history of B.C. to modern conflicts.
This is a must-read for anyone who wants to apply a (as much as possible) neutrally critical lens to their understanding of the conflict, and remove themselves from the noise.

Eye-opening read.

[draxtor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written, super important context. Don’t buy this crap about “oh religious conflict, going back 1000s of years clash of civilizations” and various other media/politician/your uncle amplified narratives. Last addition 2017 but nothing irrelevant and outdated here. Depressingly enough: same old same old justifications talking points and looking-the-other-way while people die every second.

[Aiden Johnson]

I’ve read a lot of basic introduction books about the Arab World. This is probably one of the best and easiest to understand. If you know nothing about the region, this book is a great place to start. If you’ve studied this conflict for years, there are great pieces of background and connection in here that you might have missed. Great work

[Marija · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title perfectly represents the book. It's a basic introduction to the ongoing conflict and gives an overview of the history of the region from ancient times and onward. Although a little bit more context in some parts would have been appreciated.

[Christina C · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone who knew very little about the conflict, I feel this book gave me a solid understanding of the history. My copy only went to 2007 and I'd love to learn about the current events through the writing of this author.

[Gaëlle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really clear and comprehensible overview of the conflict. You’d obviously need to add some extra reading on top to bring yourself up to date but it’s a great read to get acquainted for the 40 odd first years of the conflict.

[Nahal · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you like to read unsubstantiated, outrageous claims, boldface lies, mainstream israeli-fed propaganda, then this book is for you. Ronen Bergman is a discredited writer, and an unapologetic zionist. So if you want to read totally fabricated bullshit, then read this book.

[Jack Ritchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clearly outlines the historical origins of the conflict whilst detailing the hardships of the modern period. Perfect for anyone looking to familiarise themselves with this incredibly complex and divisive topic

[Iceberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This plain-language overview of the history of Palestine -- starting all the way back in the Bronze Age! -- was hugely helpful in orienting me so that I could read further. The author tries to present events without advocating for a particular interpretation.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A basic introduction to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The authors want to show western readers that the conflict is not ancient as so many of us believe, but it is more of a recent issue from an historical perspective. Early 20th century and forward.

[Jessica Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harms did a great job. Easy to read and very clearly explains how we got to where we are in the Middle East.

[HARSH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice Book for UPSC purpose in WORLD SCENARIOS

[Deborah Drucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A balanced historic overview of the Palestine/Israel conflict. The only problem is that the book is not up-to-date, as it was published in 2005.

[Silvia Maldonado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I get it!