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Cursed Victory: A History of Israel and the Occupied Territories, 1967 to the Present
An authoritative and impassioned history of the aftermath of the Six Day War—by a former Israeli soldier—and a cogent argument for an end to the occupation.
In a move that would forever alter the map of the Middle East, Israel captured the West Bank, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula in 1967's brief but pivotal Six Day War. Cursed Victory is the first complete history of the war's troubled aftermath—a military occupation of the Palestinian territories that is now well into its fifth decade. Drawing on unprecedented access to high-level sources, top-secret memos and never-before-published letters, the book provides a gripping and unvarnished chronicle of how what Israel promised would be an 'enlightened occupation' quickly turned sour, and the anguished diplomatic attempts to bring it to an end. Bregman sheds fresh light on critical moments in the peace process, taking us behind the scenes as decisions about the fate of the territories were made, and more often, as crucial opportunities to resolve the conflict were missed.
As the narrative moves from Jerusalem to New York, Oslo to Beirut, and from the late 1960s to the present day, Cursed Victory provides vivid portraits of the key players in this unfolding drama, including Moshe Dayan, King Hussein of Jordan, Bill Clinton, and Yasser Arafat. Yet Bregman always reminds us how diplomatic and back-room negotiations affected the daily lives of millions of Arabs, and how the Palestinian resistance, especially during the first and second intifadas, and now in recent tragic developments, have shaped the political arena.
As Bregman concludes, the occupation has become a dark stain on Israel's history. Cursed Victory is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the origins of the ongoing conflict in the region.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published June 5, 2013
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1154 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 23, 2020
This is the first book about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that made me feel like peace isn't possible at all. Me. A person who has been told several times that they're too idealistic and impractical. That's a fairly impressive feat.
I'm writing a paper in uni about changes in Israeli parties and it occurred to me that I am not actually sure of the chronology of the conflict. I mean, if you ask me who was the prime minister in 1995, I'm not sure I'd easily be able to answer. So I was hoping this book would provide a concise and unbiased description of the conflict.
This book is essentially a summary of it, from 1967-2007. I have to say that this book manages to be very clear but it utterly fails on so many other fronts. I could never be an historian because there's always that political voice in my head that says, "this omits information, why? what does the author gain by ignoring this?". And my god, does Bregman omit information.
Before getting into everything this book is missing, I'll just say this. I don't think Israelis that left the country are qualified to talk about the politics here. Of course, this is somewhat of an extreme position but ultimately, someone who left here due to political reasons isn't able to objectively describe this conflict, as I see it. He's obviously biased and I wouldn't have known this if I hadn't read the book, gone "what Israeli would write this" and looked him up.
It's even doubly frustrating because his entire career seems to be based off talking about the conflict. Surely if it was that important to him, he'd live here and make the change in his own community?
Another quick issue that really bothered me was the source material for this book. Occasionally, I'd read something in this book that struck me as weird and when I looked up the citation, I was frustrated to see that the source was "the author's archive". I mean, what? I am confused, does Bregman have a hidden archive of Israeli- Palestinian source material? Yes, he claims he got these from sources that need to be protected but like, it's been years, how come he's the only one who has this information? Additionally, some of the sources he used were just very very iffy. Like, the website PalestineFacts? That's hardly a credible source.
So what's missing? When I read the book, I wrote down several questions that, had I bought everything Bregman writes, I would want to know the answer. Some of these questions have answers in the book but it's not as clear as I think it should be. I suspect that since Bregman is an Israeli, he forgets that people don't necessarily know these things (or, alternatively, he wishes to hide them because they hurt his cohesive claim). In order for this review not to be insanely long and bore everyone, I've nestled the answers in spoiler tags (and totally not because it makes me feel kind of snarky)
How did we get to the situation in 1967 in the first place?
So, why did Israel dislike the PLO so much?
Activists or terrorists?
Why did Israel start a blockade on Gaza in 2005?
Ultimately, there's more but I think my biggest issue with this book is that it just that it doesn't attempt to show the intricacies of this conflict. I mean, if we were to make a list of historical events in the conflict, take like 3 Israelis and 3 Palestinians and ask them what they think about these events. I'm sure certain things will have a consensus (I would love to meet someone who currently believes that the Oslo accords were helpful) but so many topics will have very different narratives. A book on the Israeli- Palestinian conflict has to include this because people create their opinions based on their feelings on the intifada and Camp David.
As I see it, being educated about the conflict means being aware of the perspectives of people and why they think the way they do. For that, we simply can't have books that don't acknowledge enough. We need to hear more voices, more ideas, more thoughts. One clean cut narrative just isn't going to cut it.
I came across as more defensive of Israel than I usually am and somewhat more critical than I'd like to be. This book does a fantastic job at showing the way the early generations of Israelis had tons of contempt and racism towards the Palestinians and how that impacted their policies. It manages to show the terrible results of Israeli indecision. This book doesn't devlve deep enough into Israeli Arabs and what they feel but the parts that did deal with it managed to grasp the way the Israeli society has entirely disappointed these people. Unfortunately, that's still a huge issue, even in 2020.
When I read this book, I was overwhelmed to see all of the failures of the peace process. It felt like it could never work because there are so many elements and ultimately, the diplomacy that's involved strikes me as hypocritical and egoistic. It's not harmonious or authentic so how can we ever expect a peace process forced on us to work?
However, and it's on this note that I will end this review, even if it seems like every peace process will fail, I want us all to remember that there's an organization in Jerusalem that gathered leavened food from Passover and donated it to families in need in East Jerusalem (cause they can eat leavened stuff on Passover). There's an organization that exchanges Hebrew and Arabic in the Old City of Jerusalem weekly and you can see the way bridges can exist.
My lecturer from Political Science says that when you are in the Old City and you hear all the sounds of prayer, it sounds like they're competing. You hear the bells from churches and the songs from synagogues and the muezzins all together but to me, it's always sounded like they're harmonizing.
We've got to remember that this conflict is about people and therefore, books like this are misleading, precisely because they attempt to showcase a cold historical narrative when in reality, there's so much more that's going on and should be heard.
All in all, wow, this might be one of the longest reviews I've ever written. If you've read this far, I seriously congratulate and thank you. This book isn't it, I might take a bit of a break from reading about the conflict now but I will definitely keep looking for the book that I can safely recommend about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (or eventually write it by myself).
What I'm taking With Me
- The Oslo accords were started by civilians and even if they ended fairly badly, I'm still very impressed by their existence.
- Arafat sounds like a terrible person.
- If I ever do politics professionally, I hope this review won't come back to haunt me.
- Sadat, however, sounds like a really decent person.
- Gosh, I had no idea about all of the issues in the Golan, it's so wild and very upsetting.
I'm writing a paper in uni about changes in Israeli parties and it occurred to me that I am not actually sure of the chronology of the conflict. I mean, if you ask me who was the prime minister in 1995, I'm not sure I'd easily be able to answer. So I was hoping this book would provide a concise and unbiased description of the conflict.
This book is essentially a summary of it, from 1967-2007. I have to say that this book manages to be very clear but it utterly fails on so many other fronts. I could never be an historian because there's always that political voice in my head that says, "this omits information, why? what does the author gain by ignoring this?". And my god, does Bregman omit information.
Before getting into everything this book is missing, I'll just say this. I don't think Israelis that left the country are qualified to talk about the politics here. Of course, this is somewhat of an extreme position but ultimately, someone who left here due to political reasons isn't able to objectively describe this conflict, as I see it. He's obviously biased and I wouldn't have known this if I hadn't read the book, gone "what Israeli would write this" and looked him up.
It's even doubly frustrating because his entire career seems to be based off talking about the conflict. Surely if it was that important to him, he'd live here and make the change in his own community?
Another quick issue that really bothered me was the source material for this book. Occasionally, I'd read something in this book that struck me as weird and when I looked up the citation, I was frustrated to see that the source was "the author's archive". I mean, what? I am confused, does Bregman have a hidden archive of Israeli- Palestinian source material? Yes, he claims he got these from sources that need to be protected but like, it's been years, how come he's the only one who has this information? Additionally, some of the sources he used were just very very iffy. Like, the website PalestineFacts? That's hardly a credible source.
So what's missing? When I read the book, I wrote down several questions that, had I bought everything Bregman writes, I would want to know the answer. Some of these questions have answers in the book but it's not as clear as I think it should be. I suspect that since Bregman is an Israeli, he forgets that people don't necessarily know these things (or, alternatively, he wishes to hide them because they hurt his cohesive claim). In order for this review not to be insanely long and bore everyone, I've nestled the answers in spoiler tags (and totally not because it makes me feel kind of snarky)
How did we get to the situation in 1967 in the first place?
So, why did Israel dislike the PLO so much?
Activists or terrorists?
Why did Israel start a blockade on Gaza in 2005?
Ultimately, there's more but I think my biggest issue with this book is that it just that it doesn't attempt to show the intricacies of this conflict. I mean, if we were to make a list of historical events in the conflict, take like 3 Israelis and 3 Palestinians and ask them what they think about these events. I'm sure certain things will have a consensus (I would love to meet someone who currently believes that the Oslo accords were helpful) but so many topics will have very different narratives. A book on the Israeli- Palestinian conflict has to include this because people create their opinions based on their feelings on the intifada and Camp David.
As I see it, being educated about the conflict means being aware of the perspectives of people and why they think the way they do. For that, we simply can't have books that don't acknowledge enough. We need to hear more voices, more ideas, more thoughts. One clean cut narrative just isn't going to cut it.
I came across as more defensive of Israel than I usually am and somewhat more critical than I'd like to be. This book does a fantastic job at showing the way the early generations of Israelis had tons of contempt and racism towards the Palestinians and how that impacted their policies. It manages to show the terrible results of Israeli indecision. This book doesn't devlve deep enough into Israeli Arabs and what they feel but the parts that did deal with it managed to grasp the way the Israeli society has entirely disappointed these people. Unfortunately, that's still a huge issue, even in 2020.
When I read this book, I was overwhelmed to see all of the failures of the peace process. It felt like it could never work because there are so many elements and ultimately, the diplomacy that's involved strikes me as hypocritical and egoistic. It's not harmonious or authentic so how can we ever expect a peace process forced on us to work?
However, and it's on this note that I will end this review, even if it seems like every peace process will fail, I want us all to remember that there's an organization in Jerusalem that gathered leavened food from Passover and donated it to families in need in East Jerusalem (cause they can eat leavened stuff on Passover). There's an organization that exchanges Hebrew and Arabic in the Old City of Jerusalem weekly and you can see the way bridges can exist.
My lecturer from Political Science says that when you are in the Old City and you hear all the sounds of prayer, it sounds like they're competing. You hear the bells from churches and the songs from synagogues and the muezzins all together but to me, it's always sounded like they're harmonizing.
We've got to remember that this conflict is about people and therefore, books like this are misleading, precisely because they attempt to showcase a cold historical narrative when in reality, there's so much more that's going on and should be heard.
All in all, wow, this might be one of the longest reviews I've ever written. If you've read this far, I seriously congratulate and thank you. This book isn't it, I might take a bit of a break from reading about the conflict now but I will definitely keep looking for the book that I can safely recommend about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (or eventually write it by myself).
What I'm taking With Me
- The Oslo accords were started by civilians and even if they ended fairly badly, I'm still very impressed by their existence.
- Arafat sounds like a terrible person.
- If I ever do politics professionally, I hope this review won't come back to haunt me.
- Sadat, however, sounds like a really decent person.
- Gosh, I had no idea about all of the issues in the Golan, it's so wild and very upsetting.
October 21, 2015
Bregman’s book presents a detailed look into the history of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights. He explains the various policies and adjustments that were made in these areas as a result of, and during, the occupations. He also delves into the rather insidious motives behind many of Israel's policies, including those that appear to be benevolent on the surface.
This is a biased account, when I say “biased”, I means it’s biased towards the people who actually live in the occupied territories, mainly the Palestinians. Bregman is fairly unsparing towards the Israelis but also seems unimpressed by the decisions of the Palestinian leadership.
While groups like Hamas or the PLO are not directly criticized, it is clear that many decisions by Palestinian leadership were poorly calculated and not beneficial to their people. In one incident, during a Clinton-brokered meeting between Ehud Barak, and Yasser Arafat at the start of the Al Aqsa Intifadah, both parties agree to the wording of a cease-fire, then Arafat slips out of the room so he doesn’t have to actually sign it.
Despite, the slant, it’s still well informed and worth the read.
This is a biased account, when I say “biased”, I means it’s biased towards the people who actually live in the occupied territories, mainly the Palestinians. Bregman is fairly unsparing towards the Israelis but also seems unimpressed by the decisions of the Palestinian leadership.
While groups like Hamas or the PLO are not directly criticized, it is clear that many decisions by Palestinian leadership were poorly calculated and not beneficial to their people. In one incident, during a Clinton-brokered meeting between Ehud Barak, and Yasser Arafat at the start of the Al Aqsa Intifadah, both parties agree to the wording of a cease-fire, then Arafat slips out of the room so he doesn’t have to actually sign it.
Despite, the slant, it’s still well informed and worth the read.
April 6, 2016
If you are interested in the Israel-Palestine conflict then this is one of the best books to give you an insight into all of its machinations. The author is now an academic but grew up in Israel, served in the army there and had access to most of the key people and key documents associated with the issues surrounding the occupied territories. Astonishingly, this includes tapes made in secret by the Israeli security services of conversations between various US presidents and their advisors during the negotiations with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
The title 'Cursed Victory' sums up the book's conclusions - that Israel should never have hung on to the territory it occupied during the 1967 war but should have negotiated a return immediately afterwards. The various negotiations over the years are related in exhaustive detail, which can get tedious, but is often fascinating, if also depressing. Even more depressing are the accounts of the brutality and inhuman treatment of the Palestinians in the occupied territories by the Israeli defence forces. Again the title says it all - showing how reviled Israel has become for its outrageous actions (and the book only goes up to 2007 so it doesn't include the most recent wars in Gaza).
Tragically, we seem further away than ever to a solution to this problem due to the extreme attitudes of the leaders on both side of the conflict who, for their own political purposes, prefer agression and war to any serious attempt to make the compromises that would allow for a negotiated settlement.
The title 'Cursed Victory' sums up the book's conclusions - that Israel should never have hung on to the territory it occupied during the 1967 war but should have negotiated a return immediately afterwards. The various negotiations over the years are related in exhaustive detail, which can get tedious, but is often fascinating, if also depressing. Even more depressing are the accounts of the brutality and inhuman treatment of the Palestinians in the occupied territories by the Israeli defence forces. Again the title says it all - showing how reviled Israel has become for its outrageous actions (and the book only goes up to 2007 so it doesn't include the most recent wars in Gaza).
Tragically, we seem further away than ever to a solution to this problem due to the extreme attitudes of the leaders on both side of the conflict who, for their own political purposes, prefer agression and war to any serious attempt to make the compromises that would allow for a negotiated settlement.
August 7, 2024
Rating: 10/10, top 10 of 2023
One sentence summary:
> Discusses the intricate history of Palestine, Israel, and the Arab World after the Six-Day War, specifically analyzing the conflict from 1967 to 2007
Likes:
1. Covers arguably the most pivotal moments in history between Palestine, Israel, the Arab world, and the West
> In his book, Bregman covers: the 1967 Six-Day War, the Camp David Accords (I&II), the Oslo Accords (I&II), the Intifadas (I&II), PLO & Hamas, Likud & Labor party, the annexation of Sinai and Golan Heights, *briefly* covers the 1982 invasion of south Lebanon, the involvement of the Arab World (particularly Jordan, Egypt, and Syria) and the West (USA, France)
2. Highly detailed
> Doesn't favor one side over the other, very objective.
> Reads like a history textbook. Highly detailed accounts of what happened during *attempted* peace negotiations, discussions between politicians, interviews with IDF soldiers, and horror stories of what Palestinian civilians endured in Gaza and the West Bank
> Also discusses the various suicide bombings against Israeli civilians, when they occurred, how, and why
> Does argue that Israel unlawfully occupies Palestine and provides legitimate and undeniable proof to back his argument (because you can't fight facts, friends!)
No dislike but the book is information heavy and since it covers such a broad period (40 years), where there was a lot of involvement from various parties, it was sometimes difficult to remember everything. I found writing out the timeline + key players to be helpful.
One sentence summary:
> Discusses the intricate history of Palestine, Israel, and the Arab World after the Six-Day War, specifically analyzing the conflict from 1967 to 2007
Likes:
1. Covers arguably the most pivotal moments in history between Palestine, Israel, the Arab world, and the West
> In his book, Bregman covers: the 1967 Six-Day War, the Camp David Accords (I&II), the Oslo Accords (I&II), the Intifadas (I&II), PLO & Hamas, Likud & Labor party, the annexation of Sinai and Golan Heights, *briefly* covers the 1982 invasion of south Lebanon, the involvement of the Arab World (particularly Jordan, Egypt, and Syria) and the West (USA, France)
2. Highly detailed
> Doesn't favor one side over the other, very objective.
> Reads like a history textbook. Highly detailed accounts of what happened during *attempted* peace negotiations, discussions between politicians, interviews with IDF soldiers, and horror stories of what Palestinian civilians endured in Gaza and the West Bank
> Also discusses the various suicide bombings against Israeli civilians, when they occurred, how, and why
> Does argue that Israel unlawfully occupies Palestine and provides legitimate and undeniable proof to back his argument (because you can't fight facts, friends!)
No dislike but the book is information heavy and since it covers such a broad period (40 years), where there was a lot of involvement from various parties, it was sometimes difficult to remember everything. I found writing out the timeline + key players to be helpful.
September 10, 2024
A fascinating, if not disheartening, trip though the last 60 years of Israeli occupation. It helped build a foundation on which to understand the current chapter of this sad conflict.
I would have liked even more of the snippets included from both Palestinians and Israelis living through the period to break up some of the repetitive peace talks (where the same issues were discussed with no resolution, of course of no fault to the author).
The book ends in 2007 and Bregman states that an end to the occupation is certain- this seems highly optimistic in the current circumstances.
I would have liked even more of the snippets included from both Palestinians and Israelis living through the period to break up some of the repetitive peace talks (where the same issues were discussed with no resolution, of course of no fault to the author).
The book ends in 2007 and Bregman states that an end to the occupation is certain- this seems highly optimistic in the current circumstances.
March 5, 2021
This is probably one of the best non-biased histories of Israel in the occupied territories to date. Mr Bregman does not pick sides in the book and presents what has happened in the 50+ years of occupation as clear and concise as possible. Throughout the book, he sometimes makes excuses for each government and how they handled crisis and other issues but seems to put much of the blame on mostly the prime ministers, both of Labor and the Likud. Mr. Bregman seems to think that during the many years of negotiations and peace processes, the American's could have done more to harbor peace between the two sides, but likes to point out, especially during the first Camp David Summit, that the US-Israel lobby and electoral politics seem to play a big role in a what the US could get out of the talks without upsetting the Israel faction inside the US. Great book, but there needs to be an updated version covering the events from 2007 to today.
August 20, 2017
El relato empieza en 1967, justo al inicio de la ocupación después de la Guerra de los Seis Días, así que carece de todo contexto y análisis histórico antes de esa fecha. Aunque a mí esos aspectos me parecen fundamentales para entender todo el conflicto, entre otras cosas porque si no parece que Israel nació de la tierra como una seta y empezó a expandirse, el libro es excepcional. Ordenado por fechas y por territorios ocupados. Con acceso a conversaciones secretas y privadas. Quizá es un poco propalestino, pero creo que la verdad también lo es... Es difícil justificar este tipo de ocupación y también lo es cualquier solución.
December 1, 2023
**Wipes hand down face** I don't even know how to rate this one or summarize this one. A lot is left out and yet what IS said is just...oof. 1984 and then some.
August 12, 2017
When we read about the Arab-Israeli conflict like so much else in life, the story is far too complex and fraught with truths, half-truths and some outright lies to gain a real understanding of the reality!
This book by an Israeli political scientist and author is a specialist on the Arab-Israeli conflict and this book covers the long history of the Occupied Territories since the Six Day War. It debunks an awful lot of myths and is an honest forthright account of affairs between Israel and its neighbors. It is full of very factual and until recently secret information that tends to lay the blame for much of the violence of the past 50 years squarely at the feet of both Israel and the Palestinians instead of trying to push it all off on the Palestinians.
Israel from the very end of the war has been a major player in the fomenting of violence in their attitudes and use of power during their occupation. They ignored all standards of international law and basically did as they chose. The leadership from the very beginning played the duplicity card constantly saying they would do one thing then reneging on the promises or making such vague promises that they could easily disregard them.
Much of the violence was actually instigated by Israeli actions against the Palestinians and like any lopsided power arrangement asymmetrical warfare (terrorist tactics, suicide bombings etc.) was about the only recourse. Yes Arafat was a very thorny issue and his long recalcitrance was part of the problem but so was the inability to actually negotiate by the Israeli leadership. The book also points out that the longer the occupation lasted without any hope the more radicalized the Palestinians became eventually turning to the Islamic fundamentalism that is so prevalent today! As the book pointed out the only way to get Israel to even think of compromise was to apply an inordinate amount of pressure on them! The other point in at the end of the book is that Israel's behavior often mirrored the same behavior of so many of the Jew's antagonists over the centuries! It's unfortunate because it basically shows power tends to distort the views of the powerful!
If you really would like to have a deeper understanding of the conflict and the specific issues at play I highly recommend this book. It will change your perspective and like all conflicts show that there are actually two sides with neither being absolutely right or wrong; innocent or guilty!
This book by an Israeli political scientist and author is a specialist on the Arab-Israeli conflict and this book covers the long history of the Occupied Territories since the Six Day War. It debunks an awful lot of myths and is an honest forthright account of affairs between Israel and its neighbors. It is full of very factual and until recently secret information that tends to lay the blame for much of the violence of the past 50 years squarely at the feet of both Israel and the Palestinians instead of trying to push it all off on the Palestinians.
Israel from the very end of the war has been a major player in the fomenting of violence in their attitudes and use of power during their occupation. They ignored all standards of international law and basically did as they chose. The leadership from the very beginning played the duplicity card constantly saying they would do one thing then reneging on the promises or making such vague promises that they could easily disregard them.
Much of the violence was actually instigated by Israeli actions against the Palestinians and like any lopsided power arrangement asymmetrical warfare (terrorist tactics, suicide bombings etc.) was about the only recourse. Yes Arafat was a very thorny issue and his long recalcitrance was part of the problem but so was the inability to actually negotiate by the Israeli leadership. The book also points out that the longer the occupation lasted without any hope the more radicalized the Palestinians became eventually turning to the Islamic fundamentalism that is so prevalent today! As the book pointed out the only way to get Israel to even think of compromise was to apply an inordinate amount of pressure on them! The other point in at the end of the book is that Israel's behavior often mirrored the same behavior of so many of the Jew's antagonists over the centuries! It's unfortunate because it basically shows power tends to distort the views of the powerful!
If you really would like to have a deeper understanding of the conflict and the specific issues at play I highly recommend this book. It will change your perspective and like all conflicts show that there are actually two sides with neither being absolutely right or wrong; innocent or guilty!
July 30, 2015
I don't think I can improve on the description shown on the Book Jacket, and with apologies, I simply repeat it here:
An authoritative and impassioned history of the aftermath of the Six Day War—by a former Israeli soldier—and a cogent argument for an end to the occupation.
In a move that would forever alter the map of the Middle East, Israel captured the West Bank, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula in 1967's brief but pivotal Six Day War. Cursed Victory is the first complete history of the war's troubled aftermath—a military occupation of the Palestinian territories that is now well into its fifth decade. Drawing on unprecedented access to high-level sources, top-secret memos and never-before-published letters, the book provides a gripping and unvarnished chronicle of how what Israel promised would be an 'enlightened occupation' quickly turned sour, and the anguished diplomatic attempts to bring it to an end. Bregman sheds fresh light on critical moments in the peace process, taking us behind the scenes as decisions about the fate of the territories were made, and more often, as crucial opportunities to resolve the conflict were missed.
As the narrative moves from Jerusalem to New York, Oslo to Beirut, and from the late 1960s to the present day, Cursed Victory provides vivid portraits of the key players in this unfolding drama, including Moshe Dayan, King Hussein of Jordan, Bill Clinton, and Yasser Arafat. Yet Bregman always reminds us how diplomatic and back-room negotiations affected the daily lives of millions of Arabs, and how the Palestinian resistance, especially during the first and second intifadas, and now in recent tragic developments, have shaped the political arena.
As Bregman concludes, the occupation has become a dark stain on Israel's history. Cursed Victory is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the origins of the ongoing conflict in the region.
An authoritative and impassioned history of the aftermath of the Six Day War—by a former Israeli soldier—and a cogent argument for an end to the occupation.
In a move that would forever alter the map of the Middle East, Israel captured the West Bank, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula in 1967's brief but pivotal Six Day War. Cursed Victory is the first complete history of the war's troubled aftermath—a military occupation of the Palestinian territories that is now well into its fifth decade. Drawing on unprecedented access to high-level sources, top-secret memos and never-before-published letters, the book provides a gripping and unvarnished chronicle of how what Israel promised would be an 'enlightened occupation' quickly turned sour, and the anguished diplomatic attempts to bring it to an end. Bregman sheds fresh light on critical moments in the peace process, taking us behind the scenes as decisions about the fate of the territories were made, and more often, as crucial opportunities to resolve the conflict were missed.
As the narrative moves from Jerusalem to New York, Oslo to Beirut, and from the late 1960s to the present day, Cursed Victory provides vivid portraits of the key players in this unfolding drama, including Moshe Dayan, King Hussein of Jordan, Bill Clinton, and Yasser Arafat. Yet Bregman always reminds us how diplomatic and back-room negotiations affected the daily lives of millions of Arabs, and how the Palestinian resistance, especially during the first and second intifadas, and now in recent tragic developments, have shaped the political arena.
As Bregman concludes, the occupation has become a dark stain on Israel's history. Cursed Victory is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the origins of the ongoing conflict in the region.
May 15, 2020
An excellent overview of the Israeli / Palestinian conflict from 1967 to the early 2000s. The book covers each of the different occupied areas in detail. It goes over the population makeup of each city and the tactics used in each.
The author is pro-Palestinian but was as objective as possible in his coverage of what both sides were doing.
The author is pro-Palestinian but was as objective as possible in his coverage of what both sides were doing.
Want to read
December 19, 2023La vittoria maledetta” (Einau- di)
E’ la storia di un riscatto che supera di molto le aspettative del riscattato. E’ il diario sia intimissi- mo sia politico della vittoria israe- liana nella guerra dei sei giorni, di un’euforia collettiva e di una dimostrazione di potenza che ave- va spiazzato vinti e vincitori. Da leggere o rileggere adesso per gli aneddoti e per i dettagli nelle pie- ghe, per le cose piccole che dicono tutto. C’è Moshe Dayan immobiliz- zato per un incidente che concede a qualche religioso un po’ fanatico di andare a celebrare Pesach nel- la città santa di Hebron, nella Ci- sgiordania appena conquistata, con la promessa di non rimanere lì più di un giorno. Ma la mattina dopo il capitano di stanza chiama: “Capo, si sono presentati con le lavatrici e i frigoriferi!”. Dayan impreca. Quelli con i frigoriferi saranno i primi e resteranno per sempre.
C’è Dayan e c’è Yitzhak Rabin. I generali di sinistra che hanno stravinto e poi si sono spaccati la testa tra “occupazioni invisibili” e paci impossibili. Dayan legge i diari di Henry Kissinger sul Viet- man e lo trova cinico e un po’ raz- zista. Lui si sente migliore, lui non vuole cambiare “gli arabi”, non
vuole esportare la democrazia, non vuole “insegnare loro a gioca- re a baseball”. Finirà malissimo. (Cecilia Sala)
E’ la storia di un riscatto che supera di molto le aspettative del riscattato. E’ il diario sia intimissi- mo sia politico della vittoria israe- liana nella guerra dei sei giorni, di un’euforia collettiva e di una dimostrazione di potenza che ave- va spiazzato vinti e vincitori. Da leggere o rileggere adesso per gli aneddoti e per i dettagli nelle pie- ghe, per le cose piccole che dicono tutto. C’è Moshe Dayan immobiliz- zato per un incidente che concede a qualche religioso un po’ fanatico di andare a celebrare Pesach nel- la città santa di Hebron, nella Ci- sgiordania appena conquistata, con la promessa di non rimanere lì più di un giorno. Ma la mattina dopo il capitano di stanza chiama: “Capo, si sono presentati con le lavatrici e i frigoriferi!”. Dayan impreca. Quelli con i frigoriferi saranno i primi e resteranno per sempre.
C’è Dayan e c’è Yitzhak Rabin. I generali di sinistra che hanno stravinto e poi si sono spaccati la testa tra “occupazioni invisibili” e paci impossibili. Dayan legge i diari di Henry Kissinger sul Viet- man e lo trova cinico e un po’ raz- zista. Lui si sente migliore, lui non vuole cambiare “gli arabi”, non
vuole esportare la democrazia, non vuole “insegnare loro a gioca- re a baseball”. Finirà malissimo. (Cecilia Sala)
September 25, 2018
A good history of the Palestinian territories and their relationship with Israel since their occupation.
Bregman, who fought in the Israeli army but has become a strong critic of Israeli policy in the region, sets out his biases at the beginning of the book, saying that he is trying to write a work of unbiased history but his biased perspective inevitably leaks in. His bias is clear in the people who he allows to speak; we often hear the voices of Palestinian victims of Israeli violence and occassionally interviews from Israeli soldiers committing that violence, but I do not recall him ever giving voice to Israeli victims of Palestinian violence. Nevertheless, I think this history is successful in that it tells the story of a screwed up place with as little bias as possible.
The ending, with Arafat's death and the pulling-out of Israeli troops from Gaza is cursory compared with the comprehensiveness of earlier parts of the story. It feels as if he is writing against a deadline.
Still, well worth the read.
Bregman, who fought in the Israeli army but has become a strong critic of Israeli policy in the region, sets out his biases at the beginning of the book, saying that he is trying to write a work of unbiased history but his biased perspective inevitably leaks in. His bias is clear in the people who he allows to speak; we often hear the voices of Palestinian victims of Israeli violence and occassionally interviews from Israeli soldiers committing that violence, but I do not recall him ever giving voice to Israeli victims of Palestinian violence. Nevertheless, I think this history is successful in that it tells the story of a screwed up place with as little bias as possible.
The ending, with Arafat's death and the pulling-out of Israeli troops from Gaza is cursory compared with the comprehensiveness of earlier parts of the story. It feels as if he is writing against a deadline.
Still, well worth the read.
April 10, 2024
Bellissimo saggio storico che ricostruisce la cronistoria dei Territori Occupati dalla vittoria israeliana del 1967 al 2007, passando per ogni singolo evento, omicidio, attentato, decreto, colloquio, negoziato, con montagne di retroscena documentati, spesso raccolti di prima mano dall'autore.
Un racconto asciutto e ciononostante avvincente che risolve il principale problema di chi si accosta oggi alla questione palestinese, ovvero: "sono successe troppe cose per farsi un'idea dei torti e delle ragioni".
Un libro imprescindibile per chiunque pretenda di avere un'idea in merito.
Un racconto asciutto e ciononostante avvincente che risolve il principale problema di chi si accosta oggi alla questione palestinese, ovvero: "sono successe troppe cose per farsi un'idea dei torti e delle ragioni".
Un libro imprescindibile per chiunque pretenda di avere un'idea in merito.
August 20, 2025
Ideal to approach the complicated Israel-Palestine conflict through a overview on the problem of occupied territories. Goes from 1967, the Six Days War, to 2007, with the exit of IDF from the Gaza Strip and elections of Hamas.
There are a lot of sources who are taken from the private archive of the author, either coming from top secret documents or private interviews.
The author, despite being Israeli, is critical of the politics of his own country.
The very brief last chapter includes a useful review of this five decades of occupation, ideal for re-reading in the future.
There are a lot of sources who are taken from the private archive of the author, either coming from top secret documents or private interviews.
The author, despite being Israeli, is critical of the politics of his own country.
The very brief last chapter includes a useful review of this five decades of occupation, ideal for re-reading in the future.
January 12, 2021
LA OCUPACIÓN DE AHRON BREGMAN: un judío achaca cómo Israel cometió auténticos crímenes de guerra contra Palestina a raíz de 1967 y cuenta a través de testimonios todo lo acontecido. El libro que te ayuda a entender mejor el conflicto árabe - israelí atendiendo a la relevancia en cada año de cada líder. Unas 400 páginas y es muy entretenido de leer. Le doy un 9.
September 22, 2025
Approfondita analisi storiografica e critica che spiega e dimostra come le vicende attuali siano influenzate da manovre, azioni ed eventi storici passati, difficili da dimenticare senza un compromesso bilaterale. Il 1967 spartiacque basilare del conflitto, capace di ampliare le distanze di una tregua e pace duratura e permanente nelle aree del Medioriente. Da leggere.
November 7, 2023
Eine blutige Geschichte der Eskalation - Westjordanland, Gaza, Golan - Camp David, Oslo - das Buch umfasst die Zeit bis 2007 und ist eine ganz bittere Erinnerung an die vielen Ereignisse in dieser Spirale der Gewalt. Aus aktuellem Anlass eine schrecklich wichtige Lektüre.
Want to read
November 23, 2024___________________________________
FROM BOOK: Questa terra è nostra da sempre. Israele e Palestina (Arturo Marzano)
FROM BOOK: Questa terra è nostra da sempre. Israele e Palestina (Arturo Marzano)
December 14, 2023
extremely well researched history of Gaza/Israel since the 1967 6 day war, which explains why there is so much chaos there still.
December 16, 2023
3.5 rounded up (because the subject is so important); however, the amount of run-on sentences truly made my head spin
February 3, 2024
Una lettura fondamentale per capire un conflitto complesso e che sembra senza fine, soprattutto dopo gli attacchi del 7 ottobre.
September 4, 2024
Libro divorato, scritto benissimo.
Unico appunto: chiamare terroristi di Hamas che si fanno esplodere con cinture di dinamite... anche no dai.
Unico appunto: chiamare terroristi di Hamas che si fanno esplodere con cinture di dinamite... anche no dai.
March 13, 2025
This was a very well researched text. Overwhelming in its depth and nuance, but a must read for anyone aeeking to understand the conflict.
December 27, 2015
This is a very unusual book from the perspective of people in the occupied lands and written by a Israeli of ex-IDF officer.
「被詛咒的勝利」亞榮-布列格曼著 2015聯經
好比日本人管台灣長達時間50年，以色列人管西岸，加薩，戈蘭，西奈(後來還給埃及）從1967年至今也經過48年。但是不同之處是日本用的殖民統治，為被殖民建造學校、大學，鐵路公路，水廠電廠，水圳，等公共設施，以色列相反地從未真正想它有任何責任幫助或保護其治下的人民，或幫助改善他們的生活品質，最多只將他們視作受控的市場和廉價勞工的來源。(388頁)管理佔領地的這48年來卻是現代史上最慘無人道，仍持續中。(最終頁396頁)
「被詛咒的勝利」亞榮-布列格曼著 2015聯經
好比日本人管台灣長達時間50年，以色列人管西岸，加薩，戈蘭，西奈(後來還給埃及）從1967年至今也經過48年。但是不同之處是日本用的殖民統治，為被殖民建造學校、大學，鐵路公路，水廠電廠，水圳，等公共設施，以色列相反地從未真正想它有任何責任幫助或保護其治下的人民，或幫助改善他們的生活品質，最多只將他們視作受控的市場和廉價勞工的來源。(388頁)管理佔領地的這48年來卻是現代史上最慘無人道，仍持續中。(最終頁396頁)
March 6, 2016
An interesting history of Israel’s occupation of Palestine. I was especially interested in the information about how settlements began after 1967. I don’t completely agree with the author’s characterization of some of the leaders—too charitable to Arafat and assuming bad faith from Rabin and Barak—but history was interesting overall.
December 14, 2024
What Bergman is able to accomplish with his never before seen memos, recordings, and writings is nothing short of extraordinary. He simultaneously dismantles any argument that Israel is the victim in their occupation of Palestinian lands, while also unbiasedly calling out the failures and shortcomings of each side’s attempt at piece. A must read.
October 18, 2015
This is a good book talking about in 1967 when the Israel went into other countries and took thier land from them. When poeple try to do that to them they get mad. It is no wonder this conflict cannot be solved. Give back the territory they stole and let their be two states. What is the problem?
January 29, 2016
Always good to try and see both sides to the story. This one is from the eyes of the Palestinian perspective and reveals the fact that wrong has been done by both sides. Just reinforces the fact that no one will come out the victor, so the book is aptly titled.
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