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The Middle East: Israel, Palestine, and the Arab States
By the end of World War I, Britain had promised control of Palestine both to Arabs and Jews. Each of these peoples claimed a longstanding right to the same piece of land, and violence was inevitable. This presentation examines how and why this magical land has become a virtual war zone.
The World's Political Hotspots Series explains the basis of conflicts in some of the world's most politically sensitive areas. Many of these regions are in today's headlines, and tensions recently have become violent in virtually all of them. Each presentation covers up to ten centuries of background, revealing how and why today's problems occur.
The World's Political Hotspots Series explains the basis of conflicts in some of the world's most politically sensitive areas. Many of these regions are in today's headlines, and tensions recently have become violent in virtually all of them. Each presentation covers up to ten centuries of background, revealing how and why today's problems occur.
Audio CD
First published March 25, 2006
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About the author
Wendy McElroy
69 books45 followersWendy McElroy is a Canadian individualist feminist and anarcho-capitalist.
Among feminists, she identifies herself as being sex-positive: defending the availability of pornography and condemning anti-pornography feminism campaigns. She has also voiced criticism of sexual harassment policies, particularly the zero-tolerance policies common to grade schools, which she considers to be "far too broad and vague" and lacking the sound research necessary to guide responsible policy-making decisions.
In explaining her position in regard to capitalism, she says she has a "marked personal preference for capitalism as the most productive, fair and sensible economic system on the face of the earth," but also recognizes that the free market permits other kinds of systems as well. She says what she wants for society is "not necessarily a capitalistic arrangement but a free market system in which everyone can make the peaceful choices they wish with their own bodies and labor." Therefore, she does not call herself a capitalist but someone for a "free market."
(This description is taken from Wikipedia.)
Among feminists, she identifies herself as being sex-positive: defending the availability of pornography and condemning anti-pornography feminism campaigns. She has also voiced criticism of sexual harassment policies, particularly the zero-tolerance policies common to grade schools, which she considers to be "far too broad and vague" and lacking the sound research necessary to guide responsible policy-making decisions.
In explaining her position in regard to capitalism, she says she has a "marked personal preference for capitalism as the most productive, fair and sensible economic system on the face of the earth," but also recognizes that the free market permits other kinds of systems as well. She says what she wants for society is "not necessarily a capitalistic arrangement but a free market system in which everyone can make the peaceful choices they wish with their own bodies and labor." Therefore, she does not call herself a capitalist but someone for a "free market."
(This description is taken from Wikipedia.)
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 18, 2021
I found it very enlightening. I always thought, the Arabs were the ones, who started terrorists attacks. Never did I imagine, that the aggression was started by the Jews, who were due to a number of different reasons backed up by Britain and USA. Now I understand why there can be no peace
July 8, 2023
A short and surface level, but nevertheless highly readable, primer of the political, religious and cultural history of the Middle East. It also offers an interesting perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with a decent level of understandings towards both sides, although its usually hard to not sympathise largely with the Palestinians. It's a complicated issue, and one I cannot confidently take a single side in. I love that the Jewish people got their ancient home of Israel back, but what a cost it was, and continues to be - and what disgraceful conduct they are often guilty of committing against the Palestinians.
November 20, 2011
This is a short read, but I really enjoyed learning more of the modern history, though McElroy covers plenty of Biblical history as well. What I liked quite a bit was the snippets of etymology, all over. This reads like a textbook, which is actually nice since it's nearly impossible to discuss Palestine without getting into some very heated arguments. What made the biggest impression on me is the seeming impossibility of a resolution. The end summed up the problem nicely. One land, two nations. A good surface history of the problem from 1947 to Camp David.
December 31, 2023
learned a bunch of historical bits - from the 1900s and from biblical times.
“These conflicting land claims have turned the Middle East, one of the cradles of civilization, into an arena of war and sorrow. The heart of the Middle East centers on modern day Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, which are known collectively as the Lebat. To the east lie Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Southward lie Saudi Arabia and the other Persian Gulf states.”
“Because the Hebrews claim descent from Abraham through his son Isaac, they believe Palestine belonged to them. But Abraham had another son named Ishmael and the Arabs claimed descent through him. Thus the Arabs also believed that Palestine was promised to them. Conflicting land claims often are settled by peering back through the veils of time to determine who originally occupied the area. But many people have occupied Palestine. The Egyptians, the Isrealites, the Greeks, and the Persians are only a few of the nations who have controlled the area at one time or another.”
“The great strength of the Jews over the centuries has been their religion. The term Judaism was adopted in later centuries. Originally the religion was called Torahd Yahweh, the teaching of Yahweh or Jehovah. The teachings of Jehovah were codified and became the first five books of the Bible known as the Torah. In the second century AD other books were added to complete the Bible presently used by Jews. Around the 6th century the oral tradition was codified into the Talmud.”
Quran states that Christians and Jews will be included in salvation since they too believe in one God. Mohammed (prophet of Islam) instructed that Jews could join with Muslims to form one composite nation with equal rights for each.
“Zionists believed there must be a ‘new Jew’ who would no longer be an alien. Indeed Zionism has been described as a midwife who helps the Jewish people give birth to a new kind of man.”
“The Arabs quickly pointed out the flaws in the partition plan. First, the Jews received the best land. They were given virtually all the citrus plantations, more than 3/4ths the cereal crop land, and 40% of Arab industry. Second at the end of 1947 Jews owned less than 7% of Palestine. Jewish land accounted for only 10% of the proposed Jewish state. Third, Jews made up less than one third of the population of Palestine. Almost 50% of the new Jewish state (497,000 people) would be Arabs. Most Zionists accepted Partitions reluctantly, calling it an indispensable minimum. The Arabs flatly rejected partition.”
“The Arabs wanted to regain more than lost territory. They wanted to regain lost pride.”
“These conflicting land claims have turned the Middle East, one of the cradles of civilization, into an arena of war and sorrow. The heart of the Middle East centers on modern day Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, which are known collectively as the Lebat. To the east lie Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Southward lie Saudi Arabia and the other Persian Gulf states.”
“Because the Hebrews claim descent from Abraham through his son Isaac, they believe Palestine belonged to them. But Abraham had another son named Ishmael and the Arabs claimed descent through him. Thus the Arabs also believed that Palestine was promised to them. Conflicting land claims often are settled by peering back through the veils of time to determine who originally occupied the area. But many people have occupied Palestine. The Egyptians, the Isrealites, the Greeks, and the Persians are only a few of the nations who have controlled the area at one time or another.”
“The great strength of the Jews over the centuries has been their religion. The term Judaism was adopted in later centuries. Originally the religion was called Torahd Yahweh, the teaching of Yahweh or Jehovah. The teachings of Jehovah were codified and became the first five books of the Bible known as the Torah. In the second century AD other books were added to complete the Bible presently used by Jews. Around the 6th century the oral tradition was codified into the Talmud.”
Quran states that Christians and Jews will be included in salvation since they too believe in one God. Mohammed (prophet of Islam) instructed that Jews could join with Muslims to form one composite nation with equal rights for each.
“Zionists believed there must be a ‘new Jew’ who would no longer be an alien. Indeed Zionism has been described as a midwife who helps the Jewish people give birth to a new kind of man.”
“The Arabs quickly pointed out the flaws in the partition plan. First, the Jews received the best land. They were given virtually all the citrus plantations, more than 3/4ths the cereal crop land, and 40% of Arab industry. Second at the end of 1947 Jews owned less than 7% of Palestine. Jewish land accounted for only 10% of the proposed Jewish state. Third, Jews made up less than one third of the population of Palestine. Almost 50% of the new Jewish state (497,000 people) would be Arabs. Most Zionists accepted Partitions reluctantly, calling it an indispensable minimum. The Arabs flatly rejected partition.”
“The Arabs wanted to regain more than lost territory. They wanted to regain lost pride.”
December 3, 2021
Once you read this book, as a human being you wish for Hitler to have done a better job. England as always had started this conflict and hide away as we see it through history without taking any responsibility and at the end, after over 74 years from the Holocaust, we see that those Jews didn't learn anything from pain to tolerance to empathy to humanity. In the last chapter it is well mentioned how they instruct soldiers to hit Arabs they cross in the streets and still in the XXI century we see this atrocity going on and on and the world closing their eyes on the betrayal of English, the genocide the Israeli committed and commits. This book explains in details that Jews have no place in the Middle East. If they believe they belong there because of their history, modern-day Iran must conquer back from the border of India to Spain since at one time in history it belonged to the Persian Empire.
July 10, 2022
This is mostly a knowledge dump. I found it odd that when Republicans objected to the existence of Israel, the party affiliation was mentioned, but when those who objected were Democrats, the party affiliation was not mentioned. It wasn't too blatant, but I noticed.
dnf
June 25, 2024Quit at 11% in when it got into Khazaria conspiracy theory. 🤮 No serious historian or academic would ever touch this theory because it has no real basis, and has been rejected by genetic and linguistic research.
February 23, 2021
A decent high level summary of a complex history
March 19, 2021
Amazing amount of information stuff into this small book.
April 26, 2022
Interesting.
July 4, 2022
A bit hard to follow as an audiobook. I suspect I could've gotten more out of it if I was reading it like a textbook and taking notes.
December 8, 2021
A brief overview of the Middle East and its conflicts
June 27, 2021
Just the basics, to understand why England/USA/France (honor mention to Spain) are the ones to blame for almost all of the problems in the word today.
September 5, 2014
One clearly positive element of this work is that it's short. Harry Reasoner is "OK" as narrator. The other voices, done in nasal British, guttural Semitic, and others gives it variety, but I question its effectiveness. I suppose that so long as people are brought to some level of understanding of the complexities that are the Middle Ease, it's good. I did sense a touch of "moral equivalence" in places where I question whether it was deserved. Probably the most extensive work that one could expect most millienials to grasp before giving up in boredom.
April 2, 2024
This is a very high-level summary of the political history of the Middle East, about as exciting as reading a textbook. I think there are better sources for nuanced information about this region.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews