The Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Guide for the Perplexed

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The Arab-Israeli Conflict explains what the term "Arab-Israeli Conflict" refers to, providing an accurate and dispassionate description of the current situation, its origins, as well as the people involved and their motivations. It outlines in an accessible manner the past and present events that have led to the current divisions and hostilities. Using a thematic approach, the work examines key questions such as the importance of Jerusalem, borders and the West Bank, settlements, terrorism, Palestinian and Israeli political structures and internal divisions, the role of the United States (and other countries), the significance of ethnic identity and religion, and more. The Arab-Israeli Conflict illuminates the nature and course of the conflict, fostering a better understanding of the current situation and what we hear in the news almost daily. Written by an expert in the field, the guide will appeal to anyone perplexed by this ongoing and seemingly intractable conflict.

Reviews

"In an elegantly written fashion, Bickerton poses and answers difficult questions such as, What is the Palestinian-Arab-Israel conflict, what is the role of the USA, how have the media contributed to a polarization of people's views ' To answer those questions, he takes the reader through a range of key events from the Oslo Accords starting in 1993 to the so called Israel Gaza War of 2008-2009. If all interested parties, whatever their religious or political persuasion, would read and regularly refer to this book, they would no longer stay perplexed." -Stuart Rees, Professor Emeritus, University of Sydney, Director Sydney Peace Foundation.
"The Israel-Palestine conflict is often depicted as intractable, close to hopeless. There are many reasons to suppose that that is far from true. Ian Bickerton's thoughtful discussion of the issues should help to reach a clearer understanding of just what is at stake, and what we can do to bring about a resolution that will respect the demands of justice, and convert antagonism to cooperation." - Noam Chomsky, Professor (retired), MIT.
"A frank and illuminating guide. Bickerton's insightful analysis is a welcome addition [to the study of the conflict]. As he presents multiple, conflicting viewpoints, you may not agree with everything he writes. But your mind will surely be stimulated and your knowledge will surely be enriched." - Jeremy Pressman, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Connecticut.

Author Bio

Ian Bickerton is Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the University of New South Wales, Australia. He has taught the History of the Arab-Israeli conflict for thirty five years, in various institutions, including Pomona College, CA, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the University of California-Santa Barbara. He has also been visiting scholar at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and the Oxford University Centre of Hebrew and Jewish Studies.