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The Lingering Conflict: Israel and the Arabs, 1948-2011
The Lingering Conflict Israel and the Arabs 19482011 Author:Itamar Rabinovich In this title, noted author and diplomat Itamar Rabinovich provides a detailed history and analysis of Arab-Israel relations, beginning with the birth of the Israeli state in 1948. In "The Lingering Conflict" Rabinovich, a former chief negotiator for Israel, adds his own unique and authoritative insight into the prospects for genuine peace in th... more »e Middle East. His presentation includes a detailed insider account of the peace processes of 1992-1996 and a frank dissection of the more dispiriting record since then. Rabinovich's firsthand experiences as a negotiator and as an ambassador to the United States in the mid-1990s provide a valuable new perspective from which to view the major players involved. His book is a shrewd assessment of the past and current state of affairs in the Middle East, as well as a sober look at the prospects for a peaceful future. To-the-minute analysis of ongoing situations in the region (e.g., Iraq) and the author's authoritative take on key figures such as Israeli leaders Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon, Ehud Olmert, and Benjamin Netanyahu shed new light on the long and tumultuous history between Arabs and Jews. While Rabinovich considers the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians - a classic dispute between two national movements claiming the same land - he also studies the broader political, cultural, and increasingly religious conflict between Israel and Arab nationalism and discusses the troubled region in an international context. This book builds on the author's previous work, particularly 2003's Waging Peace. Much has happened since then, of course, and much has been learned about what happened even before then. As he brings the Arab-Israeli conflict up to date, Rabinovich widens the scope of his earlier proposals for achieving normalized and peaceful relations. He discusses the historic and current role of the United States in the conflict as well as evaluating its performance in those roles. And, of course, he takes full account of recent social and political tumult in the Middle East, discussing these popular uprisings - and the subsequent retaliation by dictators such as Syria's al-Assad and Libya's Qadaffi - in the context of Arab-Israeli relations. Praise for "Waging Peace": "A keen strategic mind is at work in Waging Peace - dovish but tough, focused on the big picture yet ever attentive to particulars. This eloquent book is essential reading for anyone following the Arab-Israeli peace process". (Mitchell Cohen, "New York Times Book Review").« less