- Hardcover: 704 pages
- Publisher: Allen Lane (27 April 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 071399410X
- ISBN-13: 978-0713994100
- Product Dimensions: 24 x 16.3 x 5.7 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,332,914 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Amazon.co.uk Review
In 1897, under order of First Zionist Congress president Theodor Herzl, two Austrian rabbis travelled to Palestine to explore the possibility of locating a Jewish state there. "The bride is beautiful", the rabbis cabled Herzl, "but she is married to another man". That "other man" was the Palestinian Arab nation, long established in the region as a political entity. Undeterred, Herzl pressed on with his programme of emigration, ignoring Palestine's existing occupants and creating in the process what came to be known as the "Arab question".
In this far-ranging history, Avi Shlaim analyses that question in remarkable detail, tracing the shifting policies of Israel toward the Palestinians and the Arab world at large. Herzl, he writes, followed a policy that consciously sought to enlist the great powers--principally Britain and later the United States--while dismissing indigenous claims to sovereignty; after all, Herzl argued, "the Arab problem paled in significance compared with the Jewish problem because the Arabs had vast spaces outside Palestine, whereas for the Jews, who were being persecuted in Europe, Palestine constituted the only possible haven". This policy later changed to a stance of confrontation against the admittedly hostile surrounding Arab powers, especially Syria, Jordan and Egypt; this militant stance was a source of controversy in the international community, and it also divided Israelis into hawk and dove factions. The intransigence of those hawks, Shlaim shows, served to alienate Israel and made it possible for the Palestine Liberation Organisation and other Arab nationalist groups to enlist the support of the great powers that Herzl had long before courted. Both sides, in turn, had eventually to face the "historic compromise" that led to the present peace in the Middle East--a peace that, the author suggests, may not endure. --Gregory McNamee --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Amazon.co.uk Review
In 1897, under order of First Zionist Congress president Theodor Herzl, two Austrian rabbis travelled to Palestine to explore the possibility of locating a Jewish state there. "The bride is beautiful," the rabbis cabled Herzl, "but she is married to another man." That "other man" was the Palestinian Arab nation, long established in the region as a political entity. Undeterred, Herzl pressed on with his programme of emigration, ignoring Palestine's existing occupants and creating in the process what came to be known as the "Arab question."
In this far-ranging history, Avi Shlaim analyses that question in remarkable detail, tracing the shifting policies of Israel toward the Palestinians and the Arab world at large. Herzl, he writes, followed a policy that consciously sought to enlist the great powers--principally Britain and later the United States--while dismissing indigenous claims to sovereignty; after all, Herzl argued, "the Arab problem paled in significance compared with the Jewish problem because the Arabs had vast spaces outside Palestine, whereas for the Jews, who were being persecuted in Europe, Palestine constituted the only possible haven." This policy later changed to a stance of confrontation against the admittedly hostile surrounding Arab powers, especially Syria, Jordan and Egypt; this militant stance was a source of controversy in the international community, and it also divided Israelis into hawk and dove factions. The intransigence of those hawks, Shlaim shows, served to alienate Israel and made it possible for the Palestine Liberation Organisation and other Arab nationalist groups to enlist the support of the great powers that Herzl had long before courted. Both sides, in turn, had eventually to face the "historic compromise" that led to the present peace in the Middle East--a peace that, the author suggests, may not endure. --Gregory McNamee
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THE STATE OF ISRAEL was born in the midst of a war with the Arabs of Palestine and the neighboring Arab states. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
THE STATE OF ISRAEL was born in the midst of a war with the Arabs of Palestine and the neighboring Arab states. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Books on the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict tend to reflect the prejudices of the author more than they show what actually occured. However this book, although not perfect, is the closest thing I have read to a balanced account of the conflict.
This book is a fairly comprehensive diplomatic summary of the conflict that covers the period before the foundation of the state of Israel through to the election of Ehud Barak as Isarel's prime minister. Shlaim is an Israeli-Jew who believes in a two state solution to the conflict, and this comes across in his writing. He criticises both Israel and the Arab states when they squandered opportunities to achieve the solution Shlaim would prefer to see.
There are books which focus on specific aspects of the conflict which are perhaps more useful to understanding the conflict than this, but this is probably the best account currently available which covers the all the Arab-Israeli wars. However while you should definitely read this book, there are a few things which you should be aware of.
This book is primarily a diplomatic history of Israel. This means it goes into great detail on Israel's foreign policy. This means that it can sometimes get bogged down in the details of negotiations. It also means that it focuses more on pre-war and post-war diplomacy more than on the actual wars themselves.
The books main flaw however is that it views the conflict largely based on Israel's viewpoint. Shlaim is sometimes supportive of Israel, and often critical, but his focus is generally Israel. Since this is a diplomatic history, and the Palestinians are without a state, they recieve little attention.
Due, perhaps, to his personal views on the best outcome of the conflict, Shlaim is not as critical as he should be of the Oslo process. He ends the book hopeful about the "peace process" and Barak, though subsequent events have showed this optimism to be misplaced.
However despite these complaints, this book is a must read. No one book is enough to understand the conflict, but this one is as good a starting point as you are likely to find.
This book is a fairly comprehensive diplomatic summary of the conflict that covers the period before the foundation of the state of Israel through to the election of Ehud Barak as Isarel's prime minister. Shlaim is an Israeli-Jew who believes in a two state solution to the conflict, and this comes across in his writing. He criticises both Israel and the Arab states when they squandered opportunities to achieve the solution Shlaim would prefer to see.
There are books which focus on specific aspects of the conflict which are perhaps more useful to understanding the conflict than this, but this is probably the best account currently available which covers the all the Arab-Israeli wars. However while you should definitely read this book, there are a few things which you should be aware of.
This book is primarily a diplomatic history of Israel. This means it goes into great detail on Israel's foreign policy. This means that it can sometimes get bogged down in the details of negotiations. It also means that it focuses more on pre-war and post-war diplomacy more than on the actual wars themselves.
The books main flaw however is that it views the conflict largely based on Israel's viewpoint. Shlaim is sometimes supportive of Israel, and often critical, but his focus is generally Israel. Since this is a diplomatic history, and the Palestinians are without a state, they recieve little attention.
Due, perhaps, to his personal views on the best outcome of the conflict, Shlaim is not as critical as he should be of the Oslo process. He ends the book hopeful about the "peace process" and Barak, though subsequent events have showed this optimism to be misplaced.
However despite these complaints, this book is a must read. No one book is enough to understand the conflict, but this one is as good a starting point as you are likely to find.
27 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A truly amasing book by a sincere objective and intellectually sound historian. Avi Shlaim succeeds where so many other authors on the subject have gone so tragically wrong.
He gives a sound, comprehensive analysis of the creation of the state of Israel within a historic and political context. But he goes further than that. He presents his views and criticises where necessary both the Israelite politicians and the state.
The use of language is understandable and simple. This enables the reader to focus on the content rather than the unneccessary long/complicated language used by many historians.
I recommend this book strongly to anyone who wants to find out more about Israel and the Arab World. Edward W. Said was absolutely right in saying that this book is a:
"A milestone in modern scholorship of the Middle East"
He couldnt have got it more right than this!!!
42 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Other reviewers have listed the strengths of this book so I will refrain from repeating their comments here. Suffice as to say Shlaim's research is impeccable and he challenges many myths central to the founding of the State of Israel and the claims of many 'mainsteam' Middle East commentaries. Particularly impressive are his early chapters dealing with the dispossession of the Palestinians and the lost diplomatic opportunities resulting from Isreal's 'iron wall' stance towards the Arab states.
However, where I would dissent from other reviewers is that I found the book's momentum became bogged down in the second half in a thicket of irrelevant detail. Every single diplomatic initiative and exchange, great and small, is described exhaustively. The most insignificant aspects of meetings are noted e.g. chapter 11 even describes the dining arrangements at a meeting attended by King Hussein of Jordan and Shimon Peres, and who did the washing up!. The upshot of all this pointless and tiresome clutter is that Schlaim's promised central narrative - the destructive consequences of the 'iron wall' doctrine of revisionist Zionism - gets lost along the way. This fine work of scholarship clearly would have benefited from improved editing. With footnotes it runs to over 640 pages.
Another major problem with the book is that its narrow diplomatic focus makes the Palestinians as 'a people', largely invisible players. Readers wanting a more rounded socio-economic approach, or one which deals with political events 'on the ground' would be advised to look to Edward Said, Ilan Pappe, Noam Chomsky or Baruch Kimmerling and Joel Migdal's work.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Arab-Israeli conflict
An excellent thoroughly readable account of events leading to the inception of the state of Israel and subsequent problems. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Boru
Unbiased history of Arab/Israeli relations
The Iron Wall is a thoroughly well researched and well written review of the history of relations between the relatively recent State of Israel and all her Arab neighbours. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Durani
The best book I have on the conflict
Written by an Israeli Historian the book attenmpts to describe the history of Israel since the second world war. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Chris Bird
Essential reading for anyone with an opinion on the situation
This book cannot be recommended too highly. Like all books on the State of Isreal it is bound to be judged by one's preconceptions on the validity of the State of Isreal. Read more
Published on 1 May 2010 by Dr. I. G. Poole
Excellent diplomatic history
Avi Shlaim has written a great book about the myths and realities of Israel's relationships with it's Arab neighbours governments. Read more
Published on 15 Jun 2009 by PygmyTwylyte
Well-written, interesting, unbiased but occasionally goes into too...
This is a clear but precise, well-written, interesting and (as far as anyone can be) unbiased history of the entire Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab conflict from the first... Read more
Published on 28 May 2009 by Mr. Duncan Macfarlane
Detailed, novel, but profoundly coloured by his anti-Zionism
As one would expect from a radical revisionist historian Shlaim has reputation to make by subverting the orthodox. Read more
Published on 5 Jun 2007 by Charles Soper
Necessary for students, but not laymen
This book is not the definitive history of the Israel-Arab confilct. It ishowever incredibly useful to read if you are a student (formally orinformally) of the region. Read more
Published on 21 April 2004 by DP GARAY
Action and reactions -we know so little of the truth
This book brings about the real story of the conflict in as much as for every action that one reads about in news, there are far more behind the scenes leading up to it. Read more
Published on 17 Jun 2002
Fantastic!
This is a fantastic read
a fair minded informative book thats cuts through the fog of the propaganda of all sides to the conflict
Published on 7 Jan 2002
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