The Case for Israel (Paperback)

A whole plethora of secular issues are discussed in this work in order to provide a pro-active defence of the Jewish State. Despite this the book declares that it in no way defends every policy or action of the Israeli Government but vehemently defends the right of Israel to exist and to protect it's citizens from terrorism under the principle of self defence afforded every sovereign nation. The contents of this work depicting this principle as frequently being denied Israel by some elements of the International community. The latter being depicted as regularly singling out the Jewish State for unique criticism which is not directed at any other nations or at it's neighbouring Arab countries for that matter. The latter entities being demonstrated as having far worse human rights records than Israel. An underlying attitude described in the book as "International bigotry" which crosses the line into the realms of anti-Semitism.

The book addresses many fundamental points such as the historical fact that the Palestinians have been offered Statehood on three separate occasions, in 1937, 1947 and 2000-2001. On each occasion the book describes how each offer was rejected and on each occasion the response has been increased terrorism. A parallel issue addressed here is that the Palestinian Arabs never sought Statehood when they were "occupied" by Jordan and Egypt and that the claim began as a tactic to eliminate the Jewish State of Israel. The PLO even being formed by Egypt in 1964 when the "West Bank" and Gaza are described as being Arab occupied. The Arab-Israeli wars also receive attention and the book documents how it was actually the Arabs that were responsible for the Palestinian "refugee" issue.

The so called "settlement" issue is also addressed, with references being shown that the Arabs/Palestinians refused to make peace with Israel when there were no "settlements" in existence and also when Ehud Barak offered to remove them all. The Sinai "settlement" issue being illustrated as no barrier to the "peace" agreement between Israel and Egypt. The book declaring that the real barrier to "peace" is that the Palestinians are utterly unwilling to accept the existence of a Jewish State in ANY part of what they describe as "Palestine".

The book describes that Palestinian propagandists regularly invoke the "human rights" issue merely as a tactic against Israel, whilst the Palestinian Authority is depicted here as having no respect for tolerance or human rights itself with a policy of "torturing and killing alleged collaborators", often publicly, without even a semblance of a due process of law or trial. An issue which is described as being of little consequence to World opinion, which prefers to concentrate on alleged Israel wrongdoings.

Also relating to "human rights" the book investigates the UNHCR and what it describes as a substantive assault upon Israel, quoting the vast percentage of it's resolutions being against Israel which is the only nation to be subject to an entire agenda EVERY year. By comparison the book shows that the UNHCR has never passed a resolution against states such as Syria, China, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Chad, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Yemen or Zimbabwe, all of which are depicted as committing gross and systematic human rights abuses.

Another disturbing issue addressed is that in chapter 29 of society's growing willingness to attach what is described as a "moral equivalence between Palestinian terrorism & Israeli responses to terrorism." A parallel issue also being addressed is the alleged "moral equivalence" between Palestinians casualties sustained during acts of violence/terrorism against Israeli targets and the Israeli casualties sustained amongst innocent civilians just going about their daily lives.

The Balfour Declaration is also studied & the promise of a Jewish homeland in then "Palestine" and how the British detached 80% of the original area and created an Arab State in the land with a Palestinian majority named Transjordan. (An Arab emirate which the book describes as demanding the total exclusion of all Jews). The book illustrates how this left the Jews with only a small remaining area, which the UN saw fit to divide further between the Jews and the "Palestinian Arabs" at a later date. Something which the book describes the Jews as still being prepared to accept, whilst the Arabs rejected even this offer.

The allegations of Israel being a "racist state" are also examined and dismissed. Parallel attention is also paid to every other "State" in the area, including the Palestinian Authority which is described as having an officially established religion (Islam), discriminating both in law and in fact against non-Muslims, especially Jews. Chapter 21 contrasting Israel as a secular state which is religiously/racially pluralistic, allowing freedom of religion for all, quoting neighbouring Jordan as just one regional example as having a law explicitly prohibiting Jews from citizenship.

Reference is also made to what are depicted as the "far superior" territorial claims of the Tibetans, Kurds, Basques, Chechens, Turkish Armenians & other stateless groups who pursue their own homeland. The claims of these groups described as being leap-frogged in terms of World attention due to the Palestinian murder of thousands of innocent people. Groups like the Tibetans never having resorted to violence and others only spasmodically. Yet, in what the book describes as "repeatedly rewarding Palestinian terrorism", the UN has accorded the PLO far greater recognition than any other stateless group which has not resorted to terrorism.

The clarity of thought behind these arguments is easy to understand and only displays the mark of a lawyer in the way each point is carefully baked with evidence. It is an easy read and not at all "legalese".

The fact that Israel needs a defence of its right to exist is interesting in itself but, having read many, many books on this subject, I found this one to be a very clear summation of the issues. I would recommend it to anyone who feels they may not be getting the full story from contemporary news sources, especially in the UK.