Myths and Facts: a Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict (Paperback)

The chapters include Israel's Roots, The Mandatory Period, Partition, The War of 1948, The 1967 War, Between the Wars, The War of Attrition, The Yom Kippur War, Boundaries, The Gulf Wars, The United Nations, The Refugees, Human Rights in Arab Countries and in Israel and the Territories, Jerusalem, US Middle East Policies, The Arms Balance and The Media.

Among the topics discussed are the Balfour Declaration of 1917, the slanderous accusation of Zionism as racism, Jewish immigration to the area, the number of Arab states besides Egypt and Syria who were involved in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the shameful record of the United Nations in condemning Israel, and the vile Anti-Jewish rhetoric of the UN. The role of the notorious Haj Amin Al-Husseini, Mufti of Jerusalem, and his dalliance with Nazi Germany is also covered. Each myth and its refutation by the facts are backed by copious notes and references.

One of the most interesting things I learnt is that in the early 20th century, certain influential Arabs welcomed Jewish immigration to the land, like Dawood Barakat, the editor of the Egyptian paper Al-Ahram, in 1913, and Sherif Hussein, guardian of the Islamic Holy Places in Arabia.

This contrasts sharply with the quotes in the chapter Arab/Muslim Attitudes Toward Israel, under the headings Anti-Semitism, Fabrication Of Abuses, Holocaust Denial, Phased Plan & the Destruction of Israel, and Sanctioning Violence.

These quotes, from Arab leaders, sermons of preachers, columnists in the mainstream press, high officials, academics, Palestinian Christian clerics, and Palestinian Authority spokespeople and officials, include direct calls for the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews, to praise for Hitler, despicably racist remarks about Jews, holocaust denial and the threat of nuclear attack.

These words, intended for local consumption, are rarely reported in the Western media. Quite clearly there is a type of psychosis at work here, a hatred irrational beyond comprehension. Anyone who believed that Israel's neighbours really want peace will come to the opposite conclusion after perusing these chilling, heartless and despicable utterances.

There is an Index Of Myths, Key Documents including The Balfour Declaration, The Hebron Protocol, The Peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, various United Nations Security Council Resolutions and other info like Israeli statistics on life expectancy, US assistance to and trade with Israel, and economic indicators. This book is absolutely essential for understanding the history and the present situation in the Middle East.

For further information and related matters, I recommend The Case For Israel by Dershowitz, The Mountains Of Israel by Norma Archbold Parrish, Inside The Asylum by Jed Babbin, Eurabia by Bat Ye'or, The Nazi Connection To Islamic Terrorism by Chuck Morse, The Israelis by Donna Rosenthal and The Anti-Chomsky Reader, edited by Horowitz and Collier.

It is far, far more than a reference book. Granted, those who are looking for an extensive, in-depth study on the Middle East should look for a book that specifically deals with the particular subject in question.

However, this book provides some 450 pages of incredibly valuable information and covers with remarkable and accurate detail a whole plethora of subjects.

Stemming from the British Mandate period, to the re-birth of the Jewish state, the Arab-Israeli wars, the Palestinian issue, refugees, the Intifada, the UN, the Mid-East ‘Peace Process', Jews in Arab/Islamic countries, the media and most significant of all, Jerusalem.

Each particular issue weighs the commonly held views on the matter together with the propaganda, against the factual and true data on every issue and the relevant references and sources pertaining to each. Maps and charts are plentifully provided.

Sometimes I wonder how much the political and diplomatic ‘powers that be' actually know about this most relevant of issues. It certainly would not do most world leaders any harm to keep a copy of this book on their office desks.

If the reader weighs up what they see on the television screens and what they read in their daily newspapers against what appears here, they cannot but be alarmed at how today's media is distorting the manner in which this conflict is being presented to the public.