Israel/Palestine

If you are looking for a concise overview of the entire Arab-Israeli conflict, this is the book. If you are looking for a book that identifies the essential information needed to understand the conflict, this is the book. And if you are looking for a book that gives both sides of the conflict equal time, this is the book. Professor Alan Dowty has done an amazing job explaining this complicated conflict and helping the reader understand the most likely solutions to the complex issues of the conflict.

Alan Dowty's Israel/Palestine is simply the best, most coherent, concise, up to date, and balanced introduction to the tortured relations between Israel and the Palestinians available. It is scrupulously fair and even handed without sacrificing analytical rigor. It provides the historical background and dispels conventional myths; that it is an age-old conflict based on ethnic hatred rooted in religion and insoluble because of endless violence. He accurately and concisely defines the conflict as "the claim of two peoples for the same piece of land" (p.4). Dowty fairly relates both the Jewish and Arab narratives, the emergence of Israel, the "re-emergence" of the Palestinians as active players after the 1967 war up to the first Intifada to contextualize his insightful analysis of the failure of the Oslo peace process and its implications. He devotes a complete chapter to an examination of the core issues; territory and settlements, Jerusalem, security issues, and refugees which he concludes with a general prognosis. I quote just one of Dowty's many profound insights: "The lack of attention to one's own impact on the politics, society, and public attitudes of the other side seems to be a fixed attribute of Middle East conflicts. Perhaps the `winner' in the Arab-Israeli conflicted will be the first party to realize how much power it has to influence the internal dynamics of the other side and to use this power effectively" (200).The concluding chapter, "The Perfect Conflict" examines tragic aspects of the clash of right with right and the mutual sense of victimhood. Dowty critically examines the option of a binational state and rejects it as unpractical and supports the two-state solution as the only practical solution. He analyzes the role of the extremists on both sides and the policy of unilateral disengagement in his concluding analysis. I have used this book as a required text in an advanced undergraduate seminar in political science and my students are very enthusiastic about it. It is so well written without resort to professional jargon that it is appropriate for nonprofessionals interested in the subject. I highly recommend it. Professor M.J. Aronoff (Rutgers University)

Israel/Palestine is simply a great text.Against the backdrop of the plethora of highly polemic and biased works,which approach the Israeli-Palestinian predicament in a highly-charged and partisan manner,Professor Dowty's book is an immensely valuable contribution.The book is balanced,thoughtful and insightful.It is based upon a most scrupulous and comprehensive research.The author manages to beautifully and compellingly combine facts and analysis into a very coherent whole, and the outcome is an integrative,clear and concise interpretation of the origins and evolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.The book avoids any sweeping generalizations and wholesale accusations of any of the parties.It is nuanced and sophisticated,seeking to elucidate the core and dynamics of the conflict,which originated in certain incompatible ideologies,legacies and cultural experiences rather than in conspiracies or imperialistic schemes.It consistently juxtaposes these perspectives,and the outcome is a most analytical,well-written and powerful text,which is permeated with empathy for both sides and is based upon a most profound understanding of historical processes.It is a must book for anyone interested in the conflict.

This is a truly excellent book on one of the most difficult conflicts in today's world, the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians over what Professor Dowty calls, thoughtfully, "Israel/Palestine". This small volume is as great an introduction to the conflict as I have read in a long time. The book has many strong points. The most important among them: 1. It is genuinely balanced, giving a fair description, analysis and even prescription to a conflict on which almost anything said is considered biased by one party or the other (and often both!). Dowty achieves a measure of "objectivity" (assuming that true objectivity is beyond reach) by letting each party speak in its own voice. You will not find in this book straw men or cartoonish descriptions of what the conflicting parties allegedly believe. This fairness is as refreshing as it is unusual. 2. The book is very well written, as accessible as poissible, and clearly organized. Other books on the Arab-Israeli conflict run 800-900 pages; Dowty does it in 240 pages. While more details are, of course, possible--this small volume ought to be looked upon as an introduction, an invitation to learn more. 3. Professor Dowty identifies correctly the cause of the conflict as "the claim of 2 peoples to the same piece of land" (p. 4) and demolishes convincingly alternative explanations (myths that tend to perpetuate the conflict). 4. Although this is a brief book, I find it highly sophisticated. For example, the author offers a good, rational discussion of solutions to the conflict (pp. 77-79 and in other places) 5. Despite the space limitations that must have been imposed on the author, he makes good use of maps (without which one cannot understand the analysis) and, in general, his use of sources reflects his expertise. This is a very useful book for college courses, the attentive public and intelligent readers interested in comprehending this highly complicated dispute. It supplies the historical background without which no fruitful discussion of the contemporary dilemmas can take place. If you are interested in UNDERSTADING the conflict rather than in propaganda (on either side), this volume should be on your shelf.