The Fight for Jerusalem: Radical Islam, the West, and the Future of the Holy City

The PLO and other affiliated groups, including the President of Iran, have vowed to exterminate Israel. This has proved more difficult than they have vowed it to be over the decades since Israel's modern re-establishment. Many different strategies have been applied through countless different tactical approaches, but despite the death and mayhem, Israel still stands. Among the more recent approaches is that of Temple Denial. That is, Yassir Arafat began preaching that there never was a Temple on the Temple Mount. That if there ever was a temple it was actually somewhere else. The evidence against this theory is overwhelming, but is hardly known by the general person today. Many influential media outlets, college programs on Middle-Easter Studies, and certain politicians from around the world are so supportive of the "Palestinian Cause" that they are willing to support any political wedge to help them including misrepresenting the evidence of the history of the Jews and of Israel. This very helpful book explains the evidence of the history of the Jews and the Arabs in Palestine (a term for the area invented by a Roman emperor when he wanted to punish the Jews and named it after their traditional enemies the Philistines - a people of Aegean heritage, not Arab). The author, Dore Gold, has served as Israel's ambassador to the United Nations. He begins the book by introducing us to the problem of Temple Denial. The book is presented in three parts. 1) The Religious Dimension of Jerusalem, 2) The Diplomatic Struggle over Jerusalem, and 3) Radical Islam and Jerusalem. Unless you are already deeply familiar with the history of the area and all the conflicting arguments and claims, you will likely learn a great deal from this book. The first part takes us through what Jerusalem has meant to the Jews, the Christians, and Islam over the millennia. The second part discusses the political treatment of the area and how these claims have been mediated before, during, and after the Ottoman Empire, the realities of the area during the 19th century (did you know that in the second half of the 19th century that Jews outnumbered Arabs in Jerusalem?), the political work towards and against the establishment of a Jewish homeland, and how it came about. And, finally, the struggle and political conflicts since Israel was established by a United Nations charter. With all this background the reader is in a better position to understand part III and the way radical Islam (or the Islamofacists or Jihadists - whatever you want to call them) has used its claims and approaches to Jerusalem in their global struggle against the West rather than the struggle originating because of Israel and Jerusalem. It is an especially interesting part and currently relevant part of the book. I found the discussion of the current stream of apocalyptic vision in Islam to be particularly interesting in understanding the global War on Terror we are having to fight. Mr. Gold do

I've read dozens of books on the subject of Jerusalem! This one stands apart! Dore Gold has done a great service to anyone seeking a true history of this city right up to the present day; the city at the center of the World. Certainly he is biased as an Israeli diplomat but who isn't biased when it comes to this subject? His facts are accurate and not hysterical as opposed to some with a different point of view. He makes his case. I especially recommend this book to Messianic Jews and Evangelical Christians who want the facts and want a glimpse of what is "right around the corner."

This book was a terrifically fun read, especially the color photos and the archaeological scoops. Also some pretty shocking current events material; who knew Jerusalem is becoming as central to the balance of power as it was 2000 years ago? But in the opposite way from what I thought! Best of all, 'The Fight' is an honest, scholarly account that's quite balanced -- putting every religion, every concerned party and its potential role in the city in the best possible light. One flaw: by the incredible 'Publisher's Weekly' standard -- above on this page -- the book does lean a little bit "anti-fundamentalist." What a horrible "slant"!(or shold I say, with criticism like that, who needs praise?)

I agree with Mr. Isaac that Christians and Jews should read this informative and riveting history of Jerusalem. While Christianity and Judiaism have direct religious ties to Jerusalem, Islamic radicals discover Jerusalem when it serves a political puropose. Dore Gold's Fight For Jerusalem documents this reality. Like his perviuos books, Dore Gold proves himself to be a first-rate researcher that lets the facts tell his story. This book contains many fascinating maps and photographs that help bring to life this unique city. Any one who reads the Fight For Jerusalem will come away with important information that will help them understand the importance of Israel's capital.

I have never had such an exciting time learning so much! I always knew Jerusalem was sacred, hotly contested, and a flashpoint of conflict. What I didn't know until now was how Jerusalem is being used to launch an apocalypse, by champions who are serious and armed enough to start a new world war. Alarming as it is, I was still glad to learn that we can fight this threat, and that protecting Jerusalem ultimately means protecting so much more. Beyond that, this book is an enjoyable and fast read, especially for such a fact-rich account: I learned everything I could ever have wanted to know about this amazing city, all the way back to King David. What a thrilling experience!!