Author(s): Ian J. Bickerton

Middle Eastern

The proclamation of the State of Israel on 14 May 1948 was an epochal event in the history of Jews, Muslims, and Christians, and its impact resounded not only across the Middle East but also throughout the world. The resulting conflict between Arabs and Israelis for sovereignty over Palestine has been one of the most bloody, intractable, and drawn-out of modern times. In this timely volume, noted military historian Ian J. Bickerton examines this struggle in detail, describing its beginnings with the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire following the end of World War I. In concise and clear prose Bickerton shows that the root of the present problem lies in the fact that each of the parties involved are trapped by visions of their past from which they seem unable to break free. The author goes on to describe the salient features of that past and analysis how it has influenced the decision-making of the participants since the Second World War. Ultimately, Bickerton argues that the use of armed force has not, and will not, resolve the issues that have divided Israelis and Arabs, especially Israeli and Palestinian Arabs, for the past sixty years. The book as a result provides a much-needed plea for sanity in a world increasingly dominated by extremists committed to violence. "The Arab-Israeli Conflict" will appeal to a wide general audience interested in learning more about an area brought once more to the world's attention by recent events in the Gaza Strip, as well as specialists in the field.