72 of 76 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Arafat Exposed., October 14, 2003
This is a splendid, stunning, investigative work of dramatic proportions by the Professor and Head of Mediterranean Studies at Kings College, University of London.
The reader cannot fail but be impressed by the depth of knowledge and experience upon which this book is founded. An incisive, thought-provoking, penetrating exposé of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat that surgically excises any propaganda to reveal a discerning revelation of the "man and his mission". An immensely readable & well argued book commendably drawing upon Arabic, Hebrew and English language sources and which holds the reader's attention on every page. A book which will undoubtedly draw much reaction from all sides of the political spectrum.
This book is "strong medicine" and the reader will be immediately aware that the book does not pull any punches with Arafat being described on the cover as a "bloodthirsty terrorist with no respect for human lives, impervious to his own peoples needs & aspirations" whilst being absolutely committed to "Israel's destruction".
It is virtually impossible to refer to all the issues covered in a review alone. However, the book opens with a description of the establishment of the PLO in 1964 when the areas of the "West Bank" and Gaza were already under Arab rule, leaving the reader to assess what "Palestine" actually needed "liberating". At the outset the book cites on page 10 that Yasser Arafat himself does not even conform to what his "own" definition of a "Palestinian" is. This is discussed at some length but essentially reveals that Yasser Arafat (born Muhammad Abdel Rahman Abdel Rauf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini, in Cairo, Egypt on August 24 1929) had never resided in "Palestine" prior to 1947 as required in the Palestinian National Covenant "definition", or indeed at any subsequent time until his arrival in the Gaza Strip in 1994. Many may find this a most interesting analysis on it's own merits.
Another important issue in this study is Arafat's alleged rejection of Palestinian "statehood" in 2,000. Arafat is accused here of being far more interested in the PLO's historic goal of "Israel's destruction" than in establishing any Palestinian state or the interests of his own people.
Further to this the book provides details of what it portrays as Arafat's effort, since the Oslo Peace Accords, to build an extensive terrorist infrastructure, together with the "failure" to disarm Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Something recounted as being simultaneous with the pursuit of a systematic effort to indoctrinate the Palestinian population (through the official Palestinian Authority media/education syllabus) with a hatred of Israel & it's people through rumour and religious zealotry. The book further details how this policy has produced what it cites as a level of violence unmatched in scope and intensity since the re-birth of the Jewish state in 1948. The book's study on these particular issues contains creditable detail, is enormously interesting and is worthy of a study all of it's own.
Crucially, this work relates that Arafat's alleged "disingenuous" approach to the "peace process" and it's culmination in terrorism and violence, is just as much a betrayal of his "own" people who he purports to defend, as it is a betrayal of his Israeli peace partner.
Whatever your views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, this is a book without which any individual's library on the Middle East would be incomplete. Highly recommended. Thank you for your time.
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40 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A powerful indictment, November 20, 2003
In Arafat's War, Karsh offers a convincing case that Yasser Arafat does not now and never did intend to make peace with Israel. Drawing on diverse sources, many in Arabic, he explains how Arafat never abandoned violence or his dream of destroying the Jewish state. Indeed, Arafat's efforts in creating the cult of the suicide bombers and continually seeking to delegitimize Israel for his people, as well as his willingness to use violence and terror as negotiation tools have severely weakened the Palestinians credibility.
Karsh also deserves credit for sympathizing with the Palestinian people, who Arafat betrays with his self serving leadership. The author's coverage of Arafat's rejection of a state in 2000, when Israel offered him all of Gaza, 95% of the West Bank, and a shared Jerusalem is particularly thorough. What emerges here is a portrait of a man primarily interested in the advancement of his own political faction and cronies over those of his people. Karsh does an excellent job putting this in perspective as fairly standard behavior throughout the Middle East.
Unfortunately, while this book is recent, it was in the presses when recent revelations of Arafat's vast personal holdings, estimated at over $1 billion came to light. So, while Karsh can present evidence of Arafat's personal enrichment through graft and embezzlement, he missed the opportunity to give the full story. Nonetheless, Arafat's War remains a must read for any wishing to understand the conflict.
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30 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Honest Work, November 11, 2003
Professor Karsh is objective in his entire assessment of an evil man who has deceived the entire world, and from time to time shed crocodile tears when the "evil Jews" were murdered as a result of his henchmen.
Why does the world not realize the death and destruction the Palestinians have caused at the expense of "liberation" and "resistance to occupation?" Their history of occupying foreign nations, like Jordan, and then Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of so many innocent civilians. All of this initiated by the most famous Palestinian (still) alive.
The real shameful paradox is when the pope and then his Vatican bureaucrats decide to shake Arafat's hand after so many Christians were slaughtered in the 1970s and 1980s. More power to the idiots!
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