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Friends Indeed:Special Relatio

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This book is a fine introduction for young people to the history of Israel and its relationship with the U.S. Unfortunately, much that has been written today consists of revisionist history that ignores the facts: In 1947, six months before the declaration of the Independence by the state of Israel, Arabs were already fighting against her, with help from the British. In the war that ensued, some 6,000 Israelis were killed, fully 1% of her population. That was roughly equal to the half the U.S. losses of the Civil War--still the most devastating both proportionately and absolutely--of all U.S. wars. It is only a third of the proportionate U.S. losses of World War II. Israel nearly lost--and won with no help whatsoever from the U.S.

Subsequently, Israel fought four other defensive wars against Arab aggressors. Arab officials admitted last November and again in March that current low-level war, which makes six, was planned by Arafat during the Camp David talks. They began attacks on September 24 with bombs at Netzarim junction, one of which murdered Israeli David Biri--days before Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount.

Israel, now 53 years old, has lived in a virtual stage of siege since her founding. Of 22 Arab nations, only two are officially at peace with her. The other 20 remain officially at war, by their choice. Mr. Finkelstein's work is an important--and honest--contribution to the understanding of this history. It is a positive contribution, being a much-needed antidote to the propaganda war that the Arabs have mounted, with increasing success, for the last 25 years.

---Alyssa A. Lappen

This book is a fine introduction for young people to the history of Israel and its relationship with the U.S. Unfortunately, much that has been written today consists of revistionist history that ignores the facts: In 1947, six months before the declaration of the Independence by the state of Israel, Arabs were already fighting against her, with help from the British. In the war that ensured, some 6,000 Israelis were killed, fully 1% of her population. That is roughly equal to the half the U.S. losses of the Civil War--still the most devastating both proportionately and absolutely--of all U.S. wars. It is only a third of the proportionate U.S. losses of World War II. Subsquently, Israel fought four other defensive wars against Arab aggressors. The current low-level war, which makes six, was planned by Arafat during the Camp David talks, and started by Arabs on September 24 with bombs at Netzarim junction, and the murder of Israeli David Biri.

Children should learn that Israel, now 53 years old, has lived in a virtual stage of siege since her founding, with 20 of the 22 Arab nations remaining officially "at war" with her. Mr. Finkelstein's work is an important contribution to the understanding of this special friend to the U.S. Mr. Finkelstein's is a great contribution to the body of work on Israeli history. It provides a much-needed antidote to the propaganda war that the Arabs have mounted, with increasing success, for the last 25 years.