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A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Indiana Series in Arab and Islamic Studies) [Paperback]

Professor Mark Tessler (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)


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A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Indiana Series in Arab and Islamic Studies) A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Indiana Series in Arab and Islamic Studies) 4.4 out of 5 stars (15)
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Book Description

0253208734 978-0253208736 June 1, 1994 1st PB Edition

"This is the best book on the subject at present. Highly recommended." -- Library Journal (starred review)

"[Mr. Tessler is] thoughtful, well-informed and resolutely fair-minded... rigorous and commiserative alike, and his gloss on the fallout from the creation of Israel, which included a counterflow of millions of Jewish immigrants from the Arab world, is among the best things in the book." -- David Schoenbaum, New York Times Book Review

"A dense, well-annotated portrait of Jewish and Arab histories, national aspirations, and conflicts, focusing on the origins of modern Zionism and Arab nationalism with a view to the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Most will profit from the careful scholarship and the balanced judgments and will hope that [Tessler] is right in concluding that the Israeli-Palestinian dispute may finally be on its way to resolution." -- Foreign Affairs

"... fascinating and enlightening."  -- Booklist

"... a truly monumental yet easy to read work of scholarship." -- Hadassah Magazine

"I consider Tessler's work a real breakthrough in the systematic and in-depth analysis of the Arab-Jewish conflict in its historical context. The volume is well balanced, objective, and comprehensive. His conclusion that the conflict is solvable for the benefit of all parties is anchored in a careful and well-documented piece of research." -- Baruch Kimmerling

"Mark Tessler's new book is an authoritative source on the evolution and the dynamics of the Arab-Israeli conflict. It is one of the few books that offers a balanced, enlightened, and thorough analysis of the various aspects of the conflict and the politics of the region. A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is a must for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses on the Middle East." -- Emile Sahliyeh

"This timely study is the most comprehensive history to date of the century-old struggle between Zionists (and, later, Israelis) and Palestinians for historic Palestine. Based on the best works of recent scholarship, Mark Tessler's History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is a major contribution. Sensitive to the viewpoints of the protagonists, Tessler transcends partisanship and presents a largely balanced and detailed analysis. This work is a rare example of how the history of the conflict should be written."  -- Philip Mattar

"The main characteristic of Mark Tessler's book is 'objectivity without detachment.' It is this and much more -- a work of unprecedented empathy for both sides... [Tessler] has put together a very readable and cogent narrative of historical developments spanning more than a century. His balanced analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from 1948 to the Declaration of Principles of 1993 forms the core of his perceptive book which is certain to remain the definitive study on this conflict for some time." -- Jacob M. Landau

"Teachers and students alike, after some understandable initial hestitation as to the need for 'yet another' volume on the Arab-Israeli conflict, will quickly discover the many merits of this carefully crafted, well-written, and nuanced treatement of its complex and highly charged subject." -- International Journal of Middle East Studies

"Thoroughly researched and comprehensive in scope, this book is an impressive achievement by any measure." -- Journal of Church and State

This timely, comprehensive, and objective history provides a constructive framework for thinking realistically about the prospects for peace. Highlighting the historic symmetry of the two peoples and emphasizing the potential for cooperation between them, Tessler presents the case for mutual recognition and a two-state solution.



Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Objectivity without detachment" is the author's self-proclaimed goal, and his detailed account of this intractable 20th-century conflict is certainly more even-handed than many. Part of the Indiana Series in Arab and Islamic Studies, Tessler's work provides a useful review of the numerous failed diplomatic solutions over the years concluding on a cautiously optimistic note with the September 1993 handshake between Rabin and Arafat. It is a fallacy, however, to believe that the "truth" of any contested issue must always reside dead center between the two sides--and this work is unlikely to sway any reader who already holds a considered opinion. Tessler (coauthor of Israel, Egypt, the Palestinians ) is closest to achieving his goal when he devotes two long opening chapters to sympathetic histories of the Jews and the Arabs, respectively. Yet even here the symmetry is flawed, and he must engage in a song and dance to explain why he gives the history of the Arab world rather than the Palestinians specifically if, as he asserts, "the Palestinians are descendants of two ancient peioples, the Canaanites and the Philistines." A technique the author frequently employs is to set forth the arguments--including audacious propaganda--before stepping in to evaluate them critically or, more often, to equivocate. In this regard, he cites a touching anecdote recounted by Arafat, only pointing to its spurious character in a footnote. Although similar lapses throughout partially erode the credibility of the author's objective stance, one has to admire his herculean effort, and current events ensure that this is a timely history.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Tessler, a political scientist, provides a thorough historical and political analysis of the current Arab-Israeli conflict. Going back to ancient times, he juxtaposes the history of the ancient Hebrews with that of the Arabs, bringing their respective developments up through time to the present. With a great deal of clarity, the author describes the origins of modern political Zionism and Arab nationalism, their emergence and evolution through the period of the British mandate, and the establishment of the State of Israel with the commensurate Arab opposition efforts. Tessler's analysis is made current by a discussion of the intifadah. His method of presenting complementary histories of the two peoples leads to the author's thesis that a solution to the conflict can come only with mutual recognition of the respective histories of the Israelis and Palestinians and the establishment of two states. This is the best book on the subject at present. Highly recommended.
Sanford R. Silverburg, Catawba Coll., Salisbury, N.C
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 928 pages
  • Publisher: Indiana University Press; 1st PB Edition edition (June 1, 1994)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0253208734
  • ISBN-13: 978-0253208736
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,035,937 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

15 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fair and Detailed Account, March 18, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Indiana Series in Arab and Islamic Studies) (Paperback)
Too often the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict gets distorted by those who are too attached to one side or the other and twist the history to fit their agenda. They often fail to admit the tragedies they have inflicted on the other side and demonized their opponents' motives. Mark Tessler does an excellent job of presenting a fair and balanced history of the conflict and of avoiding these pitfalls. What is great about this book is that it not only details the actually events but discusses the ideologies and the political constraints facing both sides. I felt like I didn't just learn history, but also learned why each side made the decisions they did. I hope Professor Tessler is considering making an updated edition.
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Balanced, June 10, 2002
By 
Matthew Lieberman (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Indiana Series in Arab and Islamic Studies) (Paperback)
I searched for 2 weeks for a book that would fairly present both sides of the Israeli-Palistinian debate and probably most of you are in the same boat - feeling too ignorant about something too important. Tessler presents such a balanced view that 400 pages into the book I can't tell if he believes either side is "in the right." The book makes clear why both sides have reasons to call this land their own and also makes clear that both sides have engaged in less than moral tactics to stake their claim and drive out the other side. You may not come away knowing who is right but at least you'll have a sense of why the middle east is how it is today.
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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An Extraordinary Achievement, October 10, 2001
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This review is from: A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Indiana Series in Arab and Islamic Studies) (Paperback)
What subject could be more complex, and the telling of its history more liable to political bias and encumberance, than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? One must be extremely diligent and capable of independent critical analysis to find one's way through the warring literature on this subject, whether from right, left or center. Mark Tessler's is the most objective, scrupulous, balanced--and therefore most humane--detailed history of this conflict that I have seen. I cannot imagine why it hasn't had more attention. It should, in fact, be on the required reading list of everyone concerned about this conflict. If only its findings and approach could sink into popular consciousness, it might provide an antidote for violence and blind rage, as well as for politically or intellectually-motivated self-righteousness. It should be widely translated, and available in both Arabic and Hebrew.
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