Palestine/Israel: Peace or Apartheid: Prospects for Resolving the Conflict [Paperback]

Marwan Bishara (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1842771116 | ISBN-13: 978-1842771112 | Publication Date: December 7, 2001

In this insightful new book, a leading Palestinian commentator,analyzes where Palestinians and Israelis are now—eight years after the Oslo Accords of 1993 and the peace process they were supposed to have begun. Bishara shows how the asymmetry of power between Palestinians (the occupied) and Israelis (the occupiers) was ignored by patrons of the Oslo peace process—notably the US. Running counter to the prevailing support for the Oslo process, this evocative new book shows how it was in fact doomed from the start. Inviting the reader to look ahead, Bishara examines the demographic, political, and security stakes, and explores the avenues that eventually could lead both sides to a just and durable peace.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Marwan Bishara is a Palestinian author, journalist, and public speaker.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Zed Books (December 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1842771116
• ISBN-13: 978-1842771112
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,642,430 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an intellectual alternative, March 3, 2002

By 

Maurice Ebileeni - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Palestine/Israel: Peace or Apartheid: Prospects for Resolving the Conflict (Paperback)

These days, Marwan Bishara's older brother, Azmi Bishara, the Palestinian member of the Israeli Knesset, is being prosecuted for political statements he made in Syria and Um-Al-Fahm. As a Palestinian living in Israel, i sympathize with Azmi Bishara and point an accusing finger at Israel's hypocritical and racist "democratic" machinery. My accusations do not stem from hate nor from any racist basis, but from a belief in the justice of the Palestinian cause, and the belief in a future where Palestinians and Jews will be able to live together in peace and as equals. However, Marwan Bishara's analysis of the Palestinian/Israeli dispute current condition enlightens the reader with details that have not been highlighted during the conflict in the last decade. Marwan is a penetrating critic of Israeli and American policies. He guides the reader through layers and layers of details concerning the dispute on a very profound level. During his analysis, the reader gets to know the true origins of the term 'Tanzim', and how the Israeli secret security service(Shabak) turned it into a name of a notorious terrorist group that did not exist. Marwan also provides the reader with information about Al Gore's motivation for supporting the Oslo Agreement, and about his economical interest in the success of the agreement. This book should be read with an open mind, and the reader should prepare him/herself for fundamental changes in his/her perception of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Overcoming American Disinformation, January 3, 2003

By 

"bostrom1302" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Palestine/Israel: Peace or Apartheid: Prospects for Resolving the Conflict (Paperback)

As a fairly secular American Christian I feel relatively nonpartisan in this tragic and ongoing confrontation. However, the more I have interacted with Israelis and Palestinians over the past 3 years, the more I began to feel that the debates between them did not square with my understanding of the conflict. Especially with respect to the peace process after 1993 and the entire involvement of the Clinton administration.

This book is a powerful, succint and spot-on antidote to the heavily biased media coverage in the United States. It presents the Palestinian case in an articulate fashion and lays out why seemingly fair proposals were designed such that their implementation would have either been impossible or deeply favorable to the stae of Israel.

But above all, Bishara explores the less tangible elements of the conflict which are oft ignored, yet are perhaps the most crucial dimensions. Who is "guilty"? Who will emerge as the "benevolent" party in the conflict? Who is generous & fair, and who is hateful and untrustworthy? These attributes Bishara argues are deeply skewed to the advantage of the Israelis under nearly all current negotiations, no matter what their strictly territorial or other tangible aspects. These psychological dimensions are what remain unaddressed and are what will perpetuate the violence which has already harmed so many.

Read this book if only for the sake of those whose voice goes unheard.

8 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars NOT FOR EVERYONE, July 13, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Palestine/Israel: Peace or Apartheid: Prospects for Resolving the Conflict (Hardcover)

If you happen to be a Palestinian or relate to the media's version of a Palestinian Cause, looking to feed your fervor, this book is definitely for you. If you happen to have a pro-Israel stance and bear an intellectual capacity to distinguish between pseudo scholarly bias and nonsense, this book is also for you (you'll be able to cement your case). BUT, if you are someone with common sense looking for a somewhat truthful or dare I say historic approach to this sensitive material, than save your money and buy another book or take a class in Middle Eastern Affaires. This work is quite weak, tedious, and appears to have been fallen victim to horribly poor translation (there's no indication that this work has been translated, however, it's quite apparent by the outrageous use of language in the book that something's odd). Perhaps my opinion of this book might improve were I to read the Arabic version, should one actually exist, and provided the laughable content was in fact a blundering consequence of the translation.