The Palestine-Israeli Conflict [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Dan Cohn-Sherbok (Author), Cohn-sherbok/el-alami (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1851682619 | ISBN-13: 978-1851682614 | Publication Date: December 2001

An American rabbi and a Palestinian lecturer jointly author this innovative introduction to the Middle-East Conflict. The result is a real insight into both the facts and emotions behind the two sides of the debate, and no issue is avoided, however conflict-ridden.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This publication offers a rare insight into the Palestinian-Israeli dilemma while outlining political, religious, historical, and emotional issues in the struggle for peace. It is unique in brilliantly bringing together two authors who represent the two peoples in the conflict: Cohn-Sherbok is Rabbi Professor of Judaism, and El-Alami is a lecturer in Islamic studies at the University of Wales, Lampeter. Each introduces his argument and then offers a rebuttal of the other's position. Cohn-Sherbok views the creation of a Jewish state as a necessity, basing it on a history of anti-Semitism, migration, and the Holocaust. He recounts visions of historical figures such as Theodor Herzl and David Ben-Gurion and the Balfour Declaration in 1917, which permitted the legal acquisition of land. Conversely, El-Alami questions the legality and morality of the land acquisition process and supports the Palestinian struggle. He documents over 2000 years of history, moving through the Ottoman Empire, and points out numerous "secret negotiations and broken promises." Both authors tend to blame the other side, or a third party, but offer some resolutions for settling the impasse. This book would serve as an essential primer in public or academic libraries. Ethan P. Pullman, Univ. of Pittsburgh Lib.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"offers a rare insight into the Palestine-Israeli dilemma." Library Journal --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Oneworld (December 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1851682619
• ISBN-13: 978-1851682614
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,549,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only book that explains both sides of the conflict, December 15, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Palestine-Israeli Conflict (Paperback)

This is a very unusual book in that the first half of the book is written by a Jewish academic giving an account of the events from a Jewish/Israeli perspective, while the second half is written by a Palestinian academic giving an account of the same events but this time from a Palestinian point of view. This is the only fair way to understand the situation objectively. So I highly recommend it.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great Idea-Poor Execution, August 19, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Palestine-Israeli Conflict (Paperback)

This book seemed like it would have everything going for it -- one Islamic Studies professor and one Professor of Judaism giving their viewpoints on the history of the Palestine-Israeli conflict.

What a dissapointment! Both Dan Cohn-Sherbok and Dawoud El-Alami give a 75+ page synopsis each of the conflict's history, in dry, confusing and poorly edited prose. Only in the last 15 pages is there any attempt at "debate" and even that was disjointed, with the authors jumping from chapter to chapter with their comments.

I fault the editors - OneWorld Press in Oxford--for the lack of readability. With such erudite authors, why not have a twenty page overview of the historical facts and then have the bulk of the book be a series of questions with both professors offering their viewpoints? That, to me, would have been a fascinating book. Instead, I was counting the pages until this was over. I still think it's a great idea and maybe some other publisher will do it right.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Palestine-Israeli conflict, May 5, 2003

By 

Landon Wedermyer (Kansas City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Palestine-Israeli Conflict (Paperback)

The Palestine-Israeli Conflict
By: Dan Cohn-Sherbok and Dawoud el-Alami

The Palestine-Israeli Conflict is an insightful, original, and well-researched work.
Although it is labeled a "beginner's guide" one must already have at least a basic knowledge of Middle East modern history to fully understand it. From the roots of Zionism in the 1800's to the Intifada of the early 2000's, both writers do a masterful job of tying every cause and effect into an understandable history of the troubled region.

A refreshing characteristic of the book is it's dual point of view format. In an age where nearly every history book is distorted by the writer's viewpoint, it is hard to find a clear perspective. Although Cohn-Sherbok (Professor of Judaism) and el-Alami (a Palestinian native) are no different in their own individual writings. However, since both points of view are presented in the same work, the reader can read both, mix and match different points, and form his or her opinions.

The only aspect of the book is that it tends to become repetitive and never repeats information. The reader must stay attentive to every event in order to understand the next.

This book is a great tool for forming your own opinions about the conflict and learning the details from both points of view. I would recommend it to just about anybody looking to learn more.