Customer Reviews

Arab Strategies and Israel's Response

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Although the content of the Palestine-Israel nexus has changed drastically since Harkabi's publication of "Arab Strategies and Israel's Response", his analysis of the principal schools of thought motivating both sides is still right on target. Although there has been major movement in who belongs to these schools, the schools themselves still explain the strategies, tactics and objectives that inform the declarations of the players in the Palestine/Israel conflict. Professor Harkabi writes his realistic appraisal with an objectivity and rationality that make his book a "must read" for anyone interested in understanding the positions on all sides of this conflict.

Yehoshafat Harkabi was head of Israeli Military Intelligence from in the late 1950s, Head of Strategic Research for the IDF from 1963-68 and a senior academic in the field of International Relations at the University of Jerusalem specializing on Arab/Israeli conflict. Published in 1977, this book provides a number of useful insights into the underlying thinking of both Israel's enemies and supporters.

Harkabi delineates 3 main Arab positions. The 1st he terms "Erosion and Withering Away" whereby large scale war coupled with continuous guerrilla activity is expected eventually destroy the Jewish State. In this view given Arab/Muslim Manifest Destiny, dominance is inevitable and time is on the side of the Arabs. The 2nd "Reducing Israel to It's Natural Dimensions" through negotiated withdrawals by Israel of territory acquired in 1967 and by forcing Israel to devote it's resources extensively to defense as opposed to constructive state building activities hopes to make Israel economically, militarily and ideologically non-viable. The 3rd "Continuous Strife" is similar to the first, but urges Arab societies to modernize and be pro-active in hastening Israel's demise. In extremely small numbers he identifies a 4th position of that is both pro-Peace and pro-Development which not only accepts the continued existence of Israel but also looks forward to a co-operation and mutual growth within the region, however these dissenting liberal voices are rarely heard over the din of Arab leadership and the rallying cry of the Arab Street, and when they are heard they are shouted down.

On the Israeli side opinion has been clustered around 3 positions. The "dovish-doves" who believe that in making good faith offers of land for peace will result in a softening of the Arab/Palestinian positions. On the other side are the "hawkish hawks" who have little confidence either in international assurances and argue that a strong Israel will eventually cause the Arabs change and accept Israel's existence. In the interim Israel's security is best maintained by combining a vigorous nationalism combined with retention of territory in keeping with a strategic military position. Between them are the "hawkish-doves" who would be willing to offer land and other compensation in return for peace, provided it were to occur in a structured manner where near-term trust between the parties does not have to occur. They agree with the need for strategic depth but also argue that in the long term this may be given up over time as Arab thinking shifts into the nearly non-existent pro-Development POV.

Since the book was written there have been 2 peace treaties, one with Jordan the other with Egypt and Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. Whereas the treaties shifted the point of view within Israel to the middle and left, subsequent attacks from Gaza and an international campaign to attempting to morally isolate Israel from the West and has moved the consensus towards the middle and the right.

I really enjoy reading books such as this which give a perspective from a different time - in this case 35 years ago. "Arab Strategies and Israel's Response" is well argued and the charts on pp 23, 74 and 150 provide a useful summary contrasting each of the schools of thought. Recommended!