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Transforming Fire: The Rise of the Israel-Islamist Conflict

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This book is extremely important. It should be read by all the major figures involved in Middle East affairs, first of all by President Obama. Why? Because it shows how superficial and mistaken Presidential Middle- Eastern policy has been in assuming that the conflict between Israel and its adversaries , is a purely national one which can be solved by dividing the disputed Land. Spyer shows that what has been happening in the past ten years especially is that the nature of the Middle East conflict has been redefined. It is no longer primarily a battle between 'national claims'. The Islamic religious dimension which was also a part of the equation has become predominant. Israel's enemies are now not simply traditional Arab ones but more dangerously Iran and other non- Arab Islamic countries. Spyer who fought on the Israel side in the 2006 botched war with Hizbollah is an expert on Lebanon. There the Iranian influence is the major one , and Hizbollah relies on its patron for both funding and weapons. The West has according to Spyer been blindsided in Lebanon and allowed Iran and Syria to in effect be the outside powers controlling the country. Israel which withdrew from Lebanon now faces an Islamist enemy there. Its withdrawal from Gaza led it to have an Islamist Hamas as its enemy there. Iran is also involved in training and arming the Hamas. Spyer is acute in showing up the Iranian modus operandi, their use of surrogates to do their bidding for them. He sees Israel now as surrounded by a group of Islamist enemies one not at all interested in compromise. This new situation diminishes greatly the likelihood of any negotiated settlement . But it does present for Israel the opportunity of making alliances, even if not very public ones, with those Arab nations who sees as their number one threat an expanding Iran.

All in all the picture presented in this book suggests that there is a long- term conflict going on which is not going to be settled overnight. It is one in which the Islamists aim not only to destroy Israel and take over the Middle East, but to drive the West and the United States completely from the area.

Spyer shows that Israel which was asleep and living in a misconception in regard to its wall with Hizbollah improved considerably , at least in the military sense, in the subsequent operation against less - powerful Hamas. Israel he indicates is a society which can adapt and respond quickly, learn from its mistakes. Still given the tens of thousands of missiles Israel's enemies now have Spyer indicates that any future conflict will likely be far worse than any Israel has faced since 1948.

Spyer it should be said also is excellent in portraying major players in the area, like the Kurds, who the West tends to ignore. He shows how conflicted the whole area is, and the absurdity of supposing an Israeli- Palestinian settlement will end Shiite-

Sunnite divisions.

This is again an especially important work as it suggests that the whole way of thinking about the area by Western leaders is mistaken. This book should provide them the 'cognitive analysis' they need.

"Transforming Fire: The Rise of the Israel-Islamist Conflict" by Jonathan Spyer, (2010), English. The author is a researcher at the "Global Research in International Affairs Center" in Herzliya (Israel), he is a Jerusalem Post newspaper columnist, and served in the Israeli tank corps as an Army Reservist. The author presents the issue that while in the 1950s the anti-Israel movement was led by various Arab secular `Nationalist' leaders (Nasser, Assad) [with support from the old Soviet Union during its Cold War against the West], but with their passage the 2000-era anti-Israel movement is being led and funded by religious-oriented `Islamist' governments, such as that of Shia Iran and petrodollars from Sunni Saudi Arabia. The author believes that Prime Minister Rabin developed a `fear' the PLO's incessant war against Israel, and so he sought `accommodation' with Arafat (p. 71). The author weaves together the overall anti-Israel campaign: the Arabs see Israel as a `humiliation' with its being the last `Western colony' still occupying the Muslim Middle East, and that this dispute isn't over `real estate' but is instead based on a religious conflict that is about a "clash of ideas and symbols, based on the fundamental rejection on the part of the Arab/Muslim side of the right of the Jewish side to sovereignty in any part of the area in question" (p. 140). [A replay of the `Clash of Civilizations'.] The author notes that his book "is not the final word" on this subject, as the Islamists continue their war against Israel the author believes that there will be "no end" until one or the other camp is defeated. The author doesn't go into a lot (okay, hardly any) depth of the ideology/ theology of Hamas- Hizbollah- Ahmedinejad Axis, which leaves a reader wondering why this `Axis of Evil' is really so anti-Israel and anti-West {for this answer, read Robert Spencer: "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam"}. The author is sounding the alarm: "The Islamists are here, NOW", but just doesn't explain WHY.

This book is unique that it combines personal experience with academic research and analysis. The personal aspect is engaging, yet it is not a journalistic work, but rather that of a researcher who has learned by way of journey.

Today those that seek to understand the contempory Middle East, especially in the context of the Israeli-Islamic conflict are in danger of being deflected or misled by the standard coverage of the area. Decades of shallow and simplistic news coverage from journalists who had received an easy but interesting assignment, or journalists who are advancing pet agendas, have cast a very particular slant on the established and accepted views of the dynamics of the region.

This book has laid these dynamics bare, casting off the tiresome platitudes and assumptions of those that seek to shape the world by mobilizing mass opinion.

For the champions of liberal etiquette, the discussion or analysis of the rise of Islamism is a subject on the verge of taboo, and if it is to be tackled, it is explained away as a response to Capitalism and the Imperialism that came before it. This book is not shackled by such blinkered sensibilities, and those who are wondering if their heads are deep in the sand, would do well to read this work.

Another fascinating aspect is the analysis of the change that has taken place in Israel from the early 1990's until today. Israeli society and its motives, whether political or otherwise are rarely tackled by those who cover the region. This subject is gravely misunderstood if understood at all. Usually a depiction of the Israeli lunatic fringe as being the mainstream, suffices for the average European journalist who thus both adds color to his/her article and strengthens entrenched stereotypes yet further. Both help sell newspapers.

Spyer takes this complex subject and describes in intricate detail and logic the change that has taken place over two decades. He does this with objectivity and detail that is rare within the Israeli media or academia itself (which is still largely dominated by the "old" elites).

Overall a highly entertaining and thought provoking read.

Anyone who is interested in this subject, and who wants to truly understand the nature of this conflict, the threat from radical Islamic extremists, and what makes Israelis tick MUST read this book.

Spyer fleshes out a number of sub-topics really well, and makes some very sharp connections along the way. And the personalized, almost emotional-sentimental tone, really complements it - makes it quite readable and heartfelt (compared to most books on this subject).

His thesis focuses on a few important phenomenon - namely the fact that this conflict from the Arab-Muslim perspective has morphed from one (perceived as) being about territory and nationalism, into one about ideology (which is largely impossible to accommodate). The chapter "The New Jerusalem" explores the new centrist consensus and modern patriotism that has emerged within Israel (increasingly led by formerly peripheral segments of society, such as the Sephardim and Modern Orthodox), which remains committed to the State of Israel, skeptical of the peace process (lack of partner on the other side), but willing and open to compromise.

Original, knowledgeable, brilliant. Read this book.

Others have done an excellent review of the details of this book, so I'll jump right to the bottom line-this book is beyond timely and an absolute necessity to understand the current state of affairs in the Middle East and, in particular, the meaning of the revolutions in Egypt and Syria. I served in the IDF in the mid 80s in Lebanon and thought I knew a lot about the underlying issues and outlook. Jonathan Spyer proved me wrong in a very enlightening way. Things have changed dramatically in the last 25 years and Mr. Spyer's insight ties together a lot of things that are making headlines lately.

Since the book was published there have been a number of events in Egypt, Lebanon and Syria that validate Mr. Spyer's theories and also provide a bit of a fright with regard to the future. You should read the book if you are following events in Egypt and Syria, as Mr. Spyer was either prescient or just very lucky in a way that is very unlikely.

I actually bought the book hoping to get a first hand commentary on the action in the most recent Israel/Hizballah war in Lebanon and was at first a bit disappointed that the action is just a wrapper for a much more substantial analysis of the history, present, and likely future of the conflict. But after reading the book, I think Mr. Spyer has done a laudable job of honoring the goal he set out to achieve. And while the book has a bit of a pessimistic surface, the underlying strength and positive outlook put things in proper context.

A well written book that is a must read for anyone opining on, or even contemplating, Middle East events.

This is an excellent although unusual book. It interweaves Jonathan Spyer's personal experiences as an Israeli reserve-duty tank driver and citizen with his expert analyses of the radical Islamic front in the Middle East and beyond.

The starting point for Spyer is the Second Lebanon War of July-August 2006. Late in the war, his tank unit was sent into South Lebanon on an ill-defined mission. Overnight one of the tanks developed a technical malfunction and the dimwitted command was given to tow the tank back into Israel. This meant the unit could not get back across the border under cover of darkness and would be exposed to Hizballah anti-tank fire after sunrise. That's precisely what happened. The Merkhava tanks were crawling along the valley beneath el-Khiam, when a Hizballah unit accurately fired Kornet missiles at their engine vents. One crashed into the engine of Spyer's tank and the crew was able to escape. However the second tank was less lucky. The missile traversed a gap above the engine and penetrated the driver's compartment. Spyer's friend Alon Smoha was killed.

Jonathan Spyer was motivated to write this book following this and other unnecessary deaths during this ill-conceived war. Israel inflicted massive damage on Hizballah, mainly through the use of air power, but Hizballah was able to rain down huge numbers of Katyusha rockets onto northern Israel until the very end of the war and so were able to claim `victory'. Israel entered the war without an adequate strategy for coping with this threat and its ground forces had undergone inadequate training and preparation. Soldiers died as a consequence.

Spyer reserves particular vitriol for the country's leaders who had let him and his fellow soldiers down. He describes the sophisticated, cynical outlook on life epitomised by the then Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert. "We thought of the politicians and the generals, and we imagined them with their clever smiles and their winks, never quite meaning the words they said, always winking to someone just out of your sight, always cleverer, always one step ahead, the ones who really knew, the ones in control. And then we thought of ourselves, poor dolts, in ragged uniforms on the Lebanese border, with Katyusha rockets screaming overhead."

Switching to the analytical strand of the book, Spyer explains how the radical Islamism of Hizballah and its Iranian patrons emerged to fill a vacuum caused by the defeats of pan-Arab nationalism and secular Palestinian terrorism. Pan-Arab nationalism took a hammering in the wars of 1967 and 1973, at which point the baton of resistance passed to the secular Palestinian terror factions. These went into decline following the PLO's expulsion from Lebanon at the hands of the IDF in 1982. Their last attempt to force change through violence was the Second Intifada of 2000-2005, but that ran out of steam and was suppressed.

The `muqawama' (resistance) is now in the hands of radical Islamists led by Iran and its proxies, Hizballah and Hamas, along with allies such as Sudan and Syria. Iran is a Shi'ite non-Arab state so taking lead of the muqawama against Israel gives it vital legitimacy in the eyes of the Muslim Arab world. Spyer notes how a radical faction within the Iranian leadership, led by Mahmoud Ahmedinajad and backed by Ayatollah Khamenai, now controls Iran and is pursuing both an aggressive foreign policy and a determined drive for nuclear weapons.

The book has other themes too. Spyer talks about his experiences as a masters student at SOAS in London, where he was mistaken for a young Arab and invited to meetings of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, an emergent radical Islamist group. Out of curiosity he went along and was able to learn first-hand about the new Islamist ideology and how it viewed the West. This ideology eventually fed through into numerous terror attacks perpetrated by young British Muslims.

A fascinating episode occurred in 2007 when Spyer was able to join a group of foreign journalists on a visit to Lebanon. It's illegal for Israelis to travel to Lebanon, which technically remains at war with Israel, so this was a somewhat foolhardy enterprise. But Spyer was powerfully drawn towards revisiting the valley below el-Khiam where his tank company fell into such dire straits. He managed to make the journey down to and across South Lebanon with a couple of young Lebanese Christians. South Lebanon is a strange land, quite detached from the rest of the country. It's ruled by Hizballah and buildings are adorned with posters of Hassan Nasrallah and the Ayatollahs Khomeini and Khamenai. Hizballah men with guns and fast cars rule the roost. Christians in towns like Marjayoun and villages like Deir Mimas suffer in silence. Areas surrounding these villages were cynically used by Hizballah as Katyusha launch pads in 2006, so they were hit disproportionately by Israeli retaliation.

In summary, this is a stimulating book which sheds light on the modern state of Israel and the very threatening neighbourhood it currently has to contend with. It makes clear that for protagonists like Iran, Hizballah and Hamas, the struggle against Israel has little to do with West Bank settlements, and much more to do with reversing the perceived historical humiliation of the Islamic world at the hands of Israel and the West. Spyer's research into Islamism and his encounters with Islamists themselves show that their ideas about Israel bear little relation to reality and that seems to be the heart of the problem.

Predicting the future course of events is difficult, but Spyer notes that Iran, Sudan, Hamas-led Gaza and the Hizballah enclaves of Lebanon are all unappealing places to live. They are religiously oppressive and ruled with an iron fist. This is no great advertisement and it might yet prove their greatest weakness.

Religious fervor leading to jihad has always been the motivator. The war against Israel is not and was never a war for political self determination of the local Arabs in Palestine. The Oslo Peace Process is a charade. The Arab Israeli conflict is simply a separate front in the war of global jihad against the West. It started in the 1920s instead of the 1970s because it is closer to Egypt, the birthplace of the Muslim Brotherhood and it was not until the late 60s when global jihad could be financed with OPEC petrodollars that the Brotherhood could mount terror further afield. It is and always was motivated by religious jihad not the fake secular nationalism of the fake "Palestinian People" conjured up by the Soviet Union's disinformation masters in 1964. See: Brand, Soviet Russia, the Creators of the PLO and the Palestinian People, [...] See also, Brand, The Third Wave" [...]

Islamism is not a special form of Islam. It is its original form. However fortunately some 85% to 90% of Muslims follow a mellowed form. Hassan al Banna formed the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt in 1928 at the lowest point in Islam's history (after the WW I capture of the Ottoman Empire and its dismemberment by the WW I Allies) to press for a return to Islam in its original form as practiced in the 7th century in which Islam is to be spread by the sword. Islam is now also spread by migration and stealth in the United States as learned from the documentary evidence in the US Holy Land Foundation trial. "Understanding the role of the Muslim Brother in North America" "The process of settlement is a 'Civilization-Jihadist Process" with all the word means. The Ikhwan must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and "sabotaging" its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God's religion is made victorious over all other religions."

See: SHARIAH: THE THREAT TO AMERICA, AN EXERCISE IN COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS, REPORT OF TEAM `B' II As it is 177 pages long you will probably want first to see a summary of it to see if it is worth spending the time to read it. You can get that from a short video summarizing its contents and letting you know what is in it and why it was prepared. You can find that video at: [...] At that site you will also find a link to the pdf that makes the complete report available. The report is also available from Amazon in hard copy. You may prefer a short news story about the report published this morning. [...]