Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, Fourth Edition: A History with Documents (Paperback)

by Charles D. Smith (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
A good basic overview of the subject. -- Seattle Times --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
The enormous changes in the 1990s throughout the Middle East have necessitated this thoroughly revised edition of the standard introduction to the subject. Offering a balanced history of both Israeli and Arab goals, Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict covers the history of Palestine before Israeli independence in 1948 and brings the story forward to the breakthrough Arab-Israeli Accord of 1993 and its troubled aftermath. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 541 pages
• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's; Fourth Edition edition (November 24, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312208286
• ISBN-13: 978-0312208288
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #923,298 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 92 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly well-documented history, January 18, 2002

By	John (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict (Paperback)

"Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict" provides a concise and impartial history of Palestine, a topic which is the subject of much distortion and outright propaganda. Charles Smith, the author, relates the relevant historical facts, without judgemental commentary or extraneous information. His sources for significant facts are thoroughly documented in plentiful footnotes at the end of each chapter, which is probably why this book is often used as a text in university courses.

Smith's factual and scholarly approach to such a sensitive topic contrasts sharply with that of Mitchell Bard, author of the ubiquitous, though propagandistic, "Idiot's Guide to the Middle East Conflict", which sets a new standard for one-sided apologetics. Bard has worked for AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobbying group, and one of the most effective and powerful lobbying groups in America.

Some of the facts impartially reported by Smith invariably collide with popular misconceptions, which probably explains the defensive reactions reflected in some of the above polemical reviews of the book. In summary, if you want to know what events have led to the current situation in Palestine, without judgement of either side, read Smith's book.

35 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Actually, it's almost balanced., May 17, 2000

By	Robert A Harris (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict (Paperback)

Smith's book provides good detail on plenty of issues and benefits from attempting to be balanced even if he tends to blame Israel more for problems , especially in the last 30 years. Essentially, Smith tries to give the flavor of how each side sees events, rather than doing all the interpretation for you. While more entrtaining, David Fromkin's 'A Peace to End all Peace' in no way treats the Palestinians as having legitimate interests, while Noam Chomsky's books have no empathy for the Israeli position. Another author with a fairly balanced perspective is Itamar Rabinovich.

30 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, objective introductory text, April 1, 2002

By A Customer

Much ink and paper has been wasted on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict by propagandists claiming to be historians, so it is a rare pleasure to actually come across a solid, objective and even-handed introductory text such as this that anyone can use to gain an insight into the root causes of this conflict. Unlike the author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Middle East Conflict", the author of this book has no personal involvement with either side, and he does not try to spin-doctor, excuse or justify the atrocities committed by either said in this long historical conflict.