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shu_long's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first serious reading foray on the Israeli Palestinian issue. As such, I do not feel I can confidently compare or contrast it to any other work. However, the writing was accessible; the issues were well outlined in the various sections. The subject matter is bleak. If anything, that was the challenge from this book to the reader, to continue to read a story with no positive end in sight.
The diversity of opinions and personalities included by the author grant a larger view of the issues than I have commonly met and brought a wide array of aspects to the issue. He demonstrates many of the reasons for the stubborn intransigence of the actors that seems to be inherent to the situation. Shlaim goes to pains to demonstrate the diversity, changing opinions and complexity of the solutions that have been brought to the table by various people and organizations since the beginning. The contextualization is, to me, the most useful characteristic of the book.
The diversity of opinions and personalities included by the author grant a larger view of the issues than I have commonly met and brought a wide array of aspects to the issue. He demonstrates many of the reasons for the stubborn intransigence of the actors that seems to be inherent to the situation. Shlaim goes to pains to demonstrate the diversity, changing opinions and complexity of the solutions that have been brought to the table by various people and organizations since the beginning. The contextualization is, to me, the most useful characteristic of the book.
aborham's review
4.0
A cleverly chronologically organized set of book reviews representing a critical view of the Arab-Israeli conflict. In addition to being a rich source of literature review for any Middle Eastern studies researcher.
ardavis414's review
4.0
Israel and Palestine is a great review of the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. If you are reading this book with previous well-rounded knowledge of the conflict, then this book won’t bring much more to the table for you. However, it did cause me to reevaluate the role of Saddam Hussein and Iraq within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the roots of the American invasion of 2003. Overall, it was well worth my time.
natlib91's review against another edition
1.0
author refuses to accept the idea that the zionist state is fundamentally settler-colonial in nature and rather decides to frame it as a good idea that went wrong in and around 1967. this requires him to skim over a lot of the detail regarding the british mandate period, the summary executions and brutal counter-insurgency campaign waged against the Palestinians
also requires him to accept the idea that the brits were an honest broker trying to make the best of a bad situation between two national liberation movements with equal rights to self-determination, telling each other distorted myths about their own histories, he pretty well says this directly in the book's second chapter
i understand the author is pro BDS but based on this its fairly clear they've very much held onto a certain liberal zionist outlook. not hugely surprised to see verso publishing and continuing to promote imperialist propaganda, but i wish they'd wish knock it off all the same
also requires him to accept the idea that the brits were an honest broker trying to make the best of a bad situation between two national liberation movements with equal rights to self-determination, telling each other distorted myths about their own histories, he pretty well says this directly in the book's second chapter
i understand the author is pro BDS but based on this its fairly clear they've very much held onto a certain liberal zionist outlook. not hugely surprised to see verso publishing and continuing to promote imperialist propaganda, but i wish they'd wish knock it off all the same
ilchinealach's review against another edition
1.0
author refuses to accept the idea that the zionist state is fundamentally settler-colonial in nature and rather decides to frame it as a good idea that went wrong in and around 1967. this requires him to skim over a lot of the detail regarding the british mandate period, the summary executions and brutal counter-insurgency campaign waged against the Palestinians
also requires him to accept the idea that the brits were an honest broker trying to make the best of a bad situation between two national liberation movements with equal rights to self-determination, telling each other distorted myths about their own histories, he pretty well says this directly in the book's second chapter
i understand the author is pro BDS but based on this its fairly clear they've very much held onto a certain liberal zionist outlook. not hugely surprised to see verso publishing and continuing to promote imperialist propaganda, but i wish they'd wish knock it off all the same
also requires him to accept the idea that the brits were an honest broker trying to make the best of a bad situation between two national liberation movements with equal rights to self-determination, telling each other distorted myths about their own histories, he pretty well says this directly in the book's second chapter
i understand the author is pro BDS but based on this its fairly clear they've very much held onto a certain liberal zionist outlook. not hugely surprised to see verso publishing and continuing to promote imperialist propaganda, but i wish they'd wish knock it off all the same
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