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Reviews
The Only Language They Understand: Forcing Compromise in Israel and Palestine by Nathan Thrall
skitch41's review against another edition
4.0
Few international issues are as intractable as the Israel-Palestine conflict and there are many books that have been written about it. There is [b:Innocent Abroad: U.S. Diplomacy and the Effort to Transform the Middle East|4200840|Innocent Abroad U.S. Diplomacy and the Effort to Transform the Middle East|Martin S. Indyk|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348154931s/4200840.jpg|4248214] by [a:Martin S. Indyk|305143|Martin S. Indyk|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], which is a firsthand account of the peace process. And there is [b:My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel|15798334|My Promised Land The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel|Ari Shavit|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1365463707s/15798334.jpg|22435242] by [a:Ari Shavit|6459199|Ari Shavit|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], which deals with the historical roots of the conflict. But few of these books are as critical of the current process as this one. Mr. Thrall's analysis is incredibly insightful and disheartening as he concludes that peace between the two parties has metastasized into a stalemate where everyone has become comfortable with there being neither peace nor war. His conclusions about how US policy during the Obama years and moving forward has done little and often will be counterproductive. His conclusion from his historical analysis in the first chapter and throughout is that only force has moved either side to make the concessions necessary to move towards peace. And he is not talking about the rhetorical kind of force Pres. Obama deployed during his first term in office, but military action. Quite honestly, this is the best analysis you will find on the issue today.
However, this book is not perfect. First, his first chapter, which examines the history of the conflict from Israel's founding to the present, was very long at nearly 80 pages. It would've been better if he had broken this up a little bit. Second, his analysis of the Palestinians' historical position in the first chapter doesn't neatly fall in line with Mr. Thrall's initial thesis that force is necessary to move the parties forward. Finally, one chapter is dedicated to a criticism of Ari Shavit's My Promised Land. This chapter felt unfairly harsh and unnecessary and Mr. Thrall's criticism of Mr. Shavit's politics extends into other chapters as well.
Still, I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the current state of the peace process in Israel-Palestine.
However, this book is not perfect. First, his first chapter, which examines the history of the conflict from Israel's founding to the present, was very long at nearly 80 pages. It would've been better if he had broken this up a little bit. Second, his analysis of the Palestinians' historical position in the first chapter doesn't neatly fall in line with Mr. Thrall's initial thesis that force is necessary to move the parties forward. Finally, one chapter is dedicated to a criticism of Ari Shavit's My Promised Land. This chapter felt unfairly harsh and unnecessary and Mr. Thrall's criticism of Mr. Shavit's politics extends into other chapters as well.
Still, I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the current state of the peace process in Israel-Palestine.
strickvl's review against another edition
3.0
A collection of articles from recent years. Thrall is an analyst associated with the International Crisis Group and the New York Review of Books. If you've followed his work, you'll be familiar with these pieces. The headliner article opens the volume outlining an argument that suggests force (from any/all parties, including those external to the conflict) is actually far more efficient as a way of achieving results. The argument was intriguing, though I don't really know enough to be able to judge the veracity of what he's suggesting. Certainly, it was a reminder to decouple moral claims from what is practically possible. Thrall comes off as a sensitive analyst in this book, sparing nobody -- least of all [a:Ari Shavit|6459199|Ari Shavit|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and his book [b:My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel|15798334|My Promised Land The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel|Ari Shavit|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1365463707s/15798334.jpg|22435242] -- in the various pieces that follow.
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