The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

A well-written and very readable overview of the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. I don't know enough about the conflict to state whether the author leaves anything important out of the book, although he does appear to be slightly biased toward the Palestinian side of the conflict and against the Israelis. I can say that his writing style is very clear, and the organization of each chapter, with an introduction stating what he was going to talk about in the chapter and a conclusion that recapped what was said in the chapter and laid the groundwork for the following chapter, made it very easy to follow and remember the various historical events that gave rise to and are a part of the conflict.

best brief summary of the Israel-Palestine conflict

I bought this book as a better way to understand the origins of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Since most online sources seem to be very bias one way or the other, I was hoping this would be more objective. As someone who doesn't favor one side or the other, the bias against Israel was fairly apparent. Often times, the author would describe Israel's actions as excessive and brutal, but would seem to completely ignore or only mention in passing equally brutal tactics and acts by the PLO and Hamas. In times where the IDF took military action against Arab states, the text almost portrays IDF victories as unfair because the IDF was better trained and armed whereas Arab aggressors couldn't effectively coordinate between one another. He also mentions things like the mass expulsion of Palestinians after the 1948 war, but (unless I missed it) didn't really mention the expulsion of Jews from Arabs states following that same war. Just a few examples. Often times I would pause when reading and look up events on things like Wikipedia only to find that Wikipedia contained more facts and dialogue that would balance the argument between the Israelis and Palestinians, whereas this book would seem to lean more towards a pro-Palestinian narrative. I've noticed other reviews of this book, even highly rated reviews, call out this pro-Palestinian bias. With all that said, I suppose I met my objective in that I certainly better understand both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel arguments in this conflict.I found the writing itself to be a bit clunky and difficult to follow in certain spots. While the chapters themselves were written in chronological order, the text within the chapters seemed to jump around a bit. I also felt like there were certain areas that probably warranted at least a little more discussion, like the 1948 war between the IDF and Arabs states. Rather, the author very quickly glosses over the motivations behind the war, and the war itself, and jumps to discussing the impact on Palestinians post-war. Also, despite a 2013 copyright, there is effectively no discussion of some of the more recent conflicts and issues.Regardless of the criticisms, the book did present a number of facts, important dates, policies, and individuals that help people better understand the history of the conflict. Also, as the book's title indicates, this is a short introduction and, at best, is a basis to help with reading other more in-depth books about the subject. While I'm still searching for the "unicorn" that's an unbiased view of this conflict, the best thing might be to pick a book from each end of the spectrum and formulate your own opinion after reading both. I'm thinking there isn't anything out there that discusses this subject in a completely objective manner.

This is a concise and balanced history of the century long conflict over the tiny area coveted by two peoples. For someone unfamiliar with the history of Zionism and of Israel's history, it is not a bad place to start. However, the author, I believe, has erred in not dwelling on the religious aspect which is truly preventing a compromise to resolve the problem. He fails to stress the role of the Mufti in stirring religous hatred, although he does mention his support of the Nazi's and his encouragement of Hitler and the Holocaust. He argues that Arabs and Jews need to compromise and split the land so each can achieve their individual national goal. But he does not stress, although he does mention, the fact that repeatedly the Israeli's agreed while the Arabs have always refused any division of the land. This is partly due to the Palestinian's leadership missing every opportunity and partly due to the Palestinians themselves not wishing or understanding culturally the value of compromise. They see the conflict as one of religions and refuse to give up one inch of their sacred and holy land. Of course, there are extremists on the Israeli side as well. But they in the end cannot prevent the government from signing a treaty as they are a minority. This is not the case with the Arabs, however. As we saw when Yassir Arafat rejected an offer which gave them almost everything they could want, he did so as he feared he would be assassinated by his own people should he agree to such a compromise. Today, the Palestinian leadership is divided and Hamas, which rules Gaza, has yet to even recognize Israel's right to exist. The problem is based on a religous division and will not be solved until each side realizes they cannot reach their goal without sharing the land in some way. Until the Palestinians agree to relinquish their demand to allow all the refugees who fled during Israel's War of Independence, along with all their descendents, the right to return to their original homes, there never will be a solution as this would destroy the Jewish nature of Israel. Yet, we hear that the new Palestine would not allow any Jews or Israeli's to dwell amongst them. This conflict is so profound that there is no way this small book could be comprehensive. Thus I would recommend that anyone truly interested in this intractible conflict should read the volume by Efraim Karsh, Palestine Betrayed. Martin Gilbert's Israel: a History is another excellent source.

I was looking for information on this topic that would give me a balanced, broad overview. I didn't want over complicated and nuanced opinion from one side or the other.This publication gave me just what I was looking for and opened my views.

This book is a very helpful summary of the key events that have taken place in the Israel / Palestine conflict since it began over 100 years ago. It is very easy to read and draws out the important points in each part of the chronology without labouring over the detail. Crucially, and unusually, it is written entirely objectively and without implicit bias for one side. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of this conflict and who wants to understand the context of today's fighting.

I was always curious as to why there is conflict between the two sides. I felt the book gave me an unbiased oversight and goes right back to when a large area of what is now Israel was under the Ottoman empire and for a time no one seemed to want to live there.. A recommended paperback for people that find history heavy going.

I needed a short factual book to enable me to come to grips with what was the real and unbiased assessment of the Israeli/Palestinian situaton and this book ticked all the boxes for me. I feel that I can now go on the read other books now that I have a base to start from.

If, like me, you have very little knowledge of the Israel, Palestine conflict then this book is for you. It's a step by step guide chronicling the history of the conflict. It's a hugely interesting read and has helped me better understand an area of the world that previously I'd ignored. The author is seemingly objective in his writing, which for me was essential when I chose this book.