The Palestine-Israel Conflict: A Basic Introduction

This superior and remarkably thorough, if brief, study of the Holy Land enigma is strongly recommended as an introduction.' Choice'a tour de force in the depth and breadth of its research and in its clarity.' John K. Cooley, veteran foreign correspondent and author on the Middle East 'an indispensable, basic introduction' Gabriel Kolko, Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus at York University in Toronto'Gregory Harms has taken an enormously complex issue and made it engagingly accessible. An intelligent, thoughtful and comprehensive introduction to a terribly and consistently misunderstood conflict.' Sara Roy, Senior Research Scholar, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University 'This work, written with a relaxed informality, is especially good at highlighting key issues. It will be helpful to students and to adult readers...' Arthur Goldschmidt Jr., Professor Emeritus of Middle East History at Penn State University The Palestine-Israel conflict is the most notorious and ingrained conflict of the twentieth, and now twenty-first, century. Yet the way it is reported in the media is often confusing, leading many to assume the hostilities stretch back to an ancient period. This is the first book to provide a clear, accessible, and annotated introduction that covers the full history of the region, from Biblical times until today. Perfect for the general reader, as well as students, it offers a comprehensive yet lucid rendering of the conflict, setting it in its proper historical context. Harms and Ferry show how today's violence is very much a product of recent history, with its roots in the twentieth century. This balanced account is now fully up to date and makes a valuable resource for anyone who wants a clear guide to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian territories, and its place in the history of Middle Eastern affairs.