Author/compiler. The Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Documentary and Reference Guide. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2017. *Award-winning title: Library Journal, Best Reference Title, 2017. (original) (raw)

2017, The Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Documentary and Reference Guide

Covering the Arab-Israeli conflict from its origins to the present, this valuable resource traces the evolution of this ongoing, seemingly unresolvable dispute through a wide array of primary source documents. • Allows a wide audience of readers―from high school and college students to general readers―to understand the complex roots of the conflicting claims to the territory of Palestine • Places the Arab-Israeli conflict in the broader international context of World Wars I and II and the Cold War, providing readers with an appreciation of why so many outside powers have taken an interest in the battle over this territory • Relates the conflict over the territory of Palestine to both the region's imperial and colonial past and the history of 20th-century global decolonization and nationalism • Includes some 90 primary source documents, including major official statements by all parties to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, including Zionists, Israel, the Arab League, the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hamas, and Hezbollah as well as Great Britain, France, the League of Nations, the United States, the Soviet Union, and the Quartet • Covers key topics―such as the creation of Israel in 1948 and the subsequent wars of 1956, 1967, and 1973; the impact of Israel's territorial acquisitions in 1967; the international peace negotiations of subsequent years that slowly brought peace settlements between Israel and some Arab states; and the establishment of Palestinian rule in the West Bank and Gaza―in detail. Named Library Journal 2017 Best Reference Title, February 2018 Why is this conflict not just a localized dispute? Who are the players? What efforts have been made already, and why have they failed? Readers can follow the history (back to World War I) through primary documents, supported by the illuminating commentary provided here. Roberts gives context for each document, a brief assessment of its significance, and a paragraph analyzing its causes and consequences, followed whenever necessary by a historical summary bridge to the next document, in concise and judicious prose. If we can’t solve it, might we at least ­understand it? Reviewed in American Reference Books Annual, 2018 "This excellent resource source employs 91 documents, divided chronologically into five chapters, to tell the story of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The documents cover a wide range of sources, including Arab, Israeli, Palestinian, U.S., UN, and Soviet/Russian. Although only a tiny portion of the record, and the inclusions are almost all excerpted, the selected documents still provide an incredible introduction to one of the most complex historical conflicts on record. Each document is placed in context and is followed by an analysis of its importance. Scattered throughout the volume are "Did You Know" sidebars on persons, places, and events central to the story. The volume also contains an introduction which explains the collection, a bibliography, websites and blogs, and an index. In sum, it is a superb source. Were it not for the expense, it would be a wonderful textbook for an advanced course specifically on the Arab-Israeli conflict. More practically, given the high profile and interest in the topic, many libraries will find the volume quite useful. Joe P. Dunn - Charles A. Dana Professor of History and Politics, Converse College, Spartanburg, S.C ARBA 2018