"Introduction to any complex international conflict is enriched when the voices of the adversaries are heard. The Israel/Palestine Reader is an innovative collection, focused on the human dimension of the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian confrontation. Its vivid and illuminating readings present the voices of the diverse parties through personal testimonies and analyses. Key leaders, literary figures, prominent analysts, and simply close observers of different phases of this protracted conflict are all represented—in their own words.
From Mark Twain to Theodor Herzl, Gamal Abdul Nasser, Golda Meir, Anwar Sadat, Ezer Weizman, Ehud Barak, Marwan Barghouti, Mahmoud Abbas, Benjamin Netanyahu, John Kerry, and dozens of others, the firsthand narratives brought together in this Reader bring the conflict to life as seen by those closest to it. Though structured to complement Alan Dowty's introductory text Israel/Palestine (4th edition, Polity 2017), this Reader also stands on its own as a survey of ""voices"" in the conflict. Each of the ten chapters is framed by an editorial introduction that sets the pieces in context. By juxtaposing contrasting viewpoints both between and within the opposed parties, these pieces underline the drama of the conflict, while final judgment is left to the reader. This lively volume will add color and texture to any study of Arab–Israeli issues or of the Middle East generally."
"Acknowledgments viii Preface x Chapter 1 Two Worlds Collide 1 1 ""What Is a Nation?"" Ernest Renan 3 2 Innocents Abroad Mark Twain 9 3 ""Nu'man al-Qasatli's Travels in Palestine"" Abdul-Karim Rafeq 17 Chapter 2 The Jewish Story 20 4 Two Poems by Yehuda Halevi 22 5 The Bilu Manifesto, 1882 24 6 The Jewish State Theodor Herzl 26 7 ""On the Slaughter"" Chaim Nachman Bialik 31 8 ""A Hidden Question"" Yitzhak Epstein 33 9 ""Open Questions"" Nehama Pukhachewsky 39 Chapter 3 The Arab Story 43 10 References to Jews in the Quran 45 11 ""On the Franks"" Usamah ibn Munqidh 49 12 The Arab Awakening George Antonius 52 13 The Awakening of the Arab Nation Najib Azuri 56 14 ""My View of Zionism"" Khalil as-Sakakini 59 Chapter 4 The Emergence of Israel 63 15 ""The Iron Wall"" Vladimir Jabotinsky 65 16 ""The Arab Case for Palestine"" Hamid Frangieh 69 17 ""We Have Our State"" Golda Meir 73 18 ""Memoirs of the First Palestine War"" Gamal Abdul Nasser 76 19 ""War Is Inevitable: Why?"" Gamal Abdul Nasser 80 20 Central Intelligence Agency, Memorandum, May 26, 1967 84 Chapter 5 The Reemergence of the Palestinians 88 21 ""Identity Card"" Mahmoud Darwish 90 22 ""An Olive Branch and a Gun"" Yasir Arafat 92 23 ""The Road to Peace"" Anwar Sadat 98 24 ""The 1978 Negotiations at Camp David"" Ezer Weizman 102 25 ""The Road to Oslo"" Mahmoud Abbas 107 Chapter 6 The First Pass at Peace 111 26 ""The Palestinians' Fourteen Demands"" Sari Nusseibeh 113 27 ""The Oslo Accord"" Yossi Beilin 116 28 ""The Oslo Accord"" Mahmoud Abbas 120 29 ""Collapse at Camp David"" (Interview with Ehud Barak) Benny Morris 124 30 ""Collapse at Camp David"" Robert Malley Hussein Agha 128 Chapter 7 The Fourth Stage 132 31 Hamas Covenant (1988) 134 32 ""The Second Intifada"" (Interview with Marwan Barghouti) Toufic Haddad 138 33 The Intifada: Israel Government White Paper 142 34 Palestine Papers: Olmert's Offer to Abu Mazen 146 35 ""My Offer to Abbas"" Ehud Olmert 148 36 ""Conditions for a Two-State Solution"" Benjamin Netanyahu 149 Chapter 8 The Downward Spiral 155 37 ""Recognize Palestine as a UN Member State"" Mahmoud Abbas 157 38 ""Collapse of Kern/Initiative"" Martin Indyk 162 39 ""2014 Gaza War: Palestinian View"" Diana Buttu 168 40 ""2014 Gaza War: Israeli View"" Benjamin Netanyahu 173 41 ""Saving the Two-State Solution"" John Kerry 176 Chapter 9 The Impasse that Remains 180 42 ""Territorial Issues"" Michael Herzog 182 43 ""West Bank Settlements: A Palestinian View"" Walid Salem 188 44 ""West Bank Settlements: An Israeli View"" Hillel Halkin 192 45 ""The Refugee Issue: A Palestinian View"" Rashid Khalidi 197 46 ""The Refugee Issue: An Israeli View"" Efraim Karsh 201 Chapter 10 The Perfect Conflict 205 47 ""The One-State Solution: A Palestinian Version"" Ghada Karmi 207 48 ""The One-State Solution: An Israeli Version"" Naftali Bennett 212 49 ""The Two-State Solution"" David C. Unger 216 50 ""Linking Justice to Peace"" Yaacov Bar-Siman-Tov 220 Index 228"
Alan Dowty is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame and Affiliate Professor at the University of Washington.
Reviews for The Israel/Palestine Reader
While Israel's relationship with the major Sunni Arab state is improving its conflict with Palestinians keeps festering. Against this grim backdrop Alan Dowty has provided us with a rich and balanced reader. It is an indispensable resource for both professionals and lay readers. Itamar Rabinovich, President of The Israel Institute
