Israel & Palestine: Home

In this Very Short Introduction, Steven Beller explores the historical and political intricacies of Antisemitism, an issue which has been a worryingly persistent presence in the last millennium, and one that continues to provoke debate and discussion.

A Knesset member and former Director of Military Intelligence for Israel chronicles the series of wars that commenced with the 1948 War of Independence, highlighting the personal and political struggles that have shaped Israeli history and includes an updated section that recounts the events of the past twenty years. Reprint. 12,500 first printing.

An intimate portrait of the late Palestinian leader's legacy draws on the inside perspectives of a notorious former terrorist and one of his closest advisors, sharing insight into his regime, the PLO, and Fatah while discussing Arafat's contributions to major events throughout the past three decades.

Presents the historical events leading up to the creation of the state of Israel, discussing the rise of Zionism, conflicts with the British, the Israeli-Arabs wars, and the legacy for the world of having a separate Jewish nation.

An Israeli journalist living in Gaza offers her insights and reflections on what she saw and learned in the much-maligned Palestinian enclave

Documents the "Nakbah" ethnic cleansing practices of 1948 Palestine, linking them directly to the Palestine-Israeli conflict and Middle East instability, in an account that attempts to address why the events of 1948 are still denied in today's world.

An expert on the Israel-Palestine conflict describes the man-made humanitarian disaster that exists in Gaza and discusses how Israel has justified the assaults on the region in self-defense although they may have violated international law.

A comprehensive account of the origins, establishment, development, and struggles of the modern Jewish state and of the men and women, great and small, who helped or hindered Israel's survival

Presents a history of Israel from the origins of the Zionist movement to the present day, focusing on the issues of mass immigration, shifting cultural norms, the politics of world diplomacy, and the creation of a civil society.

What explains the peculiar intensity and evident intractability of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Of all the "hot spots" in the world today, the apparently endless clash between Jews and Arabs in the Middle East seems unique in its longevity and resistance to resolution. Is this conflict really different from other ethnic and nationalist confrontations, and if so, in what way?

Two histories, two faiths, two points of view, all in one "flip-book."

An Oxford professor reflects on key issues and contributing factors shaping the Israeli-Palestine conflict, providing comprehensive coverage of topics ranging from the 1917 Balfour Declaration and the failure of the Oslo peace process to the 1948 War and the 2008 invasion of Gaza. By the author of The Iron Wall. Reprint.

The definitive biography of Golda Meir: the iron-willed leader, chain-smoking political operative, and tea-and-cake-serving grandmother who became the fourth prime minister of Israel and one of the most notable women of our time.

UXL's Middle East Conflict Reference Library is designed to meet the pressing need for a lucid, comprehensive and objective overview of the people, events and documents that are key to understanding the region.

Deborah J. Gerner is associate professor of political science at the University of Kansas.

A history of Palestine under the British mandate chronicles a turbulent thirty-year history, from 1917 to 1948, that set the stage for the conflict between Arabs and Jews that still haunts the region today.

Ottoman Brothers explores Ottoman collective identity, tracing how Muslims, Christians, and Jews became imperial citizens together in Palestine following the 1908 revolution.

Smith places the conflict in historical and political perspective, facilitating readers' understanding of how this complex situation has evolved over time. By examining its underlying causes, individual and group motives, and the roles that countries around the world have played in the region, Smith helps readers understand the history behind the headlines.

The former president draws on his understanding of Middle East history and his personal relationships with regional leaders to share an assessment of what he believes is necessary to bring lasting peace to Israel while preserving Palestinian dignity.

The conflict between Palestine and Israel is one of the most highly publicized and bitter struggles of modern times, a dangerous tinderbox always poised to set the Middle East aflame--and to draw the United States into the fire. In this accessible and stimulating Very Short Introduction, Martin Bunton provides a clear and fair exploration of the political conflict between the two nations, looking at the historical basis of the struggle, how and why partition has been so difficult, and how efforts to restore peace continue today.

Arguing that a two-state solution is no longer a viable path to lasting peace, a controversial assessment of the Israeli-Palestine conflict by the author of Biting at the Grave addresses key issues while outlining a framework for action.

Nobel Peace Laureate Jimmy Carter argues that the present moment is a unique time for achieving peace in the Middle East--and he offers a bold and comprehensive plan.

From the graphic, beautifully rendered description of the bombing that opens the novel to the searing conclusion, The Attack portrays the reality of terrorism and its incalculable spiritual costs. Intense and humane, devoid of political bias, hatred, and polemics, it probes deep inside the Muslim world and gives readers a profound understanding of what seems impossible to understand.

The tale of a simple act of faith between two young people--one Israeli, one Palestinian--that symbolizes the hope for peace in the Middle East.

Israel’s most lauded contemporary writer retells the myth of Samson, one of the most tempestuous, charismatic, and colorful characters in the Hebrew Bible. There are few other Bible stories with so much drama and action, narrative fireworks and raw emotion, as we find in the tale of Samson: the battle with the lion; the three hundred burning foxes; the women he bedded and the one woman that he loved; his betrayal by all the women in his life, from his mother to Delilah; and, in the end, his murderous suicide, when he brought the house down on himself and three thousand Philistines. Yet, beyond the wild impulsiveness, the chaos, the din, we can make out a life story that is, at bottom, the tortured journey of a single, lonely and turbulent soul who never found, anywhere, a true home in the world, whose very body was a harsh place of exile. For me, this discovery, this recognition, is the point at which the myth for all its grand images, its larger-than-life adventures ? slips silently into the day-to-day existence of each of us, into our most private moments, our buried secrets.” - from David Grossman’s introduction to Lion’s Honey

"The Literary Heritage of the Arabs samples some of the finest literature produced by Arab writers in the last 1,500 years. The selection of poetry and prose spans many genres and styles, conveying the full range of Arab experiences and perspectives - from the tragic to the comic, the wistful to the mystical, the courtly to the lowly and the Arab East to Andalusia."--Publisher's description.

Dealing with modern as well as classical fiction and nonfiction works, this volume profiles 50 works of literature in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Hebrew as windows of understanding into Middle Eastern history and culture. Each entry provides historical background on the work and summarizes the historical themes present in the narrative. The works included range in time from The Epic of Gilgamesh (circa 2700 BCE) to A. B. Yehoshua's Mr. Mani (1982). Includes a work by Ghassan Kanafani, a Palestinian author and politician.

Mixing fiction with non-fiction, the campus novel with the lecture, THE NETANYAHUS is a wildly inventive, genre-bending comedy of blending, identity, and politics

When Samir, a young Palestinian boy, is scheduled to go to an Israeli hospital for an operation, he fears the worse, yet upon meeting a young Israeli boy, Yonatan, his fears begin to subside as they become friends through their talks about far away adventures.

Mona’s grandmother, her Sitti, lives in a small Palestinian village on the other side of the earth. Once, Mona went to visit her.

The couldn’t speak each other’s language, so they made up their own. They learned about each other’s worlds, and they discovered each other’s secrets. Then it was time for Mona to go back home, back to the other side of the earth. But even though there were millions of miles and millions of people between them, they remained true neighbors forever.

A Palestinian folktale about a childless woman's prayers are answered by the arrival of a talking pot, but the new mother knows that Little Pot must learn right from wrong just like any child.

Set in modern-day Tel Aviv, a young man, Koby Franco, receives an urgent phone call from a female soldier. Learning that his estranged father may have been a victim of a suicide bombing in Hadera, Koby reluctantly joins the soldier in searching for clues.

Presents an original investigation into the 1956 massacre of more than one hundred Palestinian refugees by Israeli soldiers in Rafah in graphic novel format.

In late l991 and early 1992, at the time of the first Intifada, Joe Sacco spent two months with the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, travelling and taking notes. He captures the heart of the Palestinian experience in image after unforgettable image, with great insight and remarkable humour.

A collection of interviews with people living in the occupied territories of Palestine, including a fisherman, a journalist, and a professor.

Playing Across A Divide considers the circumstances and networks that nourished Israeli-Palestinian musical collaborations from 1991 to 2003, analyzing innovative musical syntheses.

This volume brings together 15 Palestinian writers--essayists, poets, novelists, critics, artists, and memoirists--to reflect on experiences of exile and home as stateless Palestinians in the wake of the Naqba (the Israeli expropriation of Palestinian homes and lands) and the continuing struggle for the right of return and dreams for a Palestinian state.

Mixing together stories of place, of people and of the food that connects them with a memoir of one man’s culinary sensibility, the founder of Domenica, Pizza Domenica and Shaya Restaurants describes how food saved his life and how, through a path of twists and turns, his celebrated cuisine—the food of his native Israel with a New Orleans kick—came to be.

Set in Ramallah during the aftermath of the 1967 Six-Day War, this poignant glimpse into a little-known culture traces the author's life, from her tragic childhood as a Palestinian refugee to her joyous discovery of the Arabic alphabet, which led to her passion for language and writing.

The co-owners of a Philadelphia restaurant known for its modern take on Israeli cooking showcase recipes that draw upon traditional styles from Jerusalem and the surrounding areas, including Israeli Salad With Mango, Cucumber and Sumac Onions; My Mom's Coffee-Braised Brisket; and many more.