Waging Peace: Israel and the Arabs at the End of the Century - Hardcover

Rabinovich, Itamar

9780374105761: Waging Peace: Israel and the Arabs at the End of the Century

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0374105766 ISBN 13: 9780374105761

Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1999

Rabinovich (history, Tel Aviv University), headed the Israeli delegation at the peace talks with Syria (1992-95) and was Israel's ambassador to the US in 1993-96. He suggests new ways to achieve normalized relations between Jews and Arabs, considering the core dispute between two national movements, the broader cultural and religious conflict between Israel and Arab nationalism, the bilateral disagreements between Israel and its Arab neighbors, and the international structure. No index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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Review:

Itamar Rabinovich, the former Israeli ambassador to the United States, surveys the history of Israeli-Arab relations from the founding of Israel in 1948 up through the tentative peace process of the 1990s. The broad account is notable for its demonstration of the truth that Israeli-Arab tension is not monolithic, but rather a "cluster of distinct, interrelated conflicts" between Israel and its neighbors as well as Palestinians living within Israel's borders. But Waging Peace suffers from near-instant datedness, as Rabinovich chose not to wait until the May 1999 elections had been held--and nationalist hard-liner Benjamin Netanyahu ousted from the prime minister's seat--before publication, thus hampering his ability to speculate on future developments in the peace process. And for all his vaunted expertise, Rabinovich's ultimate statement on peace in the Middle East is blindingly obvious: "Policy makers shouBut Waging Peace suffers from near-instant datedness, as Rabinovich chose not to wait until the May 1999 elections had been held--and nationalist hard-liner Benjamin Netanyahu ousted from the prime minister's seat--before publication, thus hampering his ability to speculate on future developments in the peace process.ld be guided by a concept of a comprehensive settlement, but they should be ready to implement it in phases, and despite crises and reversals." Still, Rabinovich's careful examination of this conflict's past will be of use to anyone who addresses the Arab-Israeli future.

From the Inside Flap:

The conflicts between Israel and its Arab neighbors have lasted for more than half a century. How can they be ended? In Waging Peace, the noted scholar-diplomat Itamar Rabinovich goes beyond the old formulas to suggest new ways of understanding how to achieve normalized relations between Jews and Arabs.

Mr. Rabinovich considers the issues in all the relevant contexts: the core conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, a classic dispute between two national movements claiming title to and vying for possession of the same land; the broader political, cultural, and increasingly religious conflict between Israel and Arab nationalism- the bilateral disagreements between Israel and each of its Arab neighbors; and the international structure, in which colonial and postcolonial power rivalries, geopolitical factors, and talk about the "Holy Land" all play a part. His vivid account of the hopeful peace processes of 1992-96 and the more dispiriting record since then points the way to his appraisal of the crucial matters that must be addressed as the century ends. With his shrewd assessments of the major players (and the striking differences in how each "tells the story") and his realistic understanding of the possibilities, Mr. Rabinovich offers real hope for an intelligent achievement of enduring peace.

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