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Title: The Palestinian People : A History by Baruch Kimmerling, Joel S. Migdal ISBN: 0-674-01129-5 Publisher: Harvard Univ Pr Pub. Date: March, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (4 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A good, balanced view
Comment: Rejecting standard Palestinian and Israeli historiographies, this book puts forth an explanation of why we are in the present situation by relying heavily on published material and undisputed facts but viewed from the author's particular perspective and interpretation. Stephen Covey, in his book 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' illustrates the fact that we can all see the same world completely differently by the picture of a woman. To some who have been conditioned beforehand she is an old hag while to others, conditioned differently, she is a real cutie. No where does this point have greater validity than when we view the history of the relationship between the Palestinian and Israeli peoples. To put it crudely, the Israelis have been conditioned to view the Palestinians as the old hag, while the Palestinians, quite naturally, see themselves as the real cutie. For the neutral outsider who is concerned that the Third World War might arise in this area, it is very difficult to get past the passions and prejudices, to get to facts and solutions that are acceptable to everyone. It seems that we have two broad alternatives - let the contestants fight it out until one is the victor or both are so exhausted that they are prepared to negotiate. During their centuries of immaturity, humans have used this method. I like to think that humans have grown beyond that stage and can act in a more mature manner and this is basically what this book sets out to do. They have tried to gather the facts of history in an unbiased way and work on the solution in a mature manner.
Their 1993 book "Palestinians: The Making of a People', was the first full account of Palestinian society and politics from their origins to the present and was published as the Oslo peace process was starting. It generated considerable interest from neutral people, Palestinian acclaim and vitriolic debate in Israel. When Rabin took Arafat's hand on the White House lawn in September 1993, it was acknowledged that the Oslo agreement demanded a new way of thinking about old issues and stubborn problems. The prime issue was whether or not there was a unified Palestinian people prior to Zionism - an assertion that the authors reaffirm in this book, recognizing that it is extremely unpopular in Israel as it undermines the Zionist story. However, since 1993 there has been a growing acceptance of the authors' points and in an August 2002 poll 78% of Israeli Jews accepted that Palestinians have a legitimate right to a state. After Barak's 1999 election, 75% of Palestinians on the West Bank and Gaza Strip voted for negotiations, knowing that this meant acceptance of Israel's legitimate existence and Israel's occupation of 80% of historic Palestine.
The Oslo process induced Palestinians and Israelis to reconsider their shared history - a painful undertaking for both sides. Building the future requires an ability to deal maturely and honestly with the past and it is the hope of the authors that this book will contribute to that process. Tracing events from the 1834 Revolt and the making of the modern Palestine in the first three parts of the book, the final part examines what went right and what went wrong in the Oslo process. If we accept the fact that the authors have made an effort to present the facts in a neutral way - recognizing that the hag and cutie prejudice will not be easily overcome - the important thing is to study the final part, stop the bloodshed and move forward.
It is a responsibility of all peace loving people to read this book and lend their support to finding and implementing the solution which comes closest to being fair for all. I am reminded of Edmund Burke's statement: "For the triumph of evil it is only necessary that good men do nothing."
Rating: 5
Summary: The Rejectionist was Barak the Failure was of Clinton&Arafat
Comment: Kimmerling and Migdal in the part four of their book provide the readers for the first time the true and non-biased story behind the failure of Oslo-Taba talks, within a wide historical perspective. It is a must be reading for every person who want to understanding the reasons of the recent development between the Israelis and the Palestinians. A scholarship at its best.
Rating: 1
Summary: Insufficient Weight Given to the Palestinians' Rejectionism
Comment: Kimmerling's and Migdal's analysis of Palestinian politics and society is hopelessly biased. The authors soft-pedal the Palestinians' basic rejection of Israel's legitimacy and their implicit (and often explicit -- cf. Arafat's many pronouncements in Arabic) wish to destroy Israel. For example, Kimmerling and Migdal, incredibly, fail to discuss the 2000 Camp David negotiations, the later Clinton proposals, or the January 2001 Taba negotiations, deferring instead to the extensive coverage of this sequence "elsewhere." This glaring omission is evidence enough of the authors' biases. Absent is any mention of the Palestinian rejection, without counter-offer or any other serious sign of a willingness to compromise, of Barak's proposals. Absent is the subsequent Palestinian response: another intifida. Absent is the Palestinian rejection of the Clinton proposals, which offered the Palestinians all of Gaza, 94-96% of the West Bank, and shared sovereignty over Jerusalem, including dominion over the haram al-sharif/temple mount. Further underscoring the Palestinians' unwillingness to negotiate and their basic rejection of Israel's right to exist is another fact that Kimmerling and Migdal ignore: the unyielding insistence by the Palestinians in all negotiations (at least beginning with Oslo) on their so-called "right of return." Of course, a full right of return would mean the end of Israel as a Jewish state. One may debate whether the Palestinians are merely being tactical here or whether it is truly their intent to destroy Israel demographically. But it is irresponsible of Kimmerling and Migdal to omit any discussion of these events. Consequently, I do not recommend this book.
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Title: Politicide: Ariel Sharon's War Against the Palestinians by Baruch Kimmerling ISBN: 1859845177 Publisher: Verso Books Pub. Date: July, 2003 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
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Title: Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881-2001 by Benny Morris ISBN: 0679744754 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 28 August, 2001 List Price(USD): $18.00 |
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Title: Shattered Dreams: The Failure of the Peace Process in the Middle East, 1995-2002 by Charles Enderlin, Susan Fairfield ISBN: 1590510607 Publisher: Other Press, LLC Pub. Date: May, 2003 List Price(USD): $28.00 |
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Title: The Other Israel: Voices of Refusal and Dissent by Tom Segev, Jonathan Shainin, Roane Carey ISBN: 156584789X Publisher: New Press Pub. Date: September, 2002 List Price(USD): $22.95 |
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Title: Middle East Illusions: Including Peace in the Middle East?: Reflections on Justice and Nationhood by Noam Chomsky ISBN: 0742526992 Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing (via NBN) Pub. Date: March, 2003 List Price(USD): $22.95 |
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