Perspectives on the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Jacob Abadi
The United States Air Force Academy

Origins and Development of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, by Ann Lesch and Dan Tschirgi. 191 pages, glossary, bibliography, index. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1998. $39.95 (Paper) ISBN 0-313-29970-6

Philosophical Perspectives on the Arab-Israeli Conflict, edited by Tomis Kapitan. 382 pages, map, bibliography, index. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 1997. $27.95 (Paper) ISBN 1-56324-878-6

In their attempt to explain the intricacies of the Arab-Israeli conflict, scholars have written numerous books ranging from simple and straightforward books to highly complicated ones. Lesch and Tschirgi’s Origins and Development provides an easy to understand account of the Arab-Israeli conflict, while Kapitan’s Philosophical Perspectives is a collection of highly contro­versial articles dealing with the deep philosophical aspects of the conflict. Both books are welcome additions to the literature on this topic.

While Lesch and Tschirgi present the events in an objective and scholarly fashion, leav­ing the reviewer with very little to criticize, Kapitan’s book is likely to trigger much criticism because it is thought provoking and often even irritating. Yet the rich tapestry of the arguments presented here is both interesting and valuable. Yael Tamir and Muhammad Ali Khalidi discuss the nature and the characteristics of national self-determination and apply them to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

A common theme often discussed by students of the Arab-Israeli conflict is Israel’s right to exist. In an attempt to justify the existence of the Jewish State, Alan B. Gewrith argues that the universal concept of justice for persecuted people makes the Jews eligible for a state of their own. Besides, he argues that the Jews had a long tradition in the land of their ancestors. But while he supports the argument that the Jews should have the right to a state of their own, he argues that the state should review its human rights record on a continual basis.

In his rather biased analysis of Israeli conduct in the occupied territories, Robert B. Ashmore argues that a condition of ‘state terrorism’ exists in Israel. This analysis has little value, since it does not offer a viable solution to the conflict. In a chapter analyzing the behavior of Palestinian youth during the Intifada, Daniel Statman argues that stone throwing was not as innocent as it was portrayed since it was meant to harm civilians and combatants alike.

In a manner reminiscent of many studies, which compare Israel to South Africa during the Apartheid era, James A. Graff argues that Israel’s ideology is based exclusively on ethnocentric nationalism and that Israel is a settler state whose main objective is to subjugate the indigenous population. He argues that the Israeli authorities strive to liquidate Palestinian youth. Graff manages to effectively undermine his thesis when he argues that the Israelis “did not have a policy of targeting children to kill them,” but only to injure them. Eric McKenna argues that Israel’s occupation is contradictory to the ideas of the Age of Enlightenment and that by violating international law Israel is undermining its own legitimacy.

 Basing his discussion on Ibn Khaldun’s philosophy of history, Sari Nusseiba argues that Palestinian nationalism had become so ingrained in the minds of the Palestinians that it is no longer possible to ignore. Discussing the importance of the 1988 declaration of the State of Palestine, Jerome M. Segal convincingly argues that the declaration was part and parcel of Palestinian state building. The argument that justice can be achieved only by an Israeli withdrawal to the 1947 UN Partition Plan borders is discussed by Manfred Vogel who argues that such a demand is not justified since the Arabs themselves did not accept that plan and they were the ones to provoke Israel.

Another aspect covered in Kapitan’s book is the role of religion in this conflict. David B. Burrel examines the overwhelming power of religion, which in his view exacerbates the conflict while Hugh Harcourt argues that the lack of ethos both in the Israeli and the Palestinian camps prevent the possibility of an agreement. Robert Holmes reaches the conclusion that only by mutual commitment to nonviolence can peace be achieved. An interesting solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict is offered by Milton Fisk who argues that binationalism might be the key to the solution of the conflict. The last article by Lynne Belaief examines the justice dimension. She argues that only recognition by both sides that they are responsible for the injustice inflicted on the other sides would end the conflict.

 Both books reviewed here have their merits: one for the laymen who begins to study this complicated conflict and the other for the sophisticated advanced scholar. One is suitable for undergraduate college students and the other for those who have already acquired substantial knowledge of Jewish and Middle Eastern history.