Israel Leban War P

Rating:
Summary: insight and criticism
Review: Despite the fact that the two authors are journalists, the book is accurate and credible enough to be used as academic reference. The book covers mainly the Israeli point of view, but its scope is wide and provides insight into the intricate workings and components of the Lebanese-Israeli-Palestinian interactions, as well as the internal aspects of Lebanese and Israeli politics relevant to the issues discussed. The book provides a most interesting and readable coverage of the Israeli military operation, and the behind the scenes planning and intrigue of this operation. Notable is the coverage of the deception used by the Israeli Minister of Defense, Ariel Sharon and Chief of Staff, Rafael Eitan in order to pull the wool over the eyes of the Israeli Prime Minister, Knesset and public. Quite astounding, considering the fact that these events took place in a democratic country. This book is a must for anyone who seeks to understand or research the subject.

Rating:
Summary: War is never the solution
Review: This bestseller book serves two purposes. On the one hand, it documents one of the biggest military adventures in the Middle East while on the other hand, it is a lesson for Western leaders who intend to use military might to change political realities in the region.
According to the book, this military adventure consumed itself and its engineer then Defense Minister Ariel Sharon, who circumvented Israel's democracy by withholding information about his true plan of invasion from Israeli politicians then unsuccessfully meddling in Lebanese internal politics.
The book is a survey of rapidly unfolding military events and a deep analysis into their immediate political consequences.
Since the book was published shortly after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, the authors should consider publishing an updated version that should cover the period of Israeli occupation thereafter and the consequent withdrawal in 2000.
The authors display mastery in understanding the mosaic picture of Lebanese politics. They also succeed in painting an accurate portray of Sharon, the General/politician who always called for a military solution for the Middle East's conflict. This, however, proved to be much more complicated than to be solved in an Israeli blitzkrieg strike against Lebanon in 1982.
The book also sheds a light on the determined and shrewd personality of late Syrian dictator Hafez Assad who succeeded, as in most complicated issues that faced him, in prevailing victoriously. Assad simply displayed more skill in understanding Arab politics than his Israeli counter parts, a fact whose end result was the complete Syrian domination of Lebanon, more than two decades after Israel's Lebanon war.
American policy makers behind the liberation of Iraq should read this book in order to refresh their memory on Arab politics and remind themselves of the magnitude of regional intervention of neighboring Arab countries in Iraq affairs.