Israelis and Palestinians: Why do they fight? Can they stop?

Rating:
Summary: A Great Non-Biased Perspective on the Conflict
Review: This book is wonderful for those looking for a non-biased perspective into the conflict in Israel. It is not a history text, and does not outline the historical events. Instead, this book looks at various issues that most people don't consider when thinking about the conflict. I recommend it to readers who have a grounding in the historical aspects of the conflict but need a non-biased perspective on some modern issues such as imported labour and water contamination. Although these may sound irrelevant to the overall conflict, Wassersten shows their significance in clear and detailed writing.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book that offers hope
Review: This is not a beginners book. It assumes some knowledge of the origins and major players in the conflict. Wasserstein believes that the Israelis and Palestinians will end their decades long conflict in the near future due to various circumstances. These are population, environment, and the declining impact of
Zionism. He does not specify when he believes this may happen, but he gives many reasons why Israel's occupation of the Palestinians is becoming more and more untenable.

Population - Israel wants to remain a predominantly Jewish state. The Arab population is growing more rapidly that the Jewish population due to higher birthrates and an exodus of Jews trying to escape the conflict and Israel's troubled economy. In Israel, Arabs make up about a sixth of the population. This precentage is increasing. Due to the recent Intifada Palestinian workers are largely unable to cross into Israel. As a result, Israel is bringing low wage workers from other nations. Many of these workers are either staying illegally or intermarrying with Israelis, further increasing the nonJewish population. Some
neighborhoods are being taken over by illegals, which is causing Jewish flight in many areas. Population issues will soon force Israel to accept the creation of a Palestinian state. Israel can swap predominantly Arab towns in exchange for Jewish settlements. This will significantly lower the nonJewish population of Israel. An end to the Intifada would also mean the return of Palestinian workers who can go back to their own country everynight, largely elimating Israel's illegal immigration problem.

Environmental - Water shortages and dealing with the area's severe water pollution will require cooperation between both sides, since they share the same water supplies.

Declining Impact of Zionism - The early Zionists were Marxists, who wanted to create a agricultural/communal Jewish state. They believed that the ideal Hebrew was a farmer and a soldier. While Marxist beliefs were never widespread in Israel (most people lived in cities and had nonfarming careers) the Marxists did manage to dominate politics and the military. The Israeli business class is now becoming more powerful politically. They have a strong incentive to end this conflict, which is seriously harming Israel's economy.

Wasserstein also points out that the few sticking points in negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians were close to being worked out in Taba, Egypt. In fact, Israeli and Palestinian delegations recently signed an unofficial peace agreement called the Geneva Accords that if real would resolve the conflict. This proves that peace is possible. Both Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat are obstacles to peace. All that's needed now are leaders who care more about their people than land.

Rating:
Summary: It's easy
Review: Though this book is titled "Israelis and Palestinians: Why Do They Fight? Can They Stop?," the author never really answered either question to my satisfaction. Perhaps I was expecting too much from a book of only a couple of hundred pages. The book provides a cursory history of the formation of the current Israeli state but seems to assume more knowledge on the part of the general reader than is probably warranted. The author explains briefly how the current nation of Israel was formed but goes into no great detail as to why that creation has led to the problems that currently exist between the two peoples. He drops names throughout the book of various Israeli leaders and their respective political parties but does not really set forth sufficient information for the casual reader to know the political orientation of those leaders or what effect their respective positions have had upon the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. With regard to the issue of whether the two sides can stop fighting, he seems to feel that they can and that they will since they are supposedly not that far apart in their negotiating positions and since neither side can really exist forever in the absence of some sort of final settlement. One reason is that neither side can unilaterally control the supply of water. Another is that whatever disparities might exist with regard to the relative populations will change in the near future due to the higher birth rates of the Palestinians. Finally, he believes that the Israelis realize that they must eventually withdraw from many of the settlements in the occupied regions and that they realize that they cannot continue to exercise control over areas in which the Palestinians are in the majority. He makes no prediction as to when this ulimate settlement will occur or whether it can occur without the assistance of outside brokers, only that it should occur. Perhaps he should tell that to the parties in question.

Rating:
Summary: It's easy
Review: Why do they fight? It's quite simple.

It is a fight between one who wishes to exist (Israel) and those who seek to destroy it (Arab and Islamic world). Nothing more, nothing less.