A Durable Peace: Israel and Its Place Among the Nations

Netanyahu displays his knack--perfect for the television era but also helpful on these pages--for channeling complex ideas into pithy statements. Here's Netanyahu on the importance of Israel to the Jewish people: "If there had been a Jewish state in the first half of the [20th] century, there would have been no Holocaust. And if there had not been a Jewish state after the Holocaust, there would have been no Jewish future." On the need for Arab concessions in the peace process: "For the sake of peace, [the Arab states] must renounce their claims to part of the four ten-thousandths--.0004--of the lands they desire, which constitute the very heart of the Jewish homeland and the protective wall of the Jewish state." These are the statements of a skilled debater, and they represent a one-sided view of Middle Eastern politics. Yet Netanyahu also provides an excellent introduction to Zionism and the need to protect a small country against neighbors who have waged war against it. --John J. Miller

Product Description
In this thought-provoking and meticulously researched examination of the Middle Easts troubled history, charismatic, conservative, and sometimes controversial Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu traces the origins, development, and politics of Israels relationship with the Arab world and the West. Passionate and forceful, Mr. Netanyahu argues that Israels situation remains precarious, and that the Arabs, in conjunction with much of the world, have forced Israel to shrink to one-fifth of the land originally promised to the Jewish people. Tightly reasoned and filled with unique insights into current affairs, this is a powerful statement from a strong voice in world politics.

Subjects discussed include Arab military attacks in 1948, 1967, and 1973; the terrorist and fascist nature of the PLO; Israel's legal and historic claims to the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights, and their vital military importance; the intifada and the peace process; and the current rewriting of history to present aggressors as victims and victims as aggressors.

This book is essential for anyone interested in the Middle East, and no-one should form an opinion about this troubled region without reading it.


A Commanding Authority On Israel's Position   November 10, 2001
Henry Oliner (Macon, GA United States)
58 out of 66 found this review helpful

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu compiles a history of the developments in Israel to make a clear, almost obvious, picture of the issues Israel faces in its conflicts. It is not enough that Israel has built a nation against all odds that is the sole model of a successful democracy in the Middle East; it still faces intended annihilation from fundamentalist regimes that are today unfettered by even the restraint of the old Soviet empire. Radical regimes are actively seeking nuclear weaponry to exterminate the great Zionist experiment.

The book makes an excellent reference work on the current Middle East politics. The Maps and Appendixes pinpoint the logic of the requirements to assure Israel's peace and security.

Netanyahu's writing is clear and intelligent. His perspectives are from the common soldier and citizen to the top power structures. His knowledge goes beyond the events and the people; offering clarity to differences in politics and culture and how they affect the solution to a durable peace.

While sharply analyzing the issues and Israel's successes, his most important point is that it is not enough for Israel to win militarily; they must also win politically. Israel has done poorly on this front compared to the Arab countries and the Palestinians. It probably explains Netanyahu's frequent appearances on US TV and media forums. This book successfully debunks so many of the myths of the Palestinian and Israeli issues we have come to accept as fact in much of the western press.

For those who support Israel's right to exist and want to have a commanding authority on the history and realities to assure their security, you will not find a better source.


The Jewish Side to the Palestinian/Arab Problem   June 18, 2000
TexasReader
44 out of 50 found this review helpful

Former Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu shows his clear and well-educated view of the Palestinian/Arab problems plaguing Israel. With pride, Netanyahu explains the history of Zionism and puts forth all of the facts and reasons why the Israelis and not the Arabs have the sole right to Palestine. After reading this I have a firmer grasp on the Israeli side of the Palestinian problem.


Well written- great buy!   November 1, 2002
Rachel L. Zastrow (IL United States)
27 out of 30 found this review helpful

This is an excellent, concise history lesson, which is extremely relevant to our times. You will never be neutral again after reading this book! Thoughtful and well written for a student of history or for a layman who doesn't know how Israel first came into being. I hope Mr. Netanyahu is re-elected to the prime minister seat.