The Shortest History of Israel and Palestine

The century-old conflict between Israel and Palestine is one of the most bitter struggles in history, with profound consequences around the globe. In this accessible history, Michael Scott-Baumann succinctly describes its causes and charts its history from civil war to the present day. Adopting a distinct approach, each chapter starts with a lucid explanation of the politics and ends with personal testimony from interviews and memoirs of Palestinians and Israelis whose lives have been marked by conflict. By presenting competing interpretations from both sides, Scott-Baumann examines the key flashpoints of the twentieth century, including the early role of the British, the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, and the dramatic impact of the Six-Day War of 1967. The latter part of the book focuses on the nature of Israeli control of the Palestinian territories, and Palestinian resistance to it—which goes to the heart of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in recent decades. The result is an indispensable historical account, including analysis of why efforts to restore peace have continually failed. Peace, Scott-Baumann concludes, will be contingent on both sides having a right to self-determination.