The Israel-arab Reader

Now in its eighth edition, a essential resource on the more than century-old conflict in the Middle East

In print for nearly half a century, and now in its eighth edition, The Israel-Arab Reader is an authoritative guide to over a century of conflict in the Middle East. It covers the full spectrum of a violent and checkered history—the origins of Zionism and Arab nationalism, the struggles surrounding Israel’s independence in 1948, the Six-Day War and other wars and hostilities over the decades, and the long diplomatic process and many peace initiatives.
 
Arranged chronologically and without bias by two veteran historians of the Middle East, this comprehensive reference brings together speeches, letters, articles, and reports involving all the major interests in the area. The eighth edition features a new introduction as well as a large new section—more than 40 pages—recounting developments over the last decade, including the intra-Palestinian factional strife between Fatah and Hamas, the roles played by Egypt and Iran in the region, enduring arguments over a two-state solution and the right of return for Palestinian refugees, and issues of human rights abuse and terrorism.

Walter Laqueur (1921–2018) was a former director of the Wiener Library Institute of Contemporary History in London as well as head of the International Research Council of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. He taught at Georgetown, Harvard, Brandeis, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Chicago. He was the author of The Last Days of Europe and more than twenty other books, which have been translated into as many languages, and was the founding editor of the Journal of Contemporary History.
 
Dan Schueftan is the director of the National Security Studies Center as well as the International Graduate Program in National Security at the University of Haifa. From 2012 to 2014 he was a visiting professor at Georgetown University. The author of numerous books on the history and politics of the Middle East, he has been briefing members and staffers of the U.S. Congress and the executive branch since the 1970s, and he briefs ministers and parliamentarians in European and Asian countries as well. He lives in Haifa, Israel.