Summary
Praise for the previous editions:
"Recommended."—Choice
"Recommended..."—Reference & Research Book News
Israel is a modern country with a short history set into the lengthy story of Jewish history. A Brief History of Israel, Third Edition explores that history with an emphasis on the period since Israel's independence in 1948. It is a complex story of a people and their modern state, established thousands of years after the destruction of the old one. The story of the independent state of Israel is narrated against the backdrop of exile, anti-Semitism, Zionism, and the Holocaust—all of which have helped shape the nature of the current state.
The chronological narration begins with the time of Abraham and the period of the Israelite kingdoms and continues to World War II and the United Nations Partition Plan. A Brief History of Israel, Third Edition explores the independent country of Israel, including the Arab–Israeli conflict, domestic politics, the economy, and international relations. Completely up-to-date, this edition features a new preface, introduction, and final chapter, and revised and updated appendixes.
Coverage includes:
- The period since Israel's independence in 1948
- The Middle East peace process
- Hamas's election victory and its effect on Israel
- The 2009 election won by Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud Party
- Israel's relationship with the Obama administration
- The Arab Spring and its effects.
Specifications
Black-and-white photographs. Maps. Index. Appendixes. Bibliography. Glossary. Suggested reading. Chronology. Basic facts. Sidebars.
About the Author(s)
Bernard Reich is professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University and former chairman of advanced area studies (Middle East–Fertile Crescent) at the Department of State's Foreign Service Institute. He is a member of the Board of Advisory Editors of the Middle East Journal and of the International Editorial Board of Israel Affairs and has testified before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Joint Economic Committee of Congress. Reich is the author of numerous books on the Middle East, including Quest for Peace: United States–Israel Relations and the Arab–Israeli Conflict, An Historical Encyclopedia of the Arab–Israeli Conflict, and Historical Dictionary of Israel.