Towards the Long Promised Peace – Omar Massalha

Towards the Long Promised Peace

by Omar Massalha

On the 13 September 1993 Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin did the unthinkable: they shook hands in front of the world's media, thus taking the first step towards a settlement of the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This book, which covers the 1993 Washington meeting and includes the Arafat-Rabin letters of mutual recognition and the historic Declaration of Principles, also gives the necessary historical background to understand these startling developments. 

Massalha's detailed study examines the conflict from all angles: from the biblical history of the region, through the period of Jewish immigration and the British mandate, The Arab-Israeli wars and the various stages of the US-mediated 'peace process'. It also deals with the topics that will form the basis of future negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians -the status of Jerusalem, the Jewish settlements, water resources and a possible confederation with Jordan. 

This timely contribution by a uniquely well-qualified expert will prove useful in understanding future developments in the fast-evolving Middle East scene.

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Prospects for peace in the Middle East are more tangible than ever before in our lifetime, and Massalha presents a detailed background to the current tantalizing negotiations. The first, more useful, section of this book provides a step-by-step chronology to negotiations, starting with the Madrid Conference in 1991, which was characterized by obstruction and frustration, and culminating in the startling announcement of mutual recognition between Israel and the Palestinians in September 1993. The author, an experienced and knowledgeable diplomat, makes his sympathies clear, but his presentation is balanced and his approach moderate. He asserts convincingly that mutual recognition and peace will benefit both Israel and Palestine. The latter sections include historical surveys, a review of the central role of Jerusalem, and a legal analysis of the emergence of Palestine and are generally less clear and focused. Supported by extensive documents, this volume will be a useful reference as the negotiations enter the next stage.
Elizabeth R. Hayford, Associated Colls. of the Midwest, Chicago
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Language: English
IsBN: 9780863560651
1994, paperback, 346 pages, 6.5 x 9 inches

Publisher: Saqi