Even as Israel boldly offers statehood to Palestinians in exchange for an enduring peace, many academics and activists–primarily but not exclusively from the hard left–have gone on the attack against Israel, deriding it as an imperialist power bent on oppressing the Palestinians. On prominent campuses across the United States and throughout the world, petitions circulate asking universities to divest holdings in Israel and to boycott Israeli Jews without regard to their individual views. Virulent opponents of Israel have accused that democracy of unspeakable human rights abuses, while many who believe otherwise remain silent. Now, in this impassioned and closely argued book, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz sets the record straight and explains why Israel, while not perfect, is in fact the sole outpost of liberty and democracy in the Middle East–a country that has earned the right to exist within secure boundaries and defend itself.

Drawing on scrupulous, unbiased research and his peerless skills as an advocate, Dershowitz conclusively refutes thirty-two separate slurs, slanders, and misrepresentations that have been hurled at Israel in recent years, including:

• Israel is a colonial, imperialist state
• The Jews have always rejected the two-state solution
• The Jews have exploited the Holocaust
• Israel’s victimization of the Palestinians has been the primary cause of the Arab-Israeli conflict
• Israel created the Arab refugee problem
• Israel tortures Palestinians
• Israel’s targeted assassinations of terrorist leaders are unlawful
• Israel is the "prime" human rights violator in the world
• Universities should divest from Israel and boycott Israeli scholars

In demolishing these charges, Dershowitz documents how Israel was founded with the blessing of the United Nations–and how it was Arabs, not Israelis, who initiated the

cycle of violence that still persists today. He proves that the division of Palestine between Israel and the Palestinians has long been accepted by Israel and rejected by most Arabs. He demonstrates why Israeli actions in the West Bank and Gaza are not motivated by territorial ambitions, but by the very real sense that Israel is under attack. And he shows how critics of Israel gloss over the terrorism, human rights abuses, and antidemocratic ideologies of other regimes in the region, substituting bigotry and veiled anti-Semitism for objective analysis. Well reasoned, hard-hitting, and provocative, The Case for Israel is essential reading for anyone who cares about Israel and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Noting that he has been working on versions of these arguments since 1967, famed Harvard law professor Dershowitz offers "a proactive defense of Israel," a kind of amicus brief to "the court of public opinion." Not least among the exhibits are a WWII-era Muslim Palestinian leader who was "a full fledged Nazi war criminal, and he was so declared at Nuremberg"; a "vastly under populated" late 19th-century Palestine, to which European Jews began emigrating; and a 75-year-long Arab-Israel war that features "Arab nations dedicated to genocidal aggression against civilians." Each of the 32 chapters begins with a commonly heard accusation against Israel, with long quotes from reputable "Accusers" (including newspapers and intellectuals), followed by "The Reality" as Dershowitz sees it, and "The Proof," often drawing on the historical record. With a 150,000 first printing, a $150,000 marketing budget, a Today Show appearance on September 4 and an author tour, expect lots of discussion. (Sept. 2) (Publishers Weekly, August 4, 2003)

"...I recommend even more strongly [then The New Anti Semitism and A New Anti Semitism?] the handbook The Case for Israel..." (Sunday Telegraph, 5 October 2003)

"Dershowitz is especially effective at pointing to the hypocrisy of many of Israel's critics." (The New York Times - Book Review, November 9th, 2003)

"...It should be read by all who seek to be genuinely informed on the Middle East conflict..." (The Jewish Chronicle, 9 January 2004)

Written in Alan Dershowitz's characteristic hard-hitting style, The Case for Israel defends Israel and its basic right to exist, to protect its citizens from terrorism, and to protect its borders from hostile enemies. This timely and controversial analysis sets the record straight, addressing the accusations leveled against Israel by responding with hard facts and documentation.

"Overwhelming . . . a must-read for American Jews, particularly those on college campuses who have no inkling of how to counter the massive verbal assault on Israel. . . . A profound contribution to a country now in dire straits."

–Jerusalem Post

In this impassioned book, Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz responds to Israel’s vociferous opponents–and explains why Israel, while not perfect, is a country that has earned the right to exist and defend itself. Drawing on scrupulous research and his peerless skills as an advocate, Dershowitz conclusively refutes thirty-two separate slurs, slanders, and misrepresentations that have been hurled at Israel in recent years, from "Jews have always rejected the two-state solution" and "Israel created the Arab refugee problem" to "universities should divest from Israel." Hard-hitting, well-reasoned, and provocative, The Case for Israel is essential reading if you’re concerned about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

"A lively, hotly argued broadside against Israel’s increasingly venomous critics."

–Washington Post Book World

"Passionately argued . . . revealing and persuasive."

–The Times (London)

"Dershowitz . . . knows how to construct an argument. . . . Especially effective at pointing to the hypocrisy of many of Israel’s critics."

–New York Times Book Review

Alan Dershowitz, the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, is one of the country’s foremost appellate lawyers and a distinguished defender of individual liberties. He appears frequently on television and has contributed articles to the New York Times and other newspapers and magazines. His many books include the #1 New York Times bestseller Chutzpah and The Vanishing American Jew.

Preface to the Paperback Edition.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

1. Is Israel a Colonial, Imperialist State?

2. Did European Jews Displace Palestinians?

3. Was the Zionist Movement a Plot to Colonize All of Palestine?

4. Was the Balfour Declaration Binding International Law?

5. Were the Jews Unwilling to Share Palestine?

6. Have the Jews Always Rejected the Two-State Solution?

7. Have the Jews Exploited the Holocaust?

8. Was the U.N. Partition Plan Unfair to Palestinians?

9. Were Jews a Minority in What Became Israel?

10. Has Israel's Victimization of the Palestinians Been the Primary Cause of the Arab-Israeli Conflict?

11. Was the Israeli War of Independence Expansionists Aggression?

12. Did Israel Create the Arab Refugee Problem?

13. Did Israel Start the Six-Day War?

14. Was the Israeli Occupation Without Justification.

15. Was the Yom Kippur War Israel's Fault?

16. Has Israel Made Serious Efforts at Peace?

17. Was Arafat Right in Turning Down the Barak-Clinton Peace Proposal?

18. Why Have More Palestinians Than Israelis Been Killed?

19. Does Israel Torture Palestinians?

20. Has Israel Engaged in Genocide against Palestinian Civilians?

21. Is Israel a Racist State?

22. Is the Israeli Occupation the Cause of All the Problems?

23. Has Israel Denied the Palestinians Statehood?

24. Is Israel's Policy of House Destruction Collective Punishment?

25. Is Targeted Assassination of Terrorist Leaders Unlawful?

26. Is Settlement in the West Bank and Gaza a Major Barrier to Peace?

27. Is Terrorism Merely Part of a Cycle of Violence?

28. Is Israel the Prime Human Rights Violator in the World?

29. Is there Moral Equivalence between Palestinian Terrorist and Israeli Responses?

30. Should Universities Divest from Israel and Boycott Israeli Scholars?

31. Are Critics of Israel Anti-Semitic?

32. Why Do So Many Jews and Even Israelis Side With The Palestinians?

Conclusion: Israel-the Jew among Nations.

Notes.

Index.