Synopses & Reviews
The Jew, according to the Arab stereotype, is a brutal, violent coward; the Arab, to the prejudiced Jew, is a primitive creature of animal vengeance and cruel desires. In this monumental work, David Shipler delves into the origins of the prejudices that have been intensified by war, terrorism, and nationalism.
Focusing on the diverse cultures that exist side by side in Israel and Israeli-controlled territories, Shipler examines the process of indoctrination that begins in schools; he discusses the far-ranging effects of socioeconomic differences, historical conflicts between Islam and Judaism, attitudes about the Holocaust, and much more. And he writes of the people: the Arab woman in love with a Jew, the retired Israeli military officer, the Palestinian guerilla, the handsome actor whose father is Arab and whose mother is Jewish.
Review
"Nearly 600 pages seem to leave no aspect of the complex Arab-Jewish relationship untouched...presented in an abundance of narratives, anecdotes and conversations that never seem hackneyed." Ronald Sanders, The New York Times Book Review
Synopsis
The Jew, according to the Arab stereotype, is a brutal, violent coward; the Arab, to the prejudiced Jew, is a primitive creature of animal vengeance and cruel desires. In this monumental work, revised and more relevant than ever, David Shipler delves into the origins of the prejudices that have been intensified by war, terrorism, nationalism, and the failure of the peace process.
"The best and most comprehensive work there is in the English language on this subject." (Walter Laqueur, The New York Times)
"A rich, penetrating, and moving portrayal of Arab-Jewish hostility, told in human terms." (Newsday)
About the Author
David Shipler, who graduated from Dartmouth in 1964, served as a New York Times correspondent in Saigon, covering South Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand from 1973-75. He was Moscow Bureau Chief from 1977-79. From 1979-84, he served as Bureau Chief of The New York Times in Jerusalem. He also served as Chief Diplomatic Correspondent in the Washington Bureau of The New York Times until 1988. Shipler was co-recipient (with Thomas Friedman) of the 1983 George Polk Award for coverage of the Lebanon War.
Shipler is the author of Arab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land, which explores the mutual perceptions and relationships between Arabs and Jews in Israel and the West Bank. The book won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction. Shipler was also executive producer, writer and narrator of a two-hour PBS documentary on Arab and Jew, which won a 1990 Dupont-Columbia award for broadcast journalism.
Among Shipler's other works is the best-seller Russia: Broken Idols, Solemn Dreams, published in 1983, updated in 1989. Widely acclaimed by critics, it won the Overseas Press Club Award in 1983 as the best book that year on foreign affairs.
Table of Contents
Foreword to the Revised Edition
Foreword to the First Edition
Introduction
Part One: Aversion
1. War: Earth of Brass
2. Nationalisms: Paradise Lost
3. Terrorism: The Banality of Evil
4. Religious Absolutism: Isaac and Ishmael
Part Two: Images
5. The Violent, Craven Arab
6. The Violent, Craven Jew
7. The Primitive, Exotic Arab
8. The Alien, Superior Jew
9. Segregation and Class
10. Sexual Fears and Fantasies
11. Mirrors of Semitism
12. The Holocaust
Part Three: Interaction
13. A Mingling of Cultures
14. Fire in the Desert
15. Secret Police in an Open Society
16. Arab Citizens of the Jewish State
17. The Sin of Love
18. The Dream
Epilogue: Twilight War, Twilight Peace
Notes
Index