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
Review
"For an Israeli of liberal outlook who believes in his country...Shipler's study...is painful to read....Shipler's findings...are accurate enough, and though he does not always write with an insider's knowledge of Israel,...he is an intelligent observer....{However}, a weakness as well as a strength of Arab and Jew {is} its essentially ahistorical approach....By de-emphasizing history and politics, one gains in readability but losesin overall perspective. . . . What lies at the heart of Arab-Jewish tensions in Israel is not subjective prejudice but an objective contest for land and power....Ironically, therefore, the future of Arab-Jewish relations...will be determined almost entirely by the diplomats, politicians, and generals whom {Shipler} has chosen to omit from his book." Hillel Halkin, The New Republic
Synopsis
In this monumental work, David Shipler, award-winning correspondent for The New York Times, examines the forces that contribute to the mutual aversion and hatred in Israel.
About the Author
The author was the New York Times bureau chief in Jerusalem from 1979 to 1984. His book is an attempt "to examine the attitudes, images, and stereotypes that Arabs and Jews have of one another, the roots of their aversions, and the complex interactions between them in the small territory where they live together under Israeli rule: the strip of land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.