Synopses & Reviews
The collapse of both sets of Arab-Israeli negotiations in 2000 led not only to recrimination and bloodshed, with the outbreak of the second intifada, but to the creation of a new myth. Syrian and Palestinian intransigence was blamed for the current disastrous state of affairs, as both parties rejected a "generous" peace offering from the Israelis that would have brought peace to the region.
The Truth about Camp David by Clayton E. Swisher shatters that myth. Based on the riveting, eyewitness accounts of more than 40 direct participants, some speaking publicly for the very first time, former federal investigator-turned-investigative journalist Clayton E. Swisher provides a compelling counter-narrative to the commonly accepted history. Swisher traces the trajectory of blame from President Clinton's post-impeachment hardships and desire to repair his legacy; Clinton's hopeful alliance with Ehud Barak beginning with the campaign to oust Netanyahu; and how both Clinton and his key advisors deferred repeatedly to the negotiating "wisdom" of Barak, surrendering their own role as "honest broker" in moments of desperation until realizing all too late it was bound to fail.
Their reflections are by turns embarrassed, regretful, amused, bitter, defensive, proud, apologetic even angry. They are always revelatory.
Review
"Based on exclusive sources, The Truth About Camp David is a major book. Clayton E. Swisher is the first to research the mistakes and miscalculations made by the Clinton administration that led to the collapse of the Israeli-Syrian and Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Any future mediator will have to read this account before the start of any final-status negotiations." Charles Enderlin, author of Shattered Dreams and Jerusalem bureau chief of France 2 television
Review
"A carefully researched account that challenges conventional interpretations of the Camp David summit of 2000. The author has talked to many of the players and lets the reader hear their varying perspectives. This helps to build the historical record of what actually happened during the most recent, but flawed, effort to forge peace between Arabs and Israelis." William B. Quandt, Professor of Politics, University of Virginia, author of Peace Process
Synopsis
The collapse of both sets of Arab-Israeli negotiations in 2000 led not only to recrimination and bloodshed, with the outbreak of the second intifada, but to the creation of a new myth. Syrian and Palestinian intransigence was blamed for the current disastrous state of affairs, as both parties rejected a "generous" peace offering from the Israelis that would have brought peace to the region. The Truth About Camp David shatters that myth. Based on the riveting, eyewitness accounts of more than forty direct participants involved in the latest rounds of Arab-Israeli negotiations, including the Camp David 2000 summit, former federal investigator-turned-investigative journalist Clayton E. Swisher provides a compelling counter-narrative to the commonly accepted history. The Truth About Camp David details the tragic inner workings of the Clinton Administration's negotiating mayhem, their eleventh hour blunders and miscalculations, and their concluding decision to end the Oslo process with blame and disengagement. It is not only a fascinating historical look at Middle East politics on the brink of disaster, but a revelatory portrait of how all-too-human American political considerations helped facilitate the present crisis.
About the Author
Clayton E. Swisher, a former Marine reservist and federal criminal investigator, was educated as the University of Pittsburgh, Georgetown University, and is currently studying Law & Economics part-time at George Mason University. Swisher works as an associate for a Middle East consulting firm in Washington, D.C., where he resides.