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Editors Note:
This article was first published at Suite101.com November 1996. I have republished this article in conjunction with creating the recommended reading book list that can be found here.
To get this overview, one should look to any one of a number of books that deals with the subject. William Quandt, David Shipler and Thomas Friedman, all noted journalists who have spent considerable time in the region covering the conflict for the New York Times and other media outlets, have written books detailing the Arab Israeli conflict in all of its intracacies. William Quandt's Peace Process is an excellent choice for learning about the American political viewpoint of the conflict, looking at how the US government sought to maximize its influence in the region as well as how certain policy choices were decided and carried out. This is a book that my thesis advisor, Professor Martin Edelman of the University at Albany, SUNY, wanted me to look at when I examined the peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis because of the wealth of detail that Quandt brings out. The diplomatic initiatives of Kissinger, Carter, Reagan and Bush are all examined and you can see how they were built upon prior gains in an incremental pace. Nothing happened quickly or without strong involvement of US diplomats. Even though the Oslo accords appeared to be a major break from this incremental diplomacy, the basis for the accord was set by the Madrid Conference and Camp David Accords. Thomas Friedman's book, From Beirut to Jerusalem recounts his journeys through the Lebanese countryside during the Lebanese Civil War and Israeli invasion of 1982-1983 as well as his stay in Israel. He paints a balanced picture of two countries that have been shaped and molded by war and conflict for most of their modern history. Of particular note are the chapter that deals with Syrian President Assad's treatment of opponents to his regime where he totally destroyed two towns which supported his opponents and the chapter that deals with the Israeli invasion of Lebanon to secure Israel's northern border by creating a buffer zone which in fact destabilized the Lebanese government as well as the PLO, causing the PLO to finally leave Lebanon. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Three To Read on the Mid-East Conflict: Quandt, Friedman and Shipler in Middle East Politics is owned by . Permission to republish Three To Read on the Mid-East Conflict: Quandt, Friedman and Shipler in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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