{"product_id":"scars-of-war-wounds-of-peace-the-israeliarab-tragedy-9780195181586","title":"Scars of War  Wounds of Peace: The Israeli-Arab Tragedy","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn Oxford-trained historian who became Israeli Foreign Minister  Shlomo Ben-Ami was a key figure in the Camp David negotiations and many other rounds of peace talks  public and secret  with Palestinian and Arab officials. He offers here an unflinching account of the Arab-Israeli conflict  informed by his firsthand knowledge of the major characters and events. Clear-eyed and unsparing  Ben-Ami traces the twists and turns of the Middle East conflict and the many missteps of the Israelis and Palestinians. The author paints particularly trenchant portraits of key figures from Ben-Gurion to Bill Clinton  and gives us behind-the-scenes accounts of the meetings in Oslo  Madrid  and Camp David. He is highly critical of Ariel Sharon and the late Yasser Arafat (\"the sad embodiment of an archaic political orthodoxy devoid of a vision for the future\"). He sees Arafats rejection of Clintons peace plan as a crime against the Palestinian people. The author is also critical of President Bushs Middle East policy (\"a presumptuous grand strategy\"). And along the way  Ben-Ami highlights the many blunders on both sides  describing for instance how the great victory of the Six Day War launched many Israelis on a misbegotten \"messianic\" dream of controlling all the Biblical Jewish lands  actually making the Palestinian problem much worse. In contrast  it has only been when Israel has suffered setbacks that it has made moves towards peace. The best hope for the region  he concludes  is to create an international mandate in the Palestinian territories that would lead to the implementation of Clintons two-state peace parameters. Scars of War  Wounds of Peace is a major work of history--with by far the most fair and balanced critique of Israel ever to come from one of its key officials. It is an absolute must-read for everyone who wants to understand the dynamics of the Arab-Israeli conflict.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45495971512373,"sku":"ByrdShop_0195181581","price":31.19,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780195181586.jpg?v=1780904935","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/scars-of-war-wounds-of-peace-the-israeliarab-tragedy-9780195181586","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}