A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Second Edition

Mark Tessler's highly praised, comprehensive, and balanced history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the earliest times to the present-updated through the first years of the 21st century-provides a constructive framework for understanding recent developments and assessing the prospects for future peace. Drawing upon a wide array of documents and on research by Palestinians, Israelis, and others, Tessler assesses the conflict on both the Israelis' and the Palestinians' terms. New chapters in this expanded edition elucidate the Oslo peace process, including the reasons for its failure, and the political dynamics in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza at a critical time of transition.

“"[Tessler is] thoughtful, well-informed and resolutely fair-minded... rigorous and commiserative alike, and his gloss on the fallout from the creation of Israel, which included a counterflow of millions of Jewish immigrants from the Arab world, is among the best things in the book." -David Schoenbaum, New York Times Book Review”

From reviews of the first edition: "[Tessler is] thoughtful, well-informed and resolutely fair-minded ... rigorous and commiserative alike, and his gloss on the fallout from the creation of Israel, which included a counterflow of millions of Jewish immigrants from the Arab world, is among the best things in the book." New York Times Book Review "Teachers and students alike, after some understandable initial hesitation as to the need for 'yet another' volume on the Arab-Israeli conflict, will quickly discover the many merits of this carefully crafted, well-written, and nuanced treatment of its complex and highly charged subject." International Journal of Middle East Studies "Thoroughly researched and comprehensive in scope, this book is an impressive achievement by any measure." Journal of Church and State "This is the best book on the subject at present. Highly recommended." Library Journal "A dense, well-annotated portrait of Jewish and Arab histories, national aspirations, and conflicts, focusing on the origins of modern Zionism and Arab nationalism with a view to the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace." Kirkus Reviews "Most will profit from the careful scholarship and the balanced judgments and will hope that [Tessler] is right in concluding that the Israeli-Palestinian dispute may finally be on its way to resolution." Foreign Affairs " ... fascinating and enlightening." Booklist " ... a truly monumental yet easy to read work of scholarship." Hadassah Magazine "I consider Tessler's work a real breakthrough in the systematic and in-depth analysis of the Arab-Jewish conflict in its historical context. The volume is well balanced, objective, and comprehensive. His conclusion that the conflict is solvable for the benefit of all parties is anchored in a careful and well-documented piece of research." Baruch Kimmerling "Mark Tessler's new book is an authoritative source on the evolution and the dynamics of the Arab-Israeli conflict. It is one of the few books that offers a balanced, enlightened, and thorough analysis of the various aspects of the conflict and the politics of the region. A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is a must for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses on the Middle East." Emile Sahliyeh "This timely study is the most comprehensive history to date of the century-old struggle between Zionists (and, later, Israelis) and Palestinians for historic Palestine. Based on the best works of recent scholarship, Mark Tessler's History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is a major contribution. Sensitive to the viewpoints of the protagonists, Tessler transcends partisanship and presents a largely balanced and detailed analysis. This work is a rare example of how the history of the conflict should be written." Philip Mattar "The main characteristic of Mark Tessler's book is 'objectivity without detachment.' It is this and much more - a work of unprecedented empathy for both sides ... [Tessler] has put together a very readable and cogent narrative of historical developments spanning more than a century. His balanced analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from 1948 to the Declaration of Principles of 1993 forms the core of his perceptive book which is certain to remain the definitive study on this conflict for some time." Jacob M. Landau

Mark Tessler is Samuel J. Elderveld Collegiate Professor of Political Science, Director of the International Institute, and Vice Provost for International Affairs at the University of Michigan. He is author (with Ann Lesch) of Israel, Egypt, and the Palestinians: From Camp David to Intifada (IUP, 1989), co-editor of Democracy, War, and Peace in the Middle East (IUP, 1995), and editor of Area Studies and Social Science: Strategies for Understanding Middle East Politics (IUP, 1999).

Mark Tessler's highly praised, comprehensive, and balanced history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the earliest times to the present--updated through the first years of the 21st century--provides a constructive framework for understanding recent developments and assessing the prospects for future peace. Drawing upon a wide array of documents and on research by Palestinians, Israelis, and others, Tessler assesses the conflict on both the Israelis' and the Palestinians' terms. New chapters in this expanded edition elucidate the Oslo peace process, including the reasons for its failure, and the political dynamics in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza at a critical time of transition.

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