Palestine and Israel : the uprising and beyond /

One of the spate of new books about the Intifada (see Intifada, ed. by Zachary Lockman and Joel Beinin, 1989; Zeev Schiff and Ehud Ya'ari's Intifada, 1990; and Don Peretz's Intifada, 1990) this study examines the uprising in the larger context of Arab-Israel relations. After a brief prologue describing the December 1987 eruption and its immediate consequences, McDowall goes back to the 1880s, the origins of Zionist-Arab confrontation, and the ensuing century of conflict. He also discusses the role of Jordan, the Palestine Arab refugee problem, Israel's occupation policies and practices in the West Bank and Gaza, and treatment of Israeli Arab citizens within the pre-1967 borders. There is extensive discussion of how Israel's policies led to the Intifada, of its origins, and of operation and relationships with the PLO. Diverse Israeli reactions to the uprising and to the problems of occupation are presented. The dilemmas facing Israel's attempt to maintain its Jewish and Zionist character in the face of growing Arab populations within the territories and within Israel proper are surveyed. McDowall concludes pessimistically, emphasizing that the uprising "has precipitated the most serious challenge to Israel since its foundation, at precisely the time when it is less sure than ever of the direction it should take." Israel, the US, and the PLO are all criticized for their failures in the impending crisis. Although there is no bibliography, 48 pages of footnotes offer extensive sources and valuable supplementary data. All levels. -D. Peretz, SUNY at Binghamton