Begin's foreign policy, 1977-1983 : Israel's move to the right /

A study of the ideological background and the implementation of Menachem Begin's foreign policy during his tenure as Israel's Prime Minister. Peleg (Lafayette College) portrays Begin as a radical ultranationalist whose goals and policies departed sharply from those of earlier Labor governments of Israel. In place of an emphasis on peace and conciliation, and on trading territory for peace, Begin evinced an overwhelming obsession to annex the West Bank and Gaza at whatever cost. This obsession explains the Lebanon war, the annexation of the Golan Heights, the attack on the Iraqi nuclear reactor, and even the Camp David peace accords. President Reagan is faulted for not restraining Begin more effectively. The argument is persuasive, although some readers may regard it as partisan. There are more comprehensive studies of the Arab-Israeli conflict (e.g., William Quandt's Decade of Decisions, 1977) and of Israeli foreign policy (e.g., Michael Brecher's Decisions in Israel's Foreign Policy, CH, Jul '75), but only Peleg treats the Begin period. Recommended for all libraries.-F. Tachau, University of Illinois at Chicago