Table of Contents

1. The land and its lure; 2. Cultures of Nationalism; 3. Zionism and the colonization of Palestine; 4. World War I and the Palestine mandate; 5. From nationalism in Palestine to Palestinian nationalism; 6. From the great revolt through the 1948 war; 7. Zionism and Palestinian nationalism: a closer look; 8. The Arab-Israeli conflict; 9. The Palestinian national movement comes of age; 10. The rise and fall of the Oslo accord.

Promotional Information

An engaging, interpretive, thematically composed introduction to this intractable conflict for students and general readers.

About the Author

James L. Gelvin is Associate Professor in History at the University of California, Los Angeles. His research focuses on nationalism and the social and cultural history of the modern Middle East during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He is the author of Divided Loyalties: Nationalism and Mass Politics in Syria at the Close of Empire (1998), and The Modern Middle East: A History (2004).

Reviews

'Gelvin breaks new ground … Interesting and stimulating …' Ethnic and Racial Studies

'James Gelvin's witty and deliberate balanced account of two nationalism's, one Zionist one Palestinian, is a refreshing marriage of iconoclasm and contextualisation.' Journal of Jewish Studies

'The structure of the book is one which would help anyone who has little knowledge about these two people to develop a basic understanding. … The book would be a wonderful introduction to understanding the Middle East problem- a History 101 suggested reading.' Lt Col George King, USAF, retired

'Gelvin's volume is distinguished from others … because it is concise; written in a witty and engaging style; profusely illustrated with photographs, facsimiles of stamps, and maps; and successfully used poetry and other cultural materials to inform the political narrative. Most importantly … Gelvin's book is theoretically informed without being jargonistic … While debunking the national mythologies of Zionism and Palestinian nationalism, Gelvin has a humane reasoned approach to the plight of both peoples.' H-Net

'The Israeli-Palestine Conflict is an accessible and thoughtful study from which students and the educated public can benefit. IT is value added to a crowded field.' Journal of Palestine Studies

'Gelvin's Israel-Palestine Conflict immediately stands out from the many books available on this topic … If anybody could be expected to make sense of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in less than 300 pages, Gelvin could. With this book, he has succeeded'. Terrorism and Political Violence