Cursed Victory
A History of Israel and the Occupied Territories
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
In a move that would forever alter the map of the Middle East, Israel captured the West Bank, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula in 1967's brief but pivotal Six Day War. CURSED VICTORY is the first complete history of the war's troubled aftermath - a military occupation of the Palestinian territories that is now well into its fifth decade.
Drawing on unprecedented access high-level sources, top-secret memos and never-before-published letters, the book provides a gripping and unvarnished chronicle of how what Israel promised would be an 'enlightened occupation' quickly turned sour, and the anguished diplomatic attempts to bring it to an end. Bregman sheds fresh light on critical moments in the peace process, taking us behind the scenes as decisions about the fate of the territories were made, and more often, as crucial opportunities to resolve the conflict were missed. As the narrative moves from Jerusalem to New York, Oslo to Beirut, and from the late 1960s to the present day, CURSED VICTORY provides vivid portraits of the key players in this unfolding drama, including Moshe Dayan, King Hussein of Jordan, Bill Clinton and Yasser Arafat. Yet Bregman always reminds us how diplomatic and back-room negotiations affected the daily lives of millions of Arabs, and how the Palestinian resistance, especially during the first and second intifadas, in turn shaped political developments.
As Bregman concludes, the occupation has become a dark stain on Israel's history, and an era when international opinion of the country shifted decisively. CURSED VICTORY is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the origins of the ongoing conflict in the region.
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Bregman (Elusive Peace), a political scientist and IDF veteran, is now one of Israel's most prominent refuseniks, well-known for his principled opposition to the occupation of Palestine. Here, he outlines the history of both military and diplomatic initiatives in the Middle East since 1948, arguing that Israeli obstinacy and caprice has repeatedly stymied the peace process. Bregman gives the Israelis the lion's share of blame: the "wholesale shifting of people for colonial strategic ends was a prominent feature of the era that followed the 1967 war and the Israelis made no secret of their annoyance that their newly captured lands came complete with people already living there." Bregman accuses the Israeli leadership of seeking armed conflict with the Palestinians, in which the Israelis enjoy overwhelming tactical superiority, rather than engaging in negotiations or collaborative efforts, where they feel off-balance. Describing the second intifada, he says the Israeli army's heavy-handedness managed to gradually "transform the Palestinian uprising into an armed insurgency." As the occupation enters its fifth decade, he also criticizes the Palestinians for being "too divided" and calls on the international community to put greater pressure on Israel. Bregman's deep familiarity with the material and his stylistic clarity will appeal to readers seeking an overview of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Maps & illus.
