The War for Palestine
Rewriting the History of 1948

The updated second edition of The War for Palestine presents the genesis of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Eugene L. Rogan (Edited by), Avi Shlaim (Edited by)

9780521875981, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 19 November 2007

310 pages, 3 maps
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm, 0.59 kg

'This critical look at internal factors on the Arab side is most welcome in order to understand the events of 1948.' Journal of Peace Research

The 1948 war led to the creation of the state of Israel, the fragmentation of Palestine, and to a conflict which has raged across the intervening sixty years. The historical debate likewise continues and these debates are encapsulated in the second edition of The War for Palestine, updated to include chapters on Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. In a preface to this edition, the editors survey the state of scholarship in this contested field. The impact of these debates goes well beyond academia. There is an important link between the state of Arab-Israeli relations and popular attitudes towards the past. A more complex and fair-minded understanding of that past is essential for preserving at least the prospect of reconciliation between Arabs and Israel in the future. The rewriting of the history of 1948 thus remains a practical as well as an academic imperative.

Preface to the second edition
Introduction
1. The Palestinians and 1948: the underlying causes of failure Rashid Khaldi
2. Revisiting the Palestinian exodus of 1948 Benny Morris
3. The Druze and the birth of Israel Laila Parsons
4. Israel and the Arab coalition in 1948 Avi Shlaim
5. Jordan and 1948: the persistence of an official history Eugene L. Rogan
6. Iraq and the 1948 war: mirror of Iraq's disorder Charles Tripp
7. Egypt and the 1948 war: internal conflict and regional ambition Fawaz A. Gerges
8. Syria and the Palestine War: fighting King 'Abdullah's 'Greater Syria Plan' Joshua Landis
9. Collusion across the Litani? Lebanon and the 1948 war Matthew Hughes
10. Saudi Arabia and the 1948 Palestine War: beyond official history Madawi Al-Rasheed
11. Afterword: the consequences of 1948 Edward W. Said.

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP], Postwar 20th century history, from c 1945 to c 2000 [HBLW3], General & world history [HBG]