A Durable Peace: Israel and Its Place Among the Nations |
|
|
|
|
| |
The HTML code below can be pasted onto your web-site, your MySpace page, or blog - or any number of similar places - to create a link to this page:
If, instead of a text link, you'd like to create a link to this page which will display the book cover, if it's available, then the code below will do exactly that:
Check for the same book at these other US book sites:
• [ Abebooks ]
• [ Alibris ]
• [ Barnes & Noble ]
• [ Half.com ]
• [ Powells ]
… or check UK bookstores
|
Editorial Review / Publisher's Information:
Product Description
In this thought-provoking and meticulously researched examination of the Middle Easts troubled history, charismatic, conservative, and sometimes controversial Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu traces the origins, development, and politics of Israels relationship with the Arab world and the West. Passionate and forceful, Mr. Netanyahu argues that Israels situation remains precarious, and that the Arabs, in conjunction with much of the world, have forced Israel to shrink to one-fifth of the land originally promised to the Jewish people. Tightly reasoned and filled with unique insights into current affairs, this is a powerful statement from a strong voice in world politics.
Amazon.com Review
Benjamin Netanyahu's primer on pro-Israel politics is an updated version of an earlier book, A Place Among the Nations. There's a good reason for the revision, of course: in the years since the first book was published, Netanyahu has served as the prime minister of Israel. Yet A Durable Peace is not a stale politician's memoir. It's a resounding plea for Israel's acceptance as a full member of the world community, as well as a call for understanding its unique security needs. Netanyahu displays his knack--perfect for the television era but also helpful on these pages--for channeling complex ideas into pithy statements. Here's Netanyahu on the importance of Israel to the Jewish people: "If there had been a Jewish state in the first half of the [20th] century, there would have been no Holocaust. And if there had not been a Jewish state after the Holocaust, there would have been no Jewish future." On the need for Arab concessions in the peace process: "For the sake of peace, [the Arab states] must renounce their claims to part of the four ten-thousandths--.0004--of the lands they desire, which constitute the very heart of the Jewish homeland and the protective wall of the Jewish state." These are the statements of a skilled debater, and they represent a one-sided view of Middle Eastern politics. Yet Netanyahu also provides an excellent introduction to Zionism and the need to protect a small country against neighbors who have waged war against it. --John J. Miller
|
Other Items You May Enjoy:
Browse Books From These Related Subjects:
Customer Reviews:
• This Book Is Offensive To My Intelligence.
10 March, 2008
I do not even know where to begin with this book other than its continual denial of Palestinians as a people deserving of their own self-determination. Apparently they can be easily folded into neighbouring states?????
The favourable reviews this book has garnered is a terrible indictment on the very intelligence of those that have written them - no objective and educated individual can take this book seriously.
- Amazon Customer Review
• Book Review
26 October, 2009
The book is in excellent condition. No one would know I did not buy it new. Delivery was a little longer than I had anticipated, but still within the prescribed time for delivery.
- Amazon Customer Review
• Clear And Articulate
06 July, 2008
Netanyahu presents a well-reasoned case for the Jewish State challenging the conventional wisdom in the West, the Arab world and Israel itself. Well-balanced history of the Arab-Israeli conflict; well worth the read.
- Amazon Customer Review
• Disturbing Views By The Once And Future Prime Minister
03 March, 2009
The language of this political manifesto is quite elegant. If the Prime Minister-designate actually wrote it then he is a master of written English. Some sharp insights in human nature also appear here and there, such as the observation--in the section on the **Intifadas**--that democratic peoples do not like violence and do not like soldiers. Very good!
All the same, this is a polemic of the Israeli Right, replete with distortions and dangerous half-truths. In reprising the history of the State of Israel in the chapter "Jewish Power", Netanyahu implies that only the Jabotinskyites, the right wing of the Zionist movement, were willing to take up arms to defend the State that was to be established. This is to turn history on its head. The core of the nascent Israeli Army was the **Palmach** (Lighting) brigades, based in the socialist Kibbutz movement. The right wing armed groups such as the **Irgun** and Sternists were far better at perpetrating massacres or assassinating diplomats than at soldiering.
Netanyahu has little to say about the kibbutz movement, except to call them utopians who believe peace with Israel's Arab neighbors is a possibility. Clearly he does not.
For such a smart man [M.I.T. graduate with a master's in management], Netanyahu sounds almost infantile in asserting that the 1918 Treaty of Versailles gives Israeli Jews an unlimited legal right to reside in the West Bank and impliedly to establish settlements there under their own flag. Also given voice is the myth that the West Bank is an empty land apart from a few towns. Since it is not a large area and contains perhaps 1.3 million Palestinians, it could hardly be "empty"!
Most disturbing is the faint implication that American Jews enjoy a false sense of security in the USA. Netanyahu refers to "a few sharp, anti-Semitic incidents" which he seemed to believe, in 1996, were about to happen here. Well, so far, so good.
- Amazon Customer Review
• A Great Book By A Great World Leader.
28 January, 2009
This is indeed a book every one should read. The Prime Minister defines the problem and solution with Moral Clarity.
In Saudi Arabia, heads roll for sodomy, armed robbery, murder, and for being a Christian. Some Christians were beheaded after having been falsely accused of drugs or other crimes reportedly as benign as leading a Bible study or offering prayers. Saudis that convert to Christianity, or desert Islam, are subject to the death penalty, as well.
Those condemned to death are taken to a public square, blindfolded after midday prayers; hands tied behind their backs, and forced to kneel facing Mecca. The police clear the square of all traffic and lay a blue plastic sheet, 16-feet square on the ground. The executioner swings the sword two or three times before jabbing the poor soul in the back to force him to raise his head. More than 100 people have been beheaded in Saudi since 9/11, and the vast majority were not members of al-Qaeda!
We are told that the militants and extremists who committed the horrendous murder of Paul Johnson have been killed. Why are murderers, who have no regard for the sanctity of human life, called militants? Why not label them exactly as what they are: Terrorists? And, if these so-called militants and extremists are going to be hunted down and killed or arrested, what awaits the entire House of Saud?
I, too, am outraged, not only by the beheading of Paul Johnson, but by the Saudi PR-machine that has hypocritically expressed its disgust over this barbarism. It is, indeed, the theater of the absurd and a festival of hypocrisy.
In 1991 during the Persian Gulf War, I preached the gospel in the center of Dhahran. U.S. military police grabbed me and screamed, Are you nuts? They will cut your head off, you fool! Days later, I shared Christ with General Khalid. He looked at me and asked, Are you trying to convert me? We cut off heads for that.
Any thinking person knows that the House of Saud is the principal financier of the terrorists on whom President Bush has declared war. They export more than oil. About twenty-five percent of all those in the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba are Saudi nationals. No country in the world has spent more to export bigotry and hatred than Saudi Arabia.
Islam is portrayed as a religion of tolerance. How ignorant can we be? In the war against terrorism, public opinion has grown to accept one of the most obscene tactics of Islamist fanaticism: the suicide bomber. The liberal media dont blink at terrorist masterminds brainwashing innocent Palestinian children into seeking martyrdom by blowing themselves up among innocent Israeli children. There is no moral outrage at this practice; on the contrary, it has become acceptable as the way they must fight Israel.
The Islamist terrorists disregard for the lives of their own civilians became even more blatant following Israels withdrawal from the Gaza Strip last summer. Since then Hamas terrorists have fired more than 700 Kassam rockets at Israeli towns in the western Negev, launching them from the midst of their own civilian population in Gaza in the expectation these human shields would protect them from Israeli counterattack.
The media consider it perfectly natural for Islamist fanatics to cynically endanger their own people in the expectation Israel would show greater concern for Arab lives. This is surely a new twist in the theater of the absurd and hypocrisy that is the Middle East.
But the same people who inspired the Palestinian suicide bombers and human shields the Iranians have brought us a new concept in Lebanon: holding an entire country hostage as human shields. Hizbullah terrorists have so far bombarded the towns and cities of northern Israel with more than 1,500 Iranian-supplied missiles, virtually all of them launched from the midst of Lebanons civilian population.
Hizbullah cynically places its launchers, stores its rockets, and fires them from densely populated towns and villages. It expects Israel not to retaliate, because it knows how Israeli soldiers are taught to take great care not to harm civilians, sometimes at the risk of their own safety. Hizbullah has thus created a win-win situation for itself: it fires missiles indiscriminately at Israeli civilians while hiding behind the human shield of its own civilians, and if Israel fires back and inadvertently hits Lebanese non-combatants, Hizbullah wins again in public opinion.
Even though Israel is entitled to strike back in self-defense under international law, and Hizbullah is violating that law by hiding behind civilians, the short-sighted media only report that civilians were harmed by Israel. But international law recognizes the principle that, if civilian casualties are caused by Hizbullah fighters hiding behind non-combatants, Hizbullah is responsible for placing their lives at risk. Piling one obscenity on another, Hizbullah then uses the corpses of the involuntarily martyred children to stage photo opportunities for a gullible press, inviting condemnation upon Israel for its own deeds.
The latest Hizbullah stage-managed atrocity occurred in the village of Qana, which housed the terrorist organizations regional headquarters and where its fighters, under command of their Iranian advisers, spent the last six years since Israels withdrawal from Lebanon building underground fortifications and storehouses for some of the 12,000 missiles Iran has supplied. In the past few weeks, Hizbullah has fired some 150 missiles from Qana at Haifa and other towns of northern Israel.
Days before silencing the missiles of Qana, however, Israeli planes dropped thousands of leaflets warning civilians to leave and go north along two corridors of safe passage it had provided in coordination with the United Nations. This warning of a pending attack would be considered exceptional by any other army in the world but not Israels. Hizbullah, on the other hand, considers any Lebanese a disposable martyr in its war against the Jews.
, the Church and State are one in Saudi Arabia. Do not hold your breath while searching for a Christian church or Jewish synagogue in that country; you will suffocate. Television is censored to the degree that if Mickey Mouse gives Minnie Mouse a peck on the cheek, poor Mickey will be banished from the kingdom!
Several years ago, I interviewed a U.S. Aramco employee. He told me he was tortured for having a video of The Love Boat in his suitcase. He was accused of possessing pornography. While in jail, he feared he might be beheaded.
The Holy Grail of understanding is that there is nothing tolerant about Saudi Arabia. Shariah (Islamic law) shows no tolerance. No, it is no coincidence that 15 of the 19 terrorists who attacked America on 9/11 were Saudi Arabian. All were Wahabists, as is the Taliban, and the majority of the population of Saudi. If democracy comes to tolerant Saudi Arabia, Osama bin Laden would be elected in a landslide.
We have been assured that Saddam Hussein was not involved in 9/11; on the other hand, we know with certainty that Saudi nationals were. For the House of Saud to try to distance itself from Islamic fundamentalism would be tantamount to Osama trying to distance himself from terrorism.
The same can be said of al Qaeda. The general Muslim population thinks the evil empire of communism was not defeated by Ronald Reagan and the crusaders, but rather, it was Osama bin Laden and Islam that caused the Soviet house of cards to crumble in Afghanistan. They also believe there is just one evil empire in the world, and that Iraq will be to America what Afghanistan was to the Soviets.
"Will terrorism come to America, and if so, when and where?" "Yes," he said, "I believe it will, and the most likely city will be New York...and the building, the Empire State Building in that it's the tallest." Isser Harrel (who ran Israel's Mossad Intelligence network from 1947 to 1963) was correct the year he told me that the Empire State Building was the tallest building; however, the following year, the much taller Twin Towers were built. That meeting took place decades ago!
On Tuesday, September 11, terrorists delivered two 189-ton bombs in the form of fully fueled aircraft. Yet as horrific as that demonic attack was, it was not the worst-case scenario.
The 21 st Century terrorists have access to chemical and biological weapons that can kill tens of thousands in a matter of minutes. Extremist Islamic terrorist organizations nullify the need to have air power or Intercontinental missiles as delivery systems for an Islamic nuclear payload. The terrorists themselves will be the delivery system. In the worst of such scenarios, the consequences could be not a car bomb, but a nuclear bomb.
Bin Laden issued a statement called the "Nuclear Bomb of Islam." In it he said, "The international Islamic front for fighting the Jews and Crusaders is the duty of all Muslims." He called on all Muslims to "...prepare for as much force as possible to terrorize the enemies of God."
This new 21 st Century terrorism now is a direct confrontation against "The Great Satan - America" who in the eyes of the bin Ladens of the world is desecrating the cradle of Islam. Bin Laden's network Al-Qa'ida (The Base) is a coalition of the most diabolical terrorist organizations in the world, all linked together with a common cause - to attack the kingdom of evil - America. The actions of bin Laden and his terrorist links could not be possible without a broad infrastructure of government movements and organizations that support terror directly or indirectly.
Tuesday, September 11, 2001 was a day of celebration - like a sporting event - among the world family of terrorists. Like a team sport, terrorism is a team effort. To win--America must focus on the whole team of opponents instead of one player.
After more than 300 suicide attacks in 14 countries through 17 organizations- just this year- it's time to deal harshly with the family of terrorists and their sponsors.
Even in World War II, America was not forced to confront suicide bombers on its own soil. We never concluded, in WWII, we could win the war by shooting down one suicide bomber. The victory obviously required more systemic measures. Likewise, to truly defeat terrorism, we need to open our eyes to the obvious-that Osama Bin Laden is a card-carrying member of a terrorist cartel who is received with honor by the Saddam Husseins of the Middle East (terrorist states) - and, then direct bold efforts to stop him and aggressively stifle the entire scope and network of terrorist activity.
Terrorism shows itself to us in 21 st Century makeover. Today, terrorist states generally don't take hostages. Incognito--they can pose greater psychological damage by paralyzing, confusing and diminishing the ability of a nation to retaliate.
Young terrorists are used as Jihad bait by elusive terrorist states and organizations. It's a "don't ask, don't tell" world where the sponsors, with tears in their eyes, innocently express their condolences to victimized countries. Organized crime is about greed. Terrorism is about glory...the glory of humiliating "The Great Satan - America"...the glory of believing that all of the terrorists' family members are guaranteed a place in heaven because of their acts, and that, as young men, they will be greeted in Heaven with a room full of voluptuous virgins.
Does it seem a little strange that Syria, Iran, Libya, Iraq, Egypt, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and even Palestine (the P. L. O.) have never turned a terrorist over to America, and have never had problems with the terrorists they harbor? This is the reason for the dancing in the streets. It's the theater of the absurd, and a festival of hypocrisy!
The terrorist cross hairs are on "The Great Satan - America" that they see as the pig polluting the world with her prosperity, power and pornography and infecting the Islamic vision with her moral and religious perversion. Terrorists don't hate the West because of Israel; they hate Israel because of the West. Why the Twin Towers? Because it was a symbol of America's influence. The towers were 100 stories high and could be seen from 150 miles away. In 1993, a car- bomb failed to destroy the World Trade Center.
Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, spiritual leader of the World Trade Center bombers in 1993 said, "The obligation of Allah is upon us to wage Jihad for the sake of Allah...We have to thoroughly demoralize the enemies of God by blowing up their towers that constitute the pillars of their civilization...the high buildings of which they are so proud."
The New York police found 47 boxes of Rahman's terrorist literature. Rahman, who was involved in the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, came to America in 1990, free to set up his terrorist shop in New Jersey as if with our blessing.
PBS, in a piece aired in 1994, described the terrorist team effort. The documentary revealed the threat of a quilt-work of Islamic groups and terrorist sponsors that have sprung up across America since the Iranian revolution. These groups include arms of Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and Hizballah with cells in New York, Florida, Chicago, Kansas City, and Dallas. The groups hide behind a smoke screen of small businesses and religious and charitable Islamic groups. These team members work in the U. S. to raise funds, recruit volunteers, and lay plans for terrorist missions for the ultimate battle against "The Great Satan." Their primary objective is to succeed with the mission without being blamed, then to realize widespread media coverage, and to maximize psychological and economic damage through terror.
It's past time that America drew a line in the sand. The conspirators of America's greatest terrorist attack in U. S. history walked freely in our streets. The truth is we have thousands of terrorist sympathizers and supporters living in the U.S. We must immediately take a hard look at our laws regulating and screening immigration and asylum seekers, and deal aggressively with terrorists who have already slipped through the cracks.
Secondly, America needs to focus on the terrorist cartel and work aggressively with all western democracies to cut it off - like the head of a poisonous snake. As long as we allow organizations to harbor terrorists, and countries to empower them and reward them, the network will thrive. Syria poses a prime example. She received one billion dollars for providing a show of force during the Persian Gulf War. Syria is recognized by the State Department as a terrorist country. When the U.S. this week asked Syria to be part of the coalition against terrorism, they flatly refused.
Thirdly, America must outlaw the businesses and fundraising groups operating legally in this country yet supporting terrorism; arrest and, at the very least, deport the groups and individuals.
Fourthly, we need to freeze financial assets of terrorist regimes and organizations throughout the entire western world. Countries and organizations that harbor terrorists should not even be able to spit in the wind without it coming back in their faces.
Once America makes up its mind to deal aggressively with terrorists through economic and military retaliation, the family of terrorism will fragment, and no longer will terrorism be a team effort.
In the war against terrorism, public opinion has grown to accept one of the most obscene tactics of Islamist fanaticism: the suicide bomber. The liberal media dont blink at terrorist masterminds brainwashing innocent Palestinian children into seeking martyrdom by blowing themselves up among innocent Israeli children. There is no moral outrage at this practice; on the contrary, it has become acceptable as the way they must fight Israel.
The Islamist terrorists disregard for the lives of their own civilians became even more blatant following Israels withdrawal from the Gaza Strip last summer. Since then Hamas terrorists have fired more than 700 Kassam rockets at Israeli towns in the western Negev, launching them from the midst of their own civilian population in Gaza in the expectation these human shields would protect them from Israeli counterattack.
The media consider it perfectly natural for Islamist fanatics to cynically endanger their own people in the expectation Israel would show greater concern for Arab lives. This is surely a new twist in the theater of the absurd and hypocrisy that is the Middle East.
But the same people who inspired the Palestinian suicide bombers and human shields the Iranians have brought us a new concept in Lebanon: holding an entire country hostage as human shields. Hizbullah terrorists have so far bombarded the towns and cities of northern Israel with more than 1,500 Iranian-supplied missiles, virtually all of them launched from the midst of Lebanons civilian population.
Hizbullah cynically places its launchers, stores its rockets, and fires them from densely populated towns and villages. It expects Israel not to retaliate, because it knows how Israeli soldiers are taught to take great care not to harm civilians, sometimes at the risk of their own safety. Hizbullah has thus created a win-win situation for itself: it fires missiles indiscriminately at Israeli civilians while hiding behind the human shield of its own civilians, and if Israel fires back and inadvertently hits Lebanese non-combatants, Hizbullah wins again in public opinion.
Even though Israel is entitled to strike back in self-defense under international law, and Hizbullah is violating that law by hiding behind civilians, the short-sighted media only report that civilians were harmed by Israel. But international law recognizes the principle that, if civilian casualties are caused by Hizbullah fighters hiding behind non-combatants, Hizbullah is responsible for placing their lives at risk. Piling one obscenity on another, Hizbullah then uses the corpses of the involuntarily martyred children to stage photo opportunities for a gullible press, inviting condemnation upon Israel for its own deeds.
The latest Hizbullah stage-managed atrocity occurred in the village of Qana, which housed the terrorist organizations regional headquarters and where its fighters, under command of their Iranian advisers, spent the last six years since Israels withdrawal from Lebanon building underground fortifications and storehouses for some of the 12,000 missiles Iran has supplied. In the past few weeks, Hizbullah has fired some 150 missiles from Qana at Haifa and other towns of northern Israel.
- Amazon Customer Review
|
