BOOKS PRESENTATION *

THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT:

Parallel Discourses

Edited by Elizabeth Matthews

Published by Routledge -276 pages

Price £ 90.00 hardback

This unique book brings together Israeli and Palestinian viewpoints on a number of key issues and topics, making clear the points of agreement as well as the views that divide. The conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians is considered intractable by many, and is frequently characterised by the violence between the two sides. In attempts at peace, the starting point for negotiations is a cessation of violence; beneath this, however, lies a plethora of other issues to be addressed.

The chapters deal first with three major issues that require compromise and resolution for a peace treaty to be realized namely water, refugees, and borders, territory and settlements. The book also studies three important concepts that can either impede or promote peace and democracy, that are human rights, peace culture and education. Thus, the book presents an invaluable tool to better understand the divergent and even convergent interests of Israelis and Palestinians on issues and concepts vital to the peace process. As such, the book is a valuable resource for courses on conflict resolution, the Middle East peace process, and political science.

SYRIA’S KURDS

History, Politics and Society

By Jordi Tejel

Published by Routledge -194 pages

Price £ 80.00 hardback

This book is a decisive contribution to the study of Kurdish history in Syria since the mandatory period (1920-1946) up to nowadays. Jordi Tejel provides fine, complex and sometimes paradoxical analysis about the articulation between tribal, local, regional, and national identities, on one hand, and the formation of a Kurdish minority awareness vis-à-vis the consolidation of Arab nationalism in Syria, on the other hand.

Using unpublished material, in particular concerning the Mandatory period (French records and Kurdish newspapers) and social movement theory, Tejel analyses the reasons of this "exception" within the Kurdish political sphere.

In spite of the exclusion of Kurdishness from the public sphere, especially since 1963, Kurds of Syria have avoided a direct confrontation with the central power - most Kurds opting for a strategy of "dissimulation" - cultivating internally the forms of identity that challenge the official ideology. The book explores the dynamics leading to the consolidation of Kurdish minority awareness in contemporary Syria, an ongoing process that could take the form of radicalization or even violence.

EGYPT AFTER MUBARAK
Liberalism, Islam, and Democracy in the Arab World

By Bruce K. Rutherford

Published by Princeton University Press – 304 pages

Price £ 20.95 Cloth

This book examines the political and ideological battles that drive Egyptian politics and shape the prospects for democracy throughout the region. Bruce Rutherford argues that secularists and Islamists are converging around a reform agenda that supports key elements of liberalism, including constraints on state power, the rule of law, and protection of some civil and political rights. But will this deepening liberalism lead to democracy? And what can the United States do to see that it does? In answering these questions, Rutherford shows that Egypt's reformers are reluctant to expand the public's role in politics. This suggests that, while liberalism is likely to progress steadily in the future, democracy's advance will be slow and uneven.

Essential reading on a subject of global importance, Egypt after Mubarak draws upon in-depth interviews with Egyptian judges, lawyers, Islamic activists, politicians, and businesspeople. It also utilizes major court rulings, political documents of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the writings of Egypt's leading contemporary Islamic thinkers.

A PRIVILEGE TO DIE

Inside Hezbolla’s Legions and Their Endless War Against Israel

By Thanasis Cambanis

Published by Free Press – 336 pages

Price $27.00

Veteran Middle East correspondent Thanassis Cambanis offers the first detailed look at the surprising cross section of people willing to die for Hezbollah and its agenda to remake the map of the region. Part standing army, part political party, and part theological movement, Hezbollah's widespread popularity rests on its ability to offer its followers economic reform, health care, efficient courts, and safe streets, as well as victory over Israel. With its promise of perpetual war, Hezbollah has ushered in a militant renaissance and inspired fighters in Gaza, the West Bank, Egypt, Iraq, and beyond.

To understand Hezbollah is to understand the fighters and engineers, and upon this logic, Cambanis follows a few Hezbollah families through the ups and downs of the 2006 war with Israel and the continuing preparations for another conflict, letting us listen in to Hezbollah members' intimate discussions at the kitchen table and on the battlefield. Cambanis's reporting puts a human face on the “Party of God”, so we might understand the ideological and religious roots of today's conflict. His riveting narrative provides an urgent and important exploration of militancy in the Middle East.

IRAN

Social, Economic and Political Developments

Edited by Joshua Owenstein

Published by Nova Science Publishers Inc – 169 pages

Price $ 103.50

This book brings together a variety of perspectives and presents a combination of writers who do not always publish in the same volume or collection. Much of the debate over US policy toward Iran has centred on the nature of the current regime. Some believe that Iran, a country of about 70 million people, is a threat to US interests because hardliners in Iran's regime dominate and set a policy direction intended to challenge US influence and allies in the region.

This book explores Iran's political history, regime structure, economic conditions, stability, and presidential elections. The chapters deal with two important issues namely Iran’s nuclear program and its compliance with international obligations, and an overview of its ballistic missile program. The uniqueness of this book is that it contains a distinct and eclectic variety of viewpoints that pertain Iran’s policy and security dynamics. As such, the book is a valuable tool for scholars and policy-makers.

* The Books were initially presented in Middle East Observer.