The Iron Wall: Israel And the Arab World - Tapa dura

Israel's conflict with the Palestinians, and with the Arab world at large, casts a long shadow over her history. When Zionist leaders formulated the 'Iron Wall' strategy in the 1920s - dealing with the Arabs from a position of unassailable strength - they hoped that when sufficiently strong Israel would be able to make peace with her Arab neighbours.

This has been an elusive hope, and Shlaim explores with an uncompromising lens the reasons for Israel's long reliance on military power in theabsence of a settlement. Shlaim's analysis will bring scant comfort to partisans on both sides, but it will be required reading for anyone interested in this fascinating and troubled region of the world.