Itamar Rabinovich

In The Lingering Conflict Itamar Rabinovich, a former chief negotiator for Israel, provides unique and authoritative insight into the prospects for genuine peace in the Middle East. His presentation includes a detailed insider account of the peace processes of 1992–96 and a frank dissection of the more dispiriting record since then. Rabinovich's firsthand experiences as a negotiator and as Israel's ambassador to the United States provide a valuable perspective from which to view the major players involved. Fresh analysis of ongoing situations in the region and the author's authoritative take on key figures such as Ehud Barak and Benjamin Netanyahu shed new light on the long and tumultuous history of Arab-Israeli relations. His book is a shrewd assessment of the past and current state of affairs in the Middle East, as well as a sober look at the prospects for a peaceful future. While Rabinovich explains the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians—a classic dispute between two national movements claiming the same land— The Lingering Conflict also considers the broader political, cultural, and increasingly religious conflict between the Jewish state and Arab nationalism. He approaches the troubled region in an international context, offering provocative analysis of America's evolving role and evaluation of its diplomatic performance. This book builds on the author's previous seminal work on geopolitics in the Middle East, particularly Waging Peace. As Rabinovich brings the Arab-Israeli conflict up to date, he widens the scope of his earlier insights into efforts to achieve normal, peaceful relations. And, of course, he takes full account of recent social and political tumult in the Middle East, discussing the Arab Spring uprisings—and the subsequent retaliation by dictators such as Syria's al-Asad and Libya's Qaddafi—in the context of Arab-Israeli relations.

Israel, the Arabs, and the Middle East, 1948 2011

The Lingering Conflict

In this timely and significant book, an eminent scholar recounts the history of modern and contemporary Lebanon-a history marked by continuing strife and tragedy. A judicious account of Lebanon's sustained domestic conflict, this book analyzes the exacerbating effects that foreign intervention and occupation have had on the Lebanese political order. Itamar Rabinovich opens with a chapter explaining the paradoxical nature of the Lebanese state. He follows the events of a particularly important twelve-year period through four distinct stages: the collapse of the Lebanese political system between 1970 and 1975; the civil war of 1975-1976; the lingering crisis of the years 1976-1982; and the war of 1982. Bringing the story up to date, he devotes a chapter and a postscript to events since September 1982. Grounding his interpretation and narrative firmly in a historical perspective, Rabinovich provides an unbiased treatment of the perceptions and intentions of the participants—a rarity in books on this subject. He sorts out the rich mix of domestic, regional, and international political figures and uses a variety of Arab and Israeli sources to clarify military moves, political ties, and diplomatic initiatives. The author offers a thorough review of the internecine rivalries between different religious groups, political factions, economic interests, and the international allies and opponents with longstanding stakes in Lebanon. His explanation of the delicate balancing and counterbalancing required of any Lebanese regime trying to establish order between these antagonistic elements helps to clarify the basic causes of the current crisis. Writing from a solid background in modern Middle Eastern studies, Rabinovich successfully delineates the interplay between Lebanon's domestic unrest and the major problems that continue to plague the Middle East.

The War for Lebanon, 1970-1983

Carmit Valensi

"The Syrian crisis is not over yet but the period of full-fledged civil war in that country appears to be drawing to a close, and it is now possible to view this calamity with some perspective. This short book will address the following questions about the conflict: How and why did quiet demonstrations in Southern Syria develop into a brutal civil war? Why did the political opposition to the regime of Bashar al-Assad remain weak and divided? How did radical Jihadi Islamists take over the main military opposition to the Syrian regime? How did the Syrian conflict become a main arena of the Saudi-Iranian regional rivalry? What explains the ambivalent Western attitude towards the Syrian rebellion? How did US policy under the Obama administration evolve and why did both Obama and Trump decide not to make a major investment in it? How stable is the status quo? And how could the conflict re-erupt in a different form? According to Rabinovitch, the Syrian regime and its supporters (including the Russians and the Iranians) have indeed emerged as victors, but it's a limited victory at best. The Syrian state under Assad controls only about 60 percent of the national territory and the potential for renewed violence is considerable. Assad's continued survival has come at the cost of deep dependency on Iran and Russia; his is now, arguably, a vassal state. This means that the country will remain in crisis for the foreseeable future, even if the full-scale civil war phase has come to an end. In his last chapter, Rabinovich will recommend policy options for the U.S"--

The Civil War and Its Aftermath

Syrian Requiem

Jehuda Reinharz

Ettinger Chair in Contemporary History of the Middle East Director the Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies Itamar Rabinovich

Îtāmār Rabînôvîṣ

An anthology of the most important documents on the domestic and foreign policy of the modern state of Israel, in relation to the rest of the Middle East

Documents and Readings on Society, Politics, and Foreign Relations, Pre-1948 to the Present

Israel in the Middle East

Prologue. Yitzhak Rabin's death, Yitzhak Rabin's life -- The making of a soldier, 1922-1948 -- From Independence Day to the Six-Day War, 1949-1967 -- Ambassador to Washington, 1968-1973 -- First tenure, 1974-1977 -- Fall and rise, 1977-1992 -- Rabin's peace policy, 1992-1995 -- Politics, policy, incitement, and assassination, 1992-1995 -- Epilogue

Soldier, Leader, Statesman

Yitzhak Rabin

Israel, The Arabs, and the Middle East 1948 2012

Israel, the Arabs, and the Middle East, 1948-2011

The author shows that after the Independence War, the Arabs countries were willing to negotiate with Israel and how close they came to success, and how their failure laid the grounds for the current impasse.

Early Arab-Israeli Negotiations

The Road Not Taken

Haim Shaked

Middle East Contemporary Survey, Volume Xi, 1987

Volume Ix, 1984-1985

Middle East Contemporary Survey

Prepared for the Colloquium on the Middle East Between 1967 and 1973, 26-31 December 1974

Continuity and Change in the Ba'th Regime in Syria 1967-1973

A compact, incisive history of one of the defining conflicts of our time Leaving almost half a million dead and displacing an estimated twelve million people, the Syrian Civil War is a humanitarian catastrophe of unimaginable scale. Syrian Requiem analyzes the causes and course of this bitter conflict—from its first spark in a peaceful Arab Spring protest to the tenuous victory of the Asad dictatorship—and traces how the fighting has reduced Syria to a crisis-ridden vassal state with little prospect of political reform, national reconciliation, or economic reconstruction. Israel’s chief negotiator with Syria during the mid-1990s, Itamar Rabinovich brings unmatched expertise and insight to the politics of the Middle East. Drawing on more than two hundred specially conducted interviews with key players, Rabinovich and Carmit Valensi assess the roles of local, regional, and global interests in the war. Local sectarian divisions established the fault lines of the initial conflict, ultimately leading to the rise of the brutal Islamic State. However, Syria rapidly became the stage for proxy warfare between contending regional powers, including Israel, Turkey, and Iran. At the same time, while a war-weary United States attempted to reduce its military involvement in the Middle East, a resurgent Russia regained regional influence by supporting Syrian government forces. Telling the story of the war and its aftermath, Rabinovich and Valensi also examine the considerable potential for renewed conflict and the difficult policy choices facing the United States, Russia, and other powers. A compact and incisive history of one of the defining wars of our times, Syrian Requiem is a vivid and timely account of a conflict that continues to reverberate today.

Itamar Rabinovich

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