There is no single history of the development of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Israeli historical narrative speaks of Zionism as the Jewish national movement, of building a refuge from persecution, and of national regeneration. The Palestinian narrative speaks of invasion, expulsion, and oppression. Its no wonder peace remains elusive. This volume attempts to present both histories with parallel narratives of key points in the 19th and 20th centuries to 1948. The histories are presented by fourteen Israeli and Palestinian experts, joined by other historians, journalists, and activists, who then discuss the differences and similarities between their accounts. By creating an appreciation, understanding, and respect for the "other," the first steps can be made to foster a shared history of a shared land. The reader has the opportunity to witness first hand a respectful confrontation between the competing versions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

About the Author
Benjamin Pogrund, Paul Scham, Walid Salem

Reviews
'This book provides a view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict unavailable in any other single volume...The reader, whether steeped in the history of the conflict or simply looking for some explanation of why it is so intractable, sees through the eyes of the protagonists themselves why mutual understanding is so difficult and, in the process, begins to understand why the two sides have not been able to come to terms.' Edy Kaufman, University of Maryland & Hebrew University of Jerusalem 'The participants move seamlessly between critiquing and defending their own and each other's narratives. No one hews blindly to orthodox interpretations, and it is difficult to predict opinions based on identity; these historians think for themselves and say unexpected things. Shared Histories is a rare example of Israeli-Palestinian conflict discussion-among academics, no less-that defies the laws of negative interdependence. The quality and collegiality of the discussions is particularly notable, given that they occurred during the most lethal period of Israeli-Palestinian violence since 1948. If Israeli and Palestinian intellectuals could engage in dialogue of this level, at that time, it should be possible to debate these issues substantially and productively in academic forums further removed from the conflict... [it] reads like Talmud: the shorthand minutes of alternately esoteric, fractious, and profound exchanges between learned authorities, fragmented, marked by subtlety, allusion and sophisticated hints of sub-textual dynamics.' Israel Studies Forum



Book Information
ISBN 9781598740134
Author Paul Scham
Format Paperback
Page Count 310
Imprint Left Coast Press Inc
Publisher Left Coast Press Inc
Weight(grams) 370g