HAMILTON, JILL

Untangling the complex motives behind British politics and policy towards Palestine and later, Israel, this book looks back to Lord Shaftesbury and beyond. In this heavily revised edition, Jill Hamilton describes the background to the present conflict. Insights are given on the decisions taken by the key men in the British and American governments - and the political repercussions of Old Testament beliefs. Would the foundations of the state of Israel have been laid if Prime Minister David Lloyd George, a former Baptist lay preacher, had not pushed the idea of forming a Jewish homeland in 1917? Or if Harry Truman, another Baptist, had not been president of the United States in 1948? Woven into the colourful narrative is the story of David Ben-Gurion and other soldiers in the Jewish Legion which was formed within the British Army. It follows these men from Gallipoli and England to the bloody battle for Damascus in 1918, to their quarter century as members of the secret army, the Haganah, and to May 1948, when Ben-Gurion delcared them to be the Israeli Defense Force. Part two examines the problems of building Jewish settlements beyond the Green Line and how this has resulted in one of the most contentious issues in Arab-Israeli relations. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the complex issues affecting the Middle East today.

Estimated despatch 14-20 days after ordering.