Arabs and Jews describe the first Arab-Israeli war of 1948 in completely
different ways. Among Arabs, and especially Palestinians, the events of
that year are known as the ""nakba"" - the catastrophe, the trauma, the
disaster. For Jews, and in particular for Israelis, their victory in the
war of 1948 is a veritable miracle in which, against tremendous odds and
through heroic military effort, the Jewish community succeeded in
thwarting attempts by the Arab states to destroy it.
This book integrates new archival material with the findings of recent
scholarship to present the reader with a comprehensive and general
history of the origins and consequences of the 1948 war. The author
shows, in sharp contrast to the recollections and myths of both sides,
that the military events of 1948 were not decisive. The victory of the
Zionist organization and the fate of the Palestinians was determined by
politicians on both sides - in the discussions and decisions of the
United Nations in 1947-8 and in the Arab League - long before a shot had
been fired. The author argues that Israel's failure to take advantage of
the genuine opportunity for peace with the Arabs at the UN-sponsored
Lausanne Conference in 1949 resulted in the prolonged and tragic
conflict between Israel and the Arab states still very much alive
today.
