Martin Bunton

Highly recommended to gain a better understanding of this century old conflict.
This is an area of history that I have picked up over the past thirty odd years almost entirely from journalism and television, with a couple of films and one (for me seminal) war game.
The book is a concise overview split into six chapters covering the period from 1897 to 2007, clearly explaining how the state of Israel came to exist almost exclusively through immigration from Europe, why the Arabs didn’t seize show more the chances to create a Palestinian state (with the benefit of hindsight) and showing with excellent maps how the land was allocated by Europeans (primarily the British), United Nations and warfare. Especially interesting was the explanation of how Jewish immigrants initially purchased land in the agriculturally rich valley and coastal areas, rather than in the biblical Israeli areas of Judea and Samaria (broadly, the West Bank), which influenced how extra-national forces considered the land should be partitioned.
As far as I can tell, the book appears impartial, noting the arguments for both Israeli and Palestinian, with consequent difficulty of reaching a compromise. show less

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a case study of what happens when two peoples claim inalienable rights to the same piece of land. Both sides have had powerful allies, and both sides have had shameful moments when atrocities were committed. The British made a complete muddle of things with their post-World War I nation building exercise in the Middle East, and opportunities for peace have been missed repeatedly since.

The author, a professor at the University of Victoria in Canada and show more co-author of A History of the Modern Middle East 5th ed., writes a very clear, although dense, history of the conflict beginning with the first Zionist convention in 1897. The book is organized in twenty year chunks, covering the Ottoman Palestine (1897-1917), British Palestine (1917-37), Palestine partitioned (1937-47), Atzmaut and Nakba (1947-1967), Occupation (1967-87), The rise and fall of the peace process (1987-2007) and a bit beyond. show less

Pretty neutral and a chronological play by play of the conflict lasting up to mid last decade. Required reading as a minimum baseline for understanding the current conflict, and that it's not coloured by said conflict works in its favour.

Good summary of the Israel Palestine conflict from the late 19th century. The author attempts to provide a balanced perspective, although seems to be more sympathetic to Palestinians. Some events appear to be downplayed, such as Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza (except in appendix). Appendix dated table of events is a helpful resource.