Arafat's War: The Man and His Battle for Israeli Conquest

by Efraim Karsh

Book Overview

Established in 1964 with the goal of "liberating Palestine in its entirety," the Palestinian Liberation Organization has for years been fronted by one of its most outspoken and notorious members,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802117589
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Grove Pr
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.0" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

A sober assessment of Arafat

One of the most depressing things for many humans on this planet has been the fact that a few people can just sail through life by being wicked and violent. We'd like to think that after enough crimes, such people would be arrested and removed from the public scene permanently. But Arafat proves that this isn't the case, and this book shows how serious a blot it is on Mankind's record to have treated Arafat so generously. As Karsh shows, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was correct to point out that "Arafat is the greatest obstacle to peace and stability in the Middle East." But he also shows that this is due in large part to the positive reactions Arafat's crimes have generated. People in nations all over the world, leaders included, have rewarded Arafat for the violence he's almost constantly perpetrated. This has not required any cleverness on Arafat's part: he simply commits violent acts and gets applause. If he gets caught, he gets away with it. As for what he says, that is easy too. He simply tells lies all the time. People accept some of them, or say they do. Again, when he gets caught, he gets away with it. Arafat has been a lifelong enemy of human rights, and especially of human rights for Jews. What impressed me about this book was not how awful Arafat has been. It was how awful human civilization has been to honor him for it. It made me embarrassed to be a human being. Of course, Arafat has taken obvious advantage of being put in control of Gaza and much of the West Bank. He's made sure that the sermons in these places are political incitement. And he's made sure that the schoolkids are all taught to hate and kill. Karsh shows the extent to which this has happened, as well as the toleration of such behavior by the world community. And Karsh also shows how Arafat has organized violent attacks on Israel. I was surprised that the bulk of the violence was unprovoked, although ridiculous excuses for it were often invented at the time or afterwards. And I was shocked by the degree to which some of these patent lies were taken seriously by world leaders. Some may feel that this merely shows Arafat's ability to deceive. I strongly disagree with such a conclusion. I think if Arafat could do it, anyone could. After all, he's never acted intelligent or trustworthy. Well, what needs to be done? Karsh gives us all some advice. He points out the structural reforms that were needed in 1945 in Germany and Japan for them to attain freedom and democracy. And he explains that Arafat and his gang will need to be swept from power and replaced by leaders who are willing to co-exist with their neighbors.

A powerful indictment

In Arafat's War, Karsh offers a convincing case that Yasser Arafat does not now and never did intend to make peace with Israel. Drawing on diverse sources, many in Arabic, he explains how Arafat never abandoned violence or his dream of destroying the Jewish state. Indeed, Arafat's efforts in creating the cult of the suicide bombers and continually seeking to delegitimize Israel for his people, as well as his willingness to use violence and terror as negotiation tools have severely weakened the Palestinians credibility. Karsh also deserves credit for sympathizing with the Palestinian people, who Arafat betrays with his self serving leadership. The author's coverage of Arafat's rejection of a state in 2000, when Israel offered him all of Gaza, 95% of the West Bank, and a shared Jerusalem is particularly thorough. What emerges here is a portrait of a man primarily interested in the advancement of his own political faction and cronies over those of his people. Karsh does an excellent job putting this in perspective as fairly standard behavior throughout the Middle East.Unfortunately, while this book is recent, it was in the presses when recent revelations of Arafat's vast personal holdings, estimated at over $1 billion came to light. So, while Karsh can present evidence of Arafat's personal enrichment through graft and embezzlement, he missed the opportunity to give the full story. Nonetheless, Arafat's War remains a must read for any wishing to understand the conflict.

An Honest Work

Professor Karsh is objective in his entire assessment of an evil man who has deceived the entire world, and from time to time shed crocodile tears when the "evil Jews" were murdered as a result of his henchmen.Why does the world not realize the death and destruction the Palestinians have caused at the expense of "liberation" and "resistance to occupation?" Their history of occupying foreign nations, like Jordan, and then Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of so many innocent civilians. All of this initiated by the most famous Palestinian (still) alive.The real shameful paradox is when the pope and then his Vatican bureaucrats decide to shake Arafat's hand after so many Christians were slaughtered in the 1970s and 1980s. More power to the idiots!

Arafat Exposed.

This is a splendid, stunning, investigative work of dramatic proportions by the Professor and Head of Mediterranean Studies at Kings College, University of London.The reader cannot fail but be impressed by the depth of knowledge and experience upon which this book is founded. An incisive, thought-provoking, penetrating exposé of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat that surgically excises any propaganda to reveal a discerning revelation of the "man and his mission". An immensely readable & well argued book commendably drawing upon Arabic, Hebrew and English language sources and which holds the reader's attention on every page. A book which will undoubtedly draw much reaction from all sides of the political spectrum.This book is "strong medicine" and the reader will be immediately aware that the book does not pull any punches with Arafat being described on the cover as a "bloodthirsty terrorist with no respect for human lives, impervious to his own peoples needs & aspirations" whilst being absolutely committed to "Israel's destruction".It is virtually impossible to refer to all the issues covered in a review alone. However, the book opens with a description of the establishment of the PLO in 1964 when the areas of the "West Bank" and Gaza were already under Arab rule, leaving the reader to assess what "Palestine" actually needed "liberating". At the outset the book cites on page 10 that Yasser Arafat himself does not even conform to what his "own" definition of a "Palestinian" is. This is discussed at some length but essentially reveals that Yasser Arafat (born Muhammad Abdel Rahman Abdel Rauf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini, in Cairo, Egypt on August 24 1929) had never resided in "Palestine" prior to 1947 as required in the Palestinian National Covenant "definition", or indeed at any subsequent time until his arrival in the Gaza Strip in 1994. Many may find this a most interesting analysis on it's own merits.Another important issue in this study is Arafat's alleged rejection of Palestinian "statehood" in 2,000. Arafat is accused here of being far more interested in the PLO's historic goal of "Israel's destruction" than in establishing any Palestinian state or the interests of his own people.Further to this the book provides details of what it portrays as Arafat's effort, since the Oslo Peace Accords, to build an extensive terrorist infrastructure, together with the "failure" to disarm Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Something recounted as being simultaneous with the pursuit of a systematic effort to indoctrinate the Palestinian population (through the official Palestinian Authority media/education syllabus) with a hatred of Israel & it's people through rumour and religious zealotry. The book further details how this policy has produced what it cites as a level of violence unmatched in scope and intensity since the re-birth of the Jewish state in 1948. The book's study on these particular issues contains creditable detail, is enormously interesting and is