The iron wall : Israel and the Arab world / Avi Shlaim.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [633]-642) and index.

The emergence of Israel 1947-1949 -- Consolidation 1949-1953 -- Attempts at accommodation 1953-1955 -- The road to Suez 1955-1957 -- The alliance of the periphery 1957-1963 -- Poor little Samson 1963-1969 -- Immobilism 1969-1974 -- Disengagement 1974-1977 -- Peace with Egypt 1977-1981 -- The Lebanese quagmire 1981-1984 -- Political paralysis 1984-1988 -- Stonewalling 1988-1992 -- The breakthrough 1992-1995 -- The setback 1995-1996 -- Back to the Iron Wall 1996-1998.

This book helps to understand the debate within Israel about the possibility of peace with the Palestinians. "In this richly documented book, Avi Shlaim, professor of international relations at Oxford University, places Israel's political and military actions under an uncompromising lens. He traces a pattern of policy from the goals of the early Zionists, through the wars that have marked much of Israeli history, to recent efforts to construct peace. The book draws on a great deal of new material from Israeli, Arab, and Western sources that not only brings events alive but also leads to fresh assessments and a better informed, more critical understanding of one of the most intense and intractable conflicts of modern times."--BOOK JACKET.