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Enemies and Neighbors


Synopsis


In Enemies and Neighbors, Ian Black, who has spent four decades studying and covering the Middle East, offers a major new history of the Arab-Zionist conflict, told from both sides. Setting the scene at the end of the 19th century, when the first Zionist settlers arrived in the Ottoman-ruled Holy Land, Black draws on a wide range of sources—from declassified documents to oral testimonies to his own vivid-on-the-ground reporting—to illuminate the most polarizing conflict of modern times. Taking the 1917 Balfour Declaration, the British government's fateful promise to favor the establishment of "a national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, as its first major milestone, the story proceeds through the Arab Rebellion of the late 1930s, the Nazi Holocaust, Israel's independence and the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe), the watershed of 1967 followed by the Palestinian re-awakening, Israel's settlement project, two Intifadas, the Oslo Accords, and continued negotiations and violence up to today. Combining engaging narrative with political analysis and social and cultural insights, Enemies and Neighbors is both an accessible overview and a fascinating investigation into the deeper truths of a furiously contested history that has preserved Palestinians and Israelis as unequal enemies and neighbors.

Summary

Chapter 1: The Clash of Civilizations

* Summary: Introduces the theory of a "clash of civilizations," arguing that cultures and religions shape global politics and conflict.
* Example: The rise of ISIS and other extremist groups that claim to be fighting for the supremacy of Islam.

Chapter 2: The Fault Lines of Civilization

* Summary: Divides the world into eight major civilizations (Western, Confucian, Japanese, Islamic, Hindu, Orthodox, Latin American, and African) and identifies their potential for conflict.
* Example: The ongoing tensions between the West and the Islamic world, particularly in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.

Chapter 3: The Hunting Ground: Central Asia

* Summary: Examines the historical and strategic importance of Central Asia, a region that has been a crossroads for different civilizations and a breeding ground for conflict.
* Example: The Soviet-Afghan War and the ongoing instability in Afghanistan, which has implications for the entire region.

Chapter 4: The Coming Conflict between China and Japan

* Summary: Predicts a future conflict between China and Japan, based on historical grievances, economic competition, and territorial disputes.
* Example: The ongoing dispute over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, which has escalated tensions between the two countries.

Chapter 5: The Fate of India

* Summary: Explores the challenges facing India, including poverty, overpopulation, ethnic and religious tensions, and the rise of Hindu nationalism.
* Example: The ongoing conflict in Kashmir, which has been a major source of tension between India and Pakistan.

Chapter 6: The Rise of the Rest and the Decline of the West

* Summary: Argues that the West is in decline, while other civilizations (particularly China and India) are rising in influence and power.
* Example: The rapid economic growth of China and its increasing global footprint, which challenges the United States' traditional dominance.

Chapter 7: The New World Order

* Summary: Offers a vision of a future world order shaped by the clash of civilizations and the rise of new powers.
* Example: The establishment of the G20, which includes countries from both developed and developing worlds, as a sign of the changing global dynamics.

Chapter 8: Conclusion

* Summary: Re-emphasizes the importance of understanding the role of civilizations in global politics and warns of the dangers of a clash of civilizations.
* Example: The need for dialogue and cooperation between different cultures to prevent the outbreak of major conflicts.