A Documentary History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict

This collection of essential documents bearing on the long-standing Arab-Israeli conflict begins with Leo Pinsker’s pamphlet of 1882 which first proposed the establishment of a Jewish state, preferably in Palestine, and ends with the UN Security Council resolution of 1990. Issued by the various official and quasi-official governments and organizations that have been parties to the dispute, the documents provide the background to political Zionism and illustrate Great Britain’s role in both supporting the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine and in easing Arab fears. In addition, the collection demonstrates the major role played by the United States. Charles Geddes’ introductions to each document are primarily based on other documents, such as published memoirs of the participants, published and unpublished letters, reportage from international reporting services and other sources. To many of the documents Geddes has appended epilogues that contain detailed information on the results or reaction to that particular paper. Of the 48 documents many have not been previously reprinted in any collection.