The Shortest History of Israel and Palestine (New Edition)

‘A masterpiece of clarity, concision and balance’ ADAM SUTCLIFFE

‘The complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (are) easy to understand in this clear, straightforward, and unemotional history’ JOHN MCHUGO, author of A Concise History of the Arabs

‘(Scott-Baumann’s) thirty-five years’ experience as a teacher and lecturer in history is felt on each page of his book ... a roadmap to students and an entrance gate to whomever wants to go beyond it’ MENACHEM KLEIN, professor of political science, Bar-Ilan University,Israel, and author of Lives in Common

An accessible, essential history that explores the origins and development of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Updated to include the events of October 7, 2023 and their aftermath.

The ongoing struggle between Israel and Palestine is one of the most bitter conflicts in history, with profound global consequences. In this book, Middle East expert Michael Scott-Baumann succinctly describes its origins and charts its evolution from civil war to the present day. Each chapter offers a lucid explanation of the politics and ends with personal testimony from Palestinians and Israelis whose lives have been overshadowed by violence.

While presenting competing interpretations, Scott-Baumann examines key flash points including the early role of the British, the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, the Six-Day War of 1967, the Trump administration’s 2020 peace plan, and the war ignited by Hamas’s surprise attacks on Israel in 2023. He delineates both the nature of Israeli control over the Palestinian territories and Palestinian resistance—going to the heart of recent clashes.

The result is an indispensable history, including a time line, glossary, and analysis of why efforts to restore peace have continually failed—at immense human cost on both sides of the conflict—and what it will take to succeed.