Israeli and Palestinian Identities in History and Literature

From Library Journal
The chapters in this volume are drawn primarily from a conference directed by the editors, scholars of Arabic and Judaic literature, at Brown University in April 1997. They have assembled a fine collection of papers that focus on the question of identity formation among Arabs and Israelis. The contributors represent a diverse group of individuals from the fields of literary studies, history, political science, sociology, and film studies. In many respects, this is a unique book, as it seeks to explore the shifting boundaries of Palestinian and Israeli identities from an interdisciplinary perspective. The contributors also analyze the complexities of Arab-Israeli relations in their totality and demonstrate several overlapping dimensions of Palestinian-Israeli identities. This captivating book shatters many common myths about Arabs and Israelis. Highly recommended for academic libraries.ANader Entessar, Spring Hill Coll., Mobile, AL Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Review
“This is a unique collection of carefully chosen primary material on the way Palestinians and Israelis see themselves and, indirectly, know one another. It is the kind of book that will foster better understanding between the two peoples and will contribute to the cause of peace in the Middle East.” —Hisham Sharabi, Chairman of the Center for Policy Analysis on Palestine

“This is a remarkable collection of papers and viewpoints not only because of the range of voices, but also because this volume brings together scholars and writers from very different fields. The book as a whole is a roundtable discussion exploring the history that has shaped Palestinian and Israeli identities, the literature that reflects--and indeed that also has shaped--these identities. It is an exceptionally perceptive and timely achievement that helps explain present realities regarding these competing, overlapping and conflicting identities.” —Nancy E. Berg, Washington University



Book Description
In this groundbreaking volume, scholars from the fields of literature, history, political science, and sociology come together to exchange new insights on the Arab-Israeli conflict. They examine how events in the region since the 1940s have affected Israeli and Palestinian concepts of identity, on either side of the cease-fire lines of 1949 and in exile communities in the region and abroad. As the Palestinian poet Fawaz Turki says, "History and history-making is everyone’s milieu in our part of the world," and the contributors reveal the extent to which politics and history inform the Israeli and Palestinian literary imagination.



About the Author
Kamal Abdel-Malek is Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature at Brown University.

David C. Jacobson is Associate Professor of Judaic Studies at Brown University.



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Scholars from the fields of literature, history, political science, and sociology share new insights on the Arab-Israeli conflict. They examine how events in the region since the 1940s have affected Israel and Palestinian concepts of identity on both sides of the cease-fire lines of 1949 and in exile communities in the region and abroad. They interweave historical documents, public opinion surveys, film, fiction, and poetry to reveal the extent to which politics and history inform the Israeli and Palestinian literary imagination. Concludes with a roundtable discussion. Material is drawn from papers and discussions at an April 1997 conference. Abdel-Malek is professor of Arabic and Islamic studies at the University of Alberta, Canada. Jacobson is professor of Judaic studies at Brown University. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)


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