I would definitely change the title of this book as it's fairly inflammatory, particularly the use of the words "they" and "forcing." However, it's a good overview of the issues on both sides in this conflict.

I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. <i>The Only Language They Understand</i> was written by Nathan Thrall and published by Metropolitan Books Henry Holt and Company in 2017. Some of the chapters have been previously published in <i>The New York Review of Books,</i> and the <i>London Review of Books.</i> They have also appeared in <i>Foreign Affairs</i> online, and in a report for the <i>International Crisis Group.</i>

<b><u>FORCE!</u></b> The Only Language They Understand is force! This is a meticulously-researched, incisively-analyzed, and skillfully-written account of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — especially after the establishment of the Jewish state by the United Nations in 1947 and the subsequent 1948 war between the parties. The account is comprehensive. The author begins his narrative with a brief history of Zionism and events in the former Mandatory Palestine that goes back as far as the late 1800’s. He relates this history of events from first the Jewish, and then the Palestinian perspectives. He also includes descriptions of the roles played by other world leaders, especially the United States, during this time. His perspective seems to be free of any overt bias.

Israel is regarded by many (although not, necessarily, the author) to be a theocracy, and there is ample evidence in history to indicate as much. The <i>Oxford English Dictionary,</i> for example, provides one definition of the word as: “1.1. the commonwealth of Israel from the time of Moses until the election of Saul as King.” Theocracies seem to be able to justify behavior that would be unacceptable in other forms of government. One example might be the harsh brutality exhibited by some Israeli Jews when inflicting violence on innocent Palestinian civilians. The author relates the story of “[a]n innocent Eritrean asylum seeker at the site of an attack [who] was shot and then, as he lay bleeding to death, kicked repeatedly in the head.” He also tells us how darker skinned Jews must shout out their Jewishness before boarding buses in Israel in order to avoid being stabbed or beaten, and how Yemenites (Jews of Yemeni descent) have printed T-shirts that read: “Calm down, I’m a Yemenite” so that they will not be attacked by right-wing Jews while going about their business in Israel and the West Bank.

Lest you think that the author was being one-sided in his criticisms of Zionism and Israeli Jews when pointing out the cynical hypocrisy of the Israeli government, he also takes on the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Fatah Party, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and Hamas, an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood that has morphed into a political party that now controls Gaza. In this book, the author is an equal-opportunity critic. He tells us about the murders of innocent Jewish teenagers and other civilians by radical Palestinians. In addition, the author tells us which American Presidents were the most effective in helping to stop the violence and gain a solution to the seemingly-intractable problems that have plagued the region — largely as the result of Zionism. He describes the effectiveness of President Carter, and the ineffectiveness of President Obama in leading negotiations to resolve the conflict. He tells us which Israeli leaders fanned the flames of violence, and which ones quelled them.

Murder, violence and bloodshed have been the legacy of Zionism in the former Palestine. Encouraged by failed and faulty US foreign policy, both sides in the conflict have become reluctant to arrive at a lasting agreement that could bring permanent peace to the region. This is especially true of Israel, which has benefited greatly from the US lack of even-handedness in dealing with the issues involved. The author is especially critical of the failures of the Obama Administration and its Secretary of State, John Kerry. The author’s opinion is that it was the Carter Administration, and Jimmy Carter, personally, who contributed the most to a lasting settlement in Palestine. No other US President’s accomplishments matched those of Jimmy Carter, so Thrall is an equal-opportunity critic when it comes to Democratic and Republican US Presidents.

I think that this book will finally tell the truth to its readers about what has been happening in Israel and its occupied territories over the years. It seems relatively objective, but it is sure to provoke anger on both sides, and especially on the part of unquestioning supporters of the Israeli government. What the world has not learned about the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea (and its occupants) from its news media outlets, or from its political leaders, it can learn from reading the facts as set forth in this book. The end of the book includes a brief coda, and a comprehensive set of End Notes that is organized by chapter. The author’s assertions are assiduously sourced and verified.

I think it would have been helpful to readers if the author and publisher had thought to include some simple graphics, such as maps of the disputed territories and how their boundaries changed as a result of the conflicts that plagued the region during the period described by this book. Best of all would be if the maps were to be inserted into the book at the places where the conflicts that changed the borders are described by the author.

This is a really thought-provoking work. It is well-researched and clearly-analyzed. Anybody should be able to read it and understand what they have read. If you care at all about what happens in the Middle East, and you should, then be sure to learn the facts as related in this book. Before voting for any potential American President, Senator, or Congressman, we Americans need to be aware of the facts, and not just the politically spun nonsense that emanates from Washington these days. Read the book. You’ll be glad you did, and you will have a lot to think about.