Abstract
In the introduction to his history of the Arab–Israeli conflict, Ian Bickerton hopes that he brings a sense of ‘detachment’ to the topic (p. 19). If by ‘detachment’ he means a lack of bias, he disappoints himself, for the narrative of this book does not read as particularly balanced. Bickerton almost uncritically follows the work of the ‘new’ Israeli historians, also known as ‘post-Zionists’ for their reassessment of the founding myths of the Israeli state. Bickerton finds their work ‘compelling’ (p. 19) but does not properly indicate why or consider any criticisms of their work.
Despite decrying each party's use of rhetorical devices to support their arguments (p. 41), he himself regularly falls into this trap. Notwithstanding the size of the book he also fails to discuss his conclusions on major issues adequately. One example of this is that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak blamed Yasser Arafat for the breakdown of the 2001 Taba talks, but ‘some accounts … suggest … it was Barak who walked away from the negotiating table’ (p. 188). There are indeed many accounts blaming each side, but none are discussed or cited here. Similarly, at one point Bickerton mentions that a report commissioned by President Clinton concluded that Ariel Sharon's 2001 visit to the Temple Mount did not cause the second Intifada (p. 185), while earlier stating that ‘many observers’ claim that it did (pp. 34–5). (Expert observers, incidentally, generally do not.)
This lack of expertise is a weakness within the book for it leads to sweeping statements that might support his viewpoint but are not supported by evidence. One glaring example is his statement that the defeat of Likud by Labour in 1992 showed that the ‘majority of Israelis were clearly ready for a new approach’ (pp. 166–7). In fact, more voters opted for right- than left-wing parties; Likud was defeated by splits in the right-wing block and not by any movement of the electorate towards the left. Further, during the campaign, Labour's Yitzhak Rabin had tried to outflank Likud from the right.
Consequently, this book contains no new information for, as the author admits, it relies entirely on secondary sources and is predominantly the work of the aforementioned ‘new’ historians. While the book is worth reading as a summary of their work, it is likely to be of use only to those unfamiliar with the topic, but not if it is the only book on the subject that they read.
Robert Spain
(Independent Scholar)
The Middle East is seriously affected by problems. Recent Arab Human Development reports show a highly pessimistic picture of this particular region. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the combined gross domestic product of 22 Arab countries did not exceed the GDP of Spain. Taking economic growth into consideration, even African countries have higher rates than the Arab world. The demographic outburst in this region is uncontrollable; existing natural resources are not sufficient to ensure adequate conditions for Arabs and therefore many of them are ready to emigrate. Among the main causes of this situation are the authoritarian, undemocratic systems and unprofessional administration in the Middle Eastern countries. Their underdevelopment, economic backwardness, sense of frustration, poverty and conflicts, which cause thousands of deaths and devastation of the infrastructure, destabilise this strategically important region. Seen from another perspective, however, the region is changing. North African and Middle Eastern countries are constantly undergoing dynamic social processes and important political reforms are being introduced.
Algeria was one of the countries that underwent a specific process of modernisation, and the issue of Algeria's political transformation in the 1990s is presented in this book by Francesco Cavatorta. The International Dimension of the Failed Algerian Transition is a perfect analysis of events in the Algerian political arena at the end of the twentieth century. The innovative and original view proposed by the author is particularly interesting, depicting the Algerian conflict through the prism of external factors and global international events. Cavatorta presents a hypothesis in which he underlines the role of extra-national elements that particularly affected the development, level and character of the Algerian transformation. These were: the decrease in oil prices in the 1980s, Afghan victory in the war with the USSR, the end of the Cold War, and the Gulf War. These factors need to be considered alongside the events and initiatives of external entities that directly affected Algeria, namely Western countries’ promotion of democracy, the development of political Islam and the actions of global financial institutions and international organisations. This particular model of analysis which is rarely used by political scientists when researching political systems results in some interesting and very original conclusions.
Cavatorta's analysis of Algerian politics at the end of the twentieth century is recommended to all those interested in the political transformation of the Arab world and those involved in the study of political theory and international relations. Altogether, The International Dimension of the Failed Algerian Transition is a stimulating and pleasurable read.
Katarzyna Jarecka-Stepien
(Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland)
In what is a worthwhile contribution to the study of recent developments within African society, Marie-Soleil Frère provides a concise yet informative overview of the manner in which conflict impacts on various outlets of African media. The focus of the piece is broad, with eight of the eleven chapters each being dedicated to a different Central African country (Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Chad, Cameroon, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea), with developments in the post-Cold War era receiving particular attention.
The main analytical sections within each chapter are generally concerned with three distinct forms of media – newspapers, television and radio – and each of these is handled well, although the focus is mainly on newspapers and radio and these are covered in greatest detail. The most interesting sections of this book, however, are those which deal with the impact of various forms of conflict (both internal and external) on media outlets. Issues of freedom of speech and journalistic integrity are considered and many interesting debates, such as the issue of media reconciliation in post-genocide Rwanda, are dealt with in a succinct and engaging manner. Each case study and the whole of the last chapter also refer to the impact of foreign (Western) organisations in mediating these processes and their potential to provide further support in the future.
This book will be of use to anyone studying media relations in Central Africa. While providing an overview of some of the more overarching processes influencing the region (such as the continuing predominance of patron–client politics), it also provides several examples of more focused, personal considerations, which greatly help to illuminate some of the key themes of the book. The only drawback is that the eight case study chapters tend to be rather repetitive and similar in style. A pattern of ‘progress being made, but this is generally in jeopardy during periods of civil unrest’ is apparent in virtually every chapter, and this can sometimes cause the book to be less stimulating, although this is of course partially a result of the subject matter, since the author is simply describing events as they are. It would be useful for the links between each case study to be better emphasised and highlighted, though this is perhaps not the key aim of the book. Overall, Frère provides an excellent starting point for anyone wishing to study this sometimes volatile media environment.
David Patrick
(University of Sheffield)
You might already have an idea about ‘What the Arabs think of America', but Andrew Hammond, who is Reuters’ senior correspondent in Saudi Arabia, has a direct and well-documented analysis regarding the various faces of Arab nationalism, social representations and anti-Americanism in Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Iraq (before and after Saddam Hussein), Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Darfur. Each of these places is given an in-depth chapter. Hammond successfully demonstrates that public opinion and attitudes towards the Western world in Arab countries are not always monolithic in their media. For example, when mentioning the success of an Arabic ‘Star Academy', Hammond explains that, in some cases, ‘the Arab world has tried to mimic American television, music and cinema with varying degrees of success’ (p. 38).
Far from considering only the television network al-Jazeera, Hammond observes the many facets of Arab media and comments on their ideologies, dynamics and biases – towards Israel, for instance, where ‘Israel is depicted in the media as dissolute and artificial, in contrast to an Arab self-image of moral uprightness and richness of history and tradition’ (p. 47). But with the advent of new media and the internet, public opinion now tends to diversify itself in the Middle East, like everywhere else.
Despite the many endnotes, efficient formulas and numerous catchy quotes, this is not a scholarly book as such with methodological remarks and a theoretical framework, but rather a lively analysis written with wit and style, though with foreign eyes. Unlike most occidental scholars investigating this same topic, the author does not rely on academic concepts like ‘social representations', although he refers to ‘ideologies’ and culture. Nor is it in any way an ‘anti-Arab book’ and it is clear that the author knows and respects the Middle Eastern society in which he now lives, even though he can successfully identify the distorted ideologies that abound in the public sphere. Furthermore, rather than just including selected sources from various media in the Middle East, Hammond also includes the perspectives of many US analysts and even some pan-Arab newspapers based in London, which confirms the diversity and sometimes the complexity of public opinion dynamics (p. 15). In sum, What the Arabs Think of America will be helpful for undergraduate students in fields like Middle East studies, international relations, political anthropology, media studies and cross-cultural theory because of its abundant information and minimal bias.
Yves Laberge
(Université Laval, Quebec)
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