Holy War for the Promised Land [antikvár]

introduction The Arab/Israeli struggle is unique among world conflicts. On one side are Israeli Jews—descendants of an ancient people who, according to the Bible, are chosen by God to be his own. The other protagonists, the Arabs, cire mostly members of the feistest-growing and most controversial religion on earth: Islam. Closely watching from the sidelines are millions of Christians whose faith stems from history's most famous Jew, Jesus of Nazareth. The world's leading powers are involved in the conflict, as is the United Nations, which oversaw the creation of modern Israel. The problems are so complex and deep-rooted, one cannot understand the nature of the struggle without an overview of its causes and history. I will begin by tadcing a look at the persecution the Jews endured from the time of their exile from Jerusalem in a.d. 135 through the twentieth century. Then I will delve into a short review of Arab history—basically the story of Islam. Most of the books 1 have read on the Arab/Israeli dispute either play down or ignore the religious struggle at the center of the conflict. Possibly because of my own spiritual convictions, I have spent much time examining the religious beliefs of both Arabs and Jews. It is impossible to comprehend the roots and continuing intensity of the Jewish/Arab struggle without fully appreciating the enormous role ancient beliefs and prejudices play in it. 1 believe that Holy War for the Promised Land will especially make the reader aware of the significant role Islam has played in fueling the conflict. Most chapters, and in many cases even single sentences, have themselves been the subject of entire books. While it is good to closely examine every aspect m ni '¦ ri f . .1 J'I" m