Righteous Victims

Benny Morris’s Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881-2001 is a sweeping study that charts the tumultuous evolution of relations between Zionists and Arabs over more than a century. The book delves into the roots of political Zionism, examining the repercussions of pogroms in Russia and the impact of events like the Dreyfus Affair on the Jewish community. Morris traces the gradual influx of Jewish settlers into Palestine and the profound effects their arrival had on the indigenous Arab population. His narrative follows the aftermath of the Holocaust and the dramatic first Arab-Israeli war of 1948, events that not only led to the establishment of the State of Israel but also triggered widespread displacement and a burgeoning refugee crisis. Offering detailed accounts of the subsequent Israeli-Arab conflicts as well as the intermittent attempts at peace, Righteous Victims stands as an authoritative record of a region striving for reconciliation. In an updated afterword, Morris reflects on later developments including shifts in leadership and changing political landscapes, further enriching his already comprehensive analysis of this enduring struggle.