BACKDROP TO TRAGEDY

The history of Palestine, the Zionist movement, economic development are indispensable guides to the understanding of the current political scene- the turbulence of which is constantly in the news. Part I of this superior study resummons ancient history to the Roman Empire and the solidification of Jewish nationalism. It discusses the significance of the rise of Islam and the Ottoman Empire. Part II reviews the effects of persecution in Europe and the rise of Zionism- a protest to Anti-Semitism, an alternative to economic displacement engendered by the industrial revolution, and an articulation of an age-old longing for return to the homeland. Part III explains the Arab role in Palestine and Part IV presents the economic framework ""into which the psychological aspects of the problem of Palestine must fit"". This excellent analysis of the delicate hot-bed in which many interests, economic, political, and sentimental, are vested copes with the complexities in a mature and well-documented manner. It embraces the peculiar relationship between Yishuv Jewry and Diaspora and clarifies the position of Israel in terms of the Arab ""block"". Much needed, it will be well received in news-conscious circles. The background of the authors attests to its scope and relative objectivity.