BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND JERUSALEM: A Reporter's Notebook

by Wolf Blitzer ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 14, 1985

More than the usual collection of old news columns, this is a cohesive volume, offering a rare survey of US--Israeli relations. Blitzer, an American-Jewish reporter for The Jerusalem Post, has a unique perspective, thanks to his link with both countries, from which to analyze the status of these relations. (Anwar Sadat even went so far as to acknowledge Blitzer as the main inspiration for his idea of an initial rapprochement with Israel.) This is a valuable survey for anyone else interested in the twists and turns of Mideast policy. But its uniqueness rests on its uniform theme of actual relations between Israel and all the various segments that make up America. Blitzer here covers the Washington bureaucracy's position (often subtly leaning toward the Arab position in a quest for Arabian oil), the entire panoply of Israeli characters in Washington, the relationship between the CIA and the Mossad, congressional-Israeli relations, and the stance of America's media, think tanks, Big Labor, blacks, Christians, American Jews, et al. He concludes with surveys of Carter's and Reagan's policies vis-…-vis Israel and concludes that Israel will always have to be alert to maintain its edge with the US, even as America will always have a strong bond with Israel. Well-written by one who deeply understands both the issues and the societies.

Pub Date: Nov. 14, 1985

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Oxford Univ. Press

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1985

Categories: NONFICTION