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Book SynopsisA revealing investigation into the corporate and strategic interests that have long been at the root of U.S. policy toward Israel and the Palestinians.
Trade ReviewBy tying together the strands of oil and strategic interests in Saudi Arabia with the familiar narrative about the American relationship with Zionism, this book is a major contribution to our understanding of crucial events for the future of the Middle East. Gendzier provides revelations and fresh insights throughout. -- Rashid Khalidi, Columbia University Drawing from a rich variety of sources, many previously untapped, Irene L. Gendzier provides a most valuable reinterpretation of the roots of U.S. policy towards Israel and the Palestinians. In particular, she shows convincingly that the crucial choice for planners was not 'oil versus Israel,' as commonly believed, but rather 'oil and Israel,' and demonstrates no less convincingly that the secrets of the past that she uncovers are intimately connected with 'the troubled present.' A very significant contribution. -- Noam Chomsky, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Present-day U.S. policy in the Middle East consists of contradictions wrapped in illusions propped up by hypocrisies. Gendzier traces those contradictions, illusions, and hypocrisies to a single point of origin: Washington's ill-fated response to the 'Palestine question' during the pivotal years from 1945 to 1949. Dying to Forget is comprehensive, illuminating, and, above all, compelling-revisionism in the best sense of the term. -- Andrew J. Bacevich, author of Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War In this fascinating, illuminating, and authoritative reconstruction of the complex evolution of U.S. policy toward the emergence of Israel, Gendzier tells a gripping story that displays extraordinary narrative skills as well as exhibiting her mastery of an astonishing range of scholarly materials. Although primarily a brilliant contribution to diplomatic history, this work is relevant to our understanding of the crucial interplay between Israeli diplomacy and oil geopolitics in the Middle East. -- Richard A. Falk, Princeton University A Middle East scholar uncovers the post-World War II history of American policy in Palestine. From the beginning, it's been about oil... compiling an almost bulletproof brief. Vital reading for those looking to understand, 65 years later, the origins of the continuing conflict in the Middle East. Kirkus Reviews Gendzier's thorough but dense account, best suited to the serious student of Middle East policy, is essential to any sophisticated understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Publishers Weekly Making excellent use of the previously overlooked papers of Max Ball, who directed the Oil and Gas Division of the Department of the Interior, Gendzier methodically reveals the significant role that oil played in US calculations about the emerging State of Israel. Middle East Journal [A] thought-provoking read... Highly recommended. CHOICE Gendzier shows an impressive command of far-ranging material. Race and Class
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Preface to the Paperback Edition: The U.S. Record on Israel and Palestine, 1948 Introduction: Open Secrets Part I: The Postwar Petroleum Order and the Palestine Question, 1945-1946 1. The Primacy of Oil 2. The Palestine Question: 1945 Part II: The Question of Partition and the Oil Connection, 1947-1948 3. The Critical Year: 1947 4. The Winter of Discontent: 1948 5. The Oil Connection Part III: Beware "Anomalous Situations," 1948 6. The Transformation of Palestine 7. Truce and Trusteeship 8. Recognition and Response Part IV: Rethinking U.S. Policy in Palestine/Israel, 1948 9. Reconsidering U.S. Policy in Palestine 10. The Palestine Refugee Problem 11. The State Department on the Record Part V: The End as the Beginning, 1948-49 12. The PCC, Armistice, Lausanne, and Palestinian Refugees 13. The View from the Pentagon and the National Security Council 14. The Israeli-U.S. Oil Connection and Expanding U.S. Oil Interests Part VI: In Place of a Conclusion Reflections on Discovery, Denial, and Deferral Notes Index
