Description
Book SynopsisThis book is a refutation of Professor Avi Shlaim's theory of an alleged collusion between the Jews and king Abdullah (Clarendon Press, 1998). Shlaim asserts that to further his own aims of creating a greater Jordanian empire, Abdullah conducted secret diplomacy with David Ben-Gurion, Golda Meir and other Israeli leaders in self-serving maneuvers which hastened the partition of Palestine, and left more than a million Palestinian Arabs without a homeland. This book describes the development and vicissitudes of the relations between Israel and Jordan from the end of the British mandate and Transjordan's invasion of Palestine, through the war in 1948, the resumption of a direct dialogue that led to an armistice agreement, the abortive peace negotiations in 1949-51 and the simultaneous escalation of border hostilities. Gelber analyzes the triangle of relationships that developed between Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians; and explains the involvement of Britain, the United States and the inter-Arab system in the shaping of these relations and their subsequent deterioration. Based on Israeli, Arab, British and American archival documents, the book follows the intricate balance between Israeli-Jordanian diplomatic activity, and the realities of Israeli-Palestinian relations along the new armistice lines -- innocent and hostile infiltration, retaliations and reprisals, to their culmination in the tragedy of Qibia in the fall of 1953 and the return of Jordan to the anti-Israeli Arab coalition. The conclusion drawn is that this five-year period saw the apparent indifference of the Great Powers to impose a settlement, a Jordan unsure of its place in the Arab fold, and a confusing situation between Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians over border issues. Gelber finds no evidence of an alleged collusion between the Jews and king Abdullah -- just a tragic unfolding of events that inflamed the still unresolved Arab-Israeli conflict.
Trade Review"Gelber strongly criticizes the so-called revisionist historians, notably Avi Shlaim, who he sees as creating a new myth of Palestinian victimization with Abdullah betraying the Arab cause by colluding with Zionists to partition Palestine between them. Instead, Gelber concludes that it was the complex working out of shared concerns yet different perspectives of perceived needs and interests. The book is much more developed in its critical evaluation of Jordan than of Israel. A valuable addition to the controversy. Highly recommended." -- Choice.
Table of ContentsContents: Introduction; The Israel-Transjordan War: May-July 1948; Transjordanians and Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank; Seeking an Outlet from the War; Shune Talks and the Armistice Agreement; From Transjordan to Jordan; The Transjordanian and Palestinian Options; Peace Talks Lead to a Non-Aggression Pact; Domestic Crisis in Transjordan over Relations with Israel; Israel-Jordan Border Problems; Looking for Palliatives; Abdullah's Assassination and its Repercussions; Israeli Dialogue with Jordan under Talal; Infiltration, Retaliation and Escalation; Jordan Rejoins the Arab Coalition; Epilogue.
