Gilbert Achcar

Achcar's book is a daring attempt to cover a highly controversial topic which he manages to do with incredible erudition and a good grasp of the subject matter. More so than other books on this topic, Achcar avoids coming down heavily on one side or the other and is therefore able to give a very accessible and enlightening view of the topics covered.

Most interesting is Achcar's ability to use first hand sources due to his ability to read Arabic. Other books I have read have very little or cite other authors who have cited others in order to inform their works. Undoubtedly because of his history on the left in the Middle East one gets the feeling of reading the views of someone who has been parts of the conversation for many years. Due to this he gives a good overview of the different strands of Arabic political influence that have been most prevalent in recent years.

Despite his Marxist background what comes through most clearly is Gilbert's humanism and desire for peace. He rightfully notes that things have deteriorated but he maintains hope for the future built on a mutual understanding of the tragedies for the refugees from both sides.

Any student of Arabic Studies or Holocaust Studies would do well to read this highly informative piece of work.… (more)

I had the opportunity to listen to Achcar lecture at La Maison Francaise at NYU, and found his view intriguing, if not entirely acceptable, and certainly worthy of inclusion into a broader worldview. His English is faltering, but the translation is excellent and the book is well structured. Also, the book is about 100 pages long, and I found it an easy read, although not simply written. Reading the book would not take a great amount of time, and it provides a wealth of solid, but little known, historical and political information.

The largest takeaway from his analysis is a more balanced approach to international interactions, and a detailed analysis of the history of the Middle East and Islam, as it relates to political struggles. His analysis is akin to Chomsky's understanding of American political strategy, but also dovetails contrapuntally with more mainstream writers such as Brzezniski.… (more)