From Beirut to Jerusalem Paperback – December 11, 2012

As a college student studying International Affairs, I managed to avoid the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for 4 years. I never felt like I had a fight in it, and felt the field had "too many cooks in the kitchen." I focused mostly on other regions and topics, generally aware of big picture issues with Israel, settlements, and the plight of Palestinians. I came across this book in searching for books on Syrian history for my job and decided to give it a shot, at least for the portions covering Lebanese history. I have never been a fan of Mr. Friedman's work before, but this book really is a masterpiece, and one that should be read by anyone looking to study history, the Middle East, or international affairs.This book has almost too many good qualities to list. It is excellently nuanced and balanced, detailed enough for the expert, but explained and fast paced enough for the novice of the region. Do not be fooled by the length of the book, it is a genuine page turner, with only a few slow points, and by the end you are wishing someone would take the initiative and cover the years in depth since its printing in 1988. I was initially afraid at a book so old, afraid I would be missing newly found information unavailable at the time of writing, but unfortunately the region, particularly Lebanon and Syria, isn't covered much even by scholars.Mr. Friedman is passionate about the topic, to be sure, but as he notes, true friends are honest with each other. Having lived in Beirut for a number of years, and then moving to Jerusalem, he has friends on both sides of the situation, but isn't afraid to discuss issues for a real and lasting peace. The biggest issue, for both sides, seemed to be a misunderstanding of the other group. While some Palestinians viewed the Israelis as a minor blip in time on the land, who would eventually surrender the land and leave forever, the Israelis viewed the Palestinians under the umbrella of "Arabs" who would be at home anywhere, refusing to distinguish between an Arab in Egypt and an Arab in Iraq. Leadership, or lack of it, fed into those beliefs. Both sides lacked bold leadership, as neither led from the front, but rather led from the polls. Instead of making bold initiatives toward peace, both felt that time was on their side, when it obviously only made the divisions deeper. In the rare case where leaders did make bold moves (Sadat), they were taken out by their own group, making it even more difficult to lead from the front.While the time in Beirut was the most interesting to me, his chapter on religion in Israel is really eye opening. We Americans tend to see other countries in generally black and white (West Germany good, East Germany bad) and forget that not all Israeli Jews are the same. The way Friedman goes into this topic is supremely interesting and profound, and something American Jews should certainly look at and discuss.It is something of a miracle that this book was written, on a region that is so often overlooked. With such an important topic, I'll take away everything bad I ever said about Mr. Friedman. My only regret on this book is that I did not read it earlier. This book is great for someone with very little information on the region or the expert on the region. Read it as soon as you can.

Great writer. What a resume. Historical, Political + Personal account of a tremendously weighty subject- Handled we phenomenal measure. Highly recommended \essential reading.

It's hard to say anything good about this book that hasn't been said dozens of times already, but Tom Friedman has produced one of the most important books on the modern Middle East that exists today. From Beirut to Jerusalem is a wonderful mix of contemporary history and reporting from someone who clearly cares about the region. Friedman is remarkably fair in his approach and doesn't give a free pass to anyone, Jew or Arab.The book's only real flaw is that at times it can feel like a bunch of little stories and anecdotes rather than a book with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Part of this is probably the book's length. At 571 pages, it's a long read even though Friedman is an excellent writer. Another reason for this is that the subject doesn't lend itself to quick and easy explanation. Nonetheless, anyone that wants to understand the Middle East today will be at a serious disadvantage if they don't read this book.If understanding the modern Middle East is your goal, then you would do well to read From Beirut to Jerusalem. Even though the book only covers two countries directly, the content can be easily extended to the rest of the region. And even though the book was written a decade and a half before the summer 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah, it goes a long way in explaning that particular conflict.

In one sense the book is 30+ years out of date. But that is its strength in terms of thinking about and reflecting on October 7, 2023 and its aftermath seven months out. As I read, I kept saying, “nothing has changed in the intervening years—same arguments from both sides.” And that is what makes the book so useful now. The names of the individual players have changed, but others now make the same arguments and have the same motivations. Friedman identifies those in a highly relevant way.Friedman had deep on-the-ground, day-to-day experience in the region. The anecdotes and stories are very helpful in seeing the big picture. Sometimes funny; sometimes tragic.Finally, Friedman is a straight shooter. No hidden agenda. He reports what he sees.