Israel’s Forever War Israel, Palestine and the Last Hopes for Peace
No war in living memory has stirred up such anger, fear and loathing as the long-running Israel–Palestine conflict, and peace in the region has never seemed further away. The 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel had far-reaching and potentially devastating consequences for the Middle East and for the world. As the war has expanded to take in other players in the area, the future of Israel as a regional superpower is now in doubt and the chances of all-out war between Israel and its neighbours have become much greater.
This essential work looks at the background to the Hamas–Israel war and asks whether the international system can contain two simultaneous wars in Europe and the Levant. It examines the wars that preceded this one, the rise of Hamas and the roles Hezbollah, Iran and Syria play in the conflict. Paul Moorcraft considers the war’s impact on Israeli society, the economy and the Israel Defense Forces, while also looking at how media and propaganda shape our view of the war and how the conflict affects the whole region’s relationships with the west.
Here, Moorcraft brings all perspectives together in an expert and balanced analysis, examining the potential outcomes of the war and arguing that the two-state solution should be revived. Peace has never looked more impossible – but the alternative, a forever war, is even more impossible.
Reviews
“The ‘forever war’ that Paul Moorcraft talks about has the power of stopping thought, a roundabout of sheer despair. But in this remarkable book he shows how we have come to this and provides a succinct and punchy analysis, which those of us who have long just despaired instead of thinking should really read. The choices since the 7 October Hamas attack of 2023 are stark, not just for Arabs and Israelis but for the rest of us too. And Moorcraft makes a powerful case that unless we embrace the impasse with clarity and courage there will be no escape from a forever war. It’s the best book to come out of the Israel–Gaza war so far.”
Professor Mike Clarke, former director general of the Royal United Services Institute, fellow of King’s College London and associate director of the Strategy and Security Institute at the University of Exeter
“An insightful, up-to-date examination of the Arab–Israeli conflict, which provides a full and imaginative analysis for any interested observer.”
Alan Ward, former head of the defence and international affairs department, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
“Truly, from the first page I found it captivating. It answers many questions and also explains what is happening now with sound reference to the historical context. I am pleased that the author stayed optimistic in the final chapters by offering some hope of finding a solution to the longest of conflicts.”
Reem AlHilou, honorary consul of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau to the Republic of Sudan
“Riveting. A must-read book for anyone concerned about the horrors of Gaza or the future of the Middle East. Moorcraft argues convincingly that despite widespread opposition to a two-state solution, it is the only way to end the forever war.”
Michael Smith, author of The Real Special Relationship: The True Story of How the British and US Secret Services Work Together
“Paul Moorcraft has chronicled humanity at its most fragile and raw for more than half a century. In both his native Britain and globally, Moorcraft has helped a generation of students, scholars and practitioners make sense of war, on both the frontlines of geopolitical rivalries and their most obscure margins. In Israel’s Forever War, Moorcraft weighs up the rapidly fading prospects for peace between Israel and its neighbours following the era-defining attack by Hamas on 7 October 2023. Measured, insightful and urgent, Israel’s Forever War challenges us all to think anew about solutions to the world’s most intractable conflict.”
Dr Terence McNamee, global fellow at the Wilson Center, Washington DC
“Paul Moorcraft does what journalists do best – take a complex issue and make it accessible. In Israel’s Forever War, Moorcraft dissects the many thorny issues that, over the decades, have led to the ongoing Israel–Gaza tragedy. He parses the players, the countries, their motives, the conflicts, the media and potential outcomes, trying to present all sides. His ultimate view is that a new world order is emerging. Jordan, the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states could help pave the way to a two-state solution and peace… If not, ‘the dangerous status quo will remain – that way lies permanent war’.”
Heidi Kingstone, author of Dispatches from the Kabul Café and Genocide
“Forensic research has become the trademark of defence expert Dr Paul Moorcraft and his latest book is no exception. His expert analysis will please no one on either side of the conflict, which is a tribute to his pragmatic approach to writing about one of the most complex and volatile political landscapes in the world today. The book is a great introduction for the many who struggle to understand the nuances of the Middle East conflict and how it has affected the psychology of Israeli society. Written without fear or favour to either side, what you get from this book is the authoritative view of one of the most prolific defence authors, who always comes from a point of knowledge.”
Dr Yvonne Ridley, broadcaster, politician, former nominee for Muslim Woman of the Year and author of In the Hands of the Taliban
“As Israel pursues revenge in Gaza with violence, the wider Middle East is reaching such levels of stress that the peace of the world is threatened. Paul Moorcraft’s very good book explains clearly and simply how it all went so horribly wrong.”
Graham Bound, author of Invasion 1982: The Falkland Islanders’ Story and At the Going Down of the Sun: Love, Loss and Sacrifice in Afghanistan
“From a concise timeline through topic-specific chapters, Paul Moorcraft has combined expertise as an historian, military lecturer and foreign correspondent to make what he terms an ‘interim report on the forever war that may or may not reach an historic culmination point’. An ideal starting point for anyone trying to make sense of the Israel–Palestine conflict.”
Allen Pizzey, former CBS News foreign correspondent
“Israel’s Forever War demands the reader’s attention from its very first sentence. What follows is a forensic analysis of the October 2023 attack and its aftermath and a punchy discussion of what happens next. Paul Moorcraft writes intelligently and accessibly, combining the scholar’s eye for complexity with the journalist’s nose for fairness. ‘Must-read’ is a rather overused compliment to pay when reviewing a book, but in this case it’s more than justified.”
Paul Cornish, Professor of Strategic Studies, University of Exeter
“A step-by-step primer for perhaps the world’s most intractable political and military dispute, written with Professor Moorcraft’s characteristically concise and engaging style.”
James Barker, formerly of the Imperial War Museum and an authority on Mandatory Palestine
“Paul Moorcraft has chronicled humanity at its most fragile and raw for more than half a century. In both his native Britain and globally, Moorcraft has helped a generation of students, scholars and practitioners make sense of war, on both the front lines of geopolitical rivalries and their most obscure margins. In Israel’s Forever War, Moorcraft weighs up the rapidly fading prospects for peace between Israel and its neighbours following the era-defining attack by Hamas on 7 October 2023. Measured, insightful and urgent, Israel’s Forever War challenges us all to think anew about solutions to the world’s most intractable conflict.”
Dr Terence McNamee, global fellow at the Wilson Center, Washington DC
“In a step-by-step analysis, Moorcraft paints a pessimistic but necessary picture of the outlook for Israel and the Middle East. Assiduously argued but always in a balanced way, this book should be required reading for all policymakers.”
Stephen Chan OBE, Professor of World Politics, SOAS University of London
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- Hardback, 288 pages
- ISBN: 9781785908729
- 3 October 2024
- £20.00
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