Book Review: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Middle East Conflict, by Mitchell Bard

The name of the book is a misnomer, because I don't know any idiots that would take the time to read a reference book about Middle East conflict. So the name of it is no more than a marketing tool. It is also misleading, because the book is mostly about the history of Israel's conflicts, and not about other conflicts. It is also written from a heavy pro-Israel bias.

That being said, I enjoyed learning about the history of Israel and the other Middle Eastern nations. People complain about US involvement in Iraq, but in Israel war and violence with other nations has been a constant, and residents just have to live with it. Israel has offered some amazing concessions to Palestine, but the Palestinians have turned them down, preferring to wish for the extermination of Israel. There have been fewer attacks since Arafat passed away. Also, every time Israel has won wars and won land, they always give the land back, but still their neighbors constantly want more. Israel constantly improves infrastructure and quality of life, and welcomes people of all races and religions.

I thought to myself that after all of my education up until the age of 23, I was still ignorant about all of this. And today the Middle East is one of the most important areas in our foreign affairs. There is something wrong with our education, don't you think?