An Arrogant Oppressive Spirit

First Published in 1998. This book brings together contributions which examine various Islamic and selected Jewish writings of this kind, analysing their ideas, methods, sources and meanings, relating them to the new historical and political situations, as well as to ancient and medieval writings, for comparative purposes. The texts discussed either elaborate attitudes towards 'the other' within the two traditions or address themes that are part of their common heritage.

A noted Middle East specialist looks at conspiracy theories and the way they control life and politics in the region.

The first ever comprehensive history of anti-Semitism in England, from medieval murder and expulsion through to contemporary forms of anti-Zionism in the 21st century.

From Empathy to Denial is the first comprehensive investigation of Holocaust denial in the Arab world, and is based on years of painstaking historical research of mostly Arabic language sources. The authors explore how Holocaust denial emerged after the Second World War, how it paralleled the wider Arab-Israeli conflict after the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 and how it subsequently became entangled with broader anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic sentiment. In particular Litvak and Webman look at the role of leading intellectuals, the media and other cultural forms in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and among the Palestinians and how their representation of the Holocaust has evolved in the last sixty years.

Examines hostile expressions towards Israel in Egypt of the 1980s. Focuses on the content and ideological context of these expressions, and their place in trends of thought in Egypt. Notes that the hostile attitudes are expressed as spontaneous public views and are not directed by the regime, and that there are new motifs, such as "the cultural assault on the Egyptian mind." Analyzes the writings of three trends: Nasserite pan-Arabism, the Islamic Left, and the Social Democrats of the establishment mainstream. Concludes that negation of Zionism and denial of Israel's right to exist is the current attitude in the Egyptian establishment. Moreover, Zionism and Judaism are intertwined in the writings. Anti-Zionism is thus inherently an expression of anti-Judaism, against Judaism both as culture and religion. Discusses recurrent motifs (e.g. the odium of the Jews, the sin of Jewish particularism, the Western aspect of Israel's culture), and the growing influence of traditional Islamic religiosity in Egypt.

Explores the concept of Spirit in the postmodern age.

Uri Bialer lays a foundation for understanding the principal aspects of Israeli foreign policy from the early days of the state's existence to the Oslo Accords. He presents a synthetic reading of sources, many of which are recently declassified official documents, to cover Israeli foreign policy over a broad chronological expanse. Bialer focuses on the objectives of Israel's foreign policy and its actualization, especially as it concerned immigration policy, oil resources, and the procurement of armaments. In addition to identifying important state actors, Bialer highlights the many figures who had no defined diplomatic roles but were influential in establishing foreign policy goals. He shows how foreign policy was essential to the political, economic, and social well-being of the state and how it helped to deal with Israel's most intractable problem, the resolution of the conflict with Arab states and the Palestinians.

Describes the situations of the long-established Jewish communities of the Arab world, the forces that led them to immigrate to Israel, and the conditions that shaped their new lives in a Jewish state led by Jews of a different heritage