by Hussein Agha
First published 2025
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict exploded again on October 7, 2023, when Hamas killed over eleven hundred Israelis and seized more than two hundred hostages. Israel's response devastated Gaza and killed tens of thousands. Hussein Agha and Robert Malley, who advised Palestinian leaders Arafat and Abbas plus US presidents Clinton, Obama, and Biden, examine why peace efforts collapsed so spectacularly. The authors participated in secret negotiations for decades and watched the Oslo Peace Process transform from hope into horror. They argue that the two-state solution became popular only after it stopped being realistic. Hamas's attack and Israel's destructive war represent historical patterns, not anomalies. The real divisions between Israelis and Palestinians stem from emotions and history rather than borders and territory. US officials chose technical fixes and careful language over honest confrontation with the past. Agha and Malley expose how the peace industry created false realities instead of addressing what actually mattered to both peoples.
Genres: history, politics, non-fiction, 21st-century, middle-east
Vibes: analytical, introspective, sobering, thought-provoking, urgent
Tropes: diplomatic-failure, historical-analysis, insider-perspective
Setting: Israel, Palestine, Gaza, United States
Period: October 7, 2023, 21st century, Oslo Peace Process era
272 pages · Paperback · Picador
Content warnings: death, violence, war