For many observers of world events, the Israeli and Palestinian, and by extension the Arab, debacle is one that defies logic. How can two people linked with a common ancestry to biblical patriarch, Abraham, and who share common boundaries not agree to live peacefully together? Why has international mediation failed so woefully to bring about peace among these neighbours? What peace options are there to be explored to soothe Israeli security concerns and fulfill the statehood quest of Palestinians? Why do the Arabs want Israel out of the Middle East at all cost?

These baffling and thorny issues are the subject of a book, Israeli-Palestinian/Arab Relations: Untangling the Intricate Web of Controversy, written by John C. Nwaji (Trinity Publications, Port Harcourt; 2016). Nwaji explores the issues in a wide-ranging manner that puts the problems in political, social, cultural and diplomatic perspectives. Having toured the Middle East extensively and researched on it as well, and backed by his biblical understanding of the history of the disputed area, Nwaji has thus shed light on the crisis and pointed an illuminating path to a possible resolution.

From the Abrahamic commission from God that his children would inherit the Land of Promise, Canaan, Nwaji traces the crisis from the birth of Isaac, from Abraham’s legitimate wife, Sarah, and Ishmael, from the Egyptian housemaid, Hagar. The birth of these two sons to Abraham came at a cost, with Hagar becoming to haughty to her boss, Sarah, and being sent off with her son so that the Isaac, the son of promise, could inherit Abraham’s vast estate.
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Nwaji establishes that that momentous action provides the seed of discord that has lingered until the present age between the Israeli and the Arab. He traces the root of the crisis from that ancient acrimony. Although disinherited, God still promised Ishmael great wealth, which the author argues, accounts for the vest oil and gas wealth in the Middle East that makes the region a major world player. As he puts it, “God has fulfilled His great promise to the Ishmael, the father of Arab and his descendants. The Arab world, in spite of all its local challenges, awash with unequal opportunities, is a mighty force to reckon with at sub-regional, regional and international fora”.

The historic establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 changed the calculations of the Arab world and ushered in the orgy of violence, war and bloodletting. While the British that presided over the territory offered both Israel and Palestine the opportunity of two states within the area, Palestine and the Arabs vehemently rejected to it; both parties did not want Israel on what they claimed and still claim to be Palestinian/Arab land. But Israel quickly agreed to the British proposal and was declared an independent state. The next day, the Palestinians and the Arab world were up in arms to resist what had already come into existence. But it was too late to turn back the wheel.

According to Nwaji, “The British Government, in their deft political calculation, went a step further to ensure that no political interests suffers (sic) or get frustrated in the near future between the Arabs and the Jews… Yet such entreaties and humane approaches meant nothing to the Arab world, after the first missed opportunity to persuade the Arab to accept Palestinian state alongside Israel. Then, the Arab thought they knew best, turned their back to the British offer for the second time”.
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The result of their action is that Palestine is stateless. The creation of Israel sparked off a series of wars that Israel, with a population of seven million, won against over 50 million Arab population. The six days war in 1967 is famous for its routing of a combined army of the Arab world. Israel has since gone ahead to become a leading world power in hitech, agriculture, medicine and a war industry to reckon with while Palestine remains in the throes of poverty, with its refugees crisis.

Indeed, Nwaji’s Israeli-Palestinian/Arab Relations: Untangling the Intricate Web of Controversy is an expository narrative on a troubled region in dire need of peace. Although illuminating in playing up some of the dramatis personae in the conflict, Nwaji has written from the Christian, pro-Israel point of view. Although Arab voices calling for annihilation of Israel is strong, Nwaji also brings into play some of the moderate voices calling for calm from Arab world like the former Egypt President Anwar Sadat and the former King of Jordan; they both made peace deals with Israel.

However, the fact that lasting peace is yet to come between these neighbours is indication that all is still not well. In this vein, Nwaji offers biblical Abrahamic virtues of tolerance, wisdom, courage, forgiveness and openness to his two sons as basis for negotiations for a peaceful settlement of the prolonged over the dispute land. Researchers and students of Middle East issues will find this book invaluable.