Encyclopedia Of The Palestinians

Praise for the previous edition:
Selected as an "Outstanding Reference Source, 2000" RUSA

Selected as an "Editors' Choice Reference Source, 2000" Booklist/RBB

"This encyclopedia will remain a definitive work on Palestine for years to come. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries." Library Journal

By mid-2004, Palestinian attacks, including suicide bombings, directed at Israelis in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and inside Israel, resulted in approximately 1,000 deaths. Israel responded by reoccupying parts of the West Bank and Gaza, killing about 3,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom were civilians.

Encyclopedia of the Palestinians, Revised Edition is the definitive source for high school students, undergraduates, and general readers who want an account of these people and their long history. Much has happened since the first edition was published, including the breakdown of negotiations at Camp David, the subsequent outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, the death of Yasir Arafat, and the election of Mahmud Abbas, commonly known as Abu Mazen, as president of the Palestinian Authority. This comprehensive resource includes entries on recent developments and personalities, updates of many of the existing entries, and approximately 50 black-and-white photographs and additional maps. A document section has been added to the end of the book, including entire texts or excerpts of key documents on Palestinian history.

New entries include:

• Al-Aqsa Intifada
• Barrier
• Camp David Summit
• Muhammad Dahlan
• Internally displaced persons
• Islamic jihad
• Al-Nakba
• Oslo Peace Process
• Right of return
• Roadmap
• Textbooks
• Mustafa Zibri.

It has been five years since the well-received first edition of Encyclopedia of the Palestinians was published. This edition has only expanded on the book's reputation as a well-rounded, necessary title for most public and academic libraries.

The major addition to the revised version is the collection of 50 key documents in the modern history of Palestine. All major UN resolutions having to do with Palestine are included, as well as the World Zionist Congress Basle declaration of 1897, and the Palestine Liberation Organization's political programs. These documents give a solid grounding to articles that are often interpretive of the material documents contain. This section also serves to place the important primary materials together to facilitate easy research. The chronology has been updated through the election of Mahmud Abbas as president of the Palestinian Authority in January 2005, providing an additional five years of events. About one-third of the book remains biographical articles, most of them less than a page, though the article on Yasir Arafat runs to 14 pages.

Sixty-two contributors from the U.S., Palestine, Egypt, and Israel provide the material. Most are academics, though the list includes several government and legal experts. New articles include al-Aqsa Intifada, Oslo peace process, and the Bush-drafted plan called Roadmap. The contributors do not always agree with each other on data and interpretations of the data, according to editor Mattar. He believes that the inconsistencies show the widely varied opinions in the field of Palestinian studies and only encourage needed debate and further study. The extensive annotated bibliography has been updated and includes Web sites and articles, as well as books for further reference.

Libraries wondering if this revision is worth the expenditure can be assured that the updates and the documents section make it a sound purchase. Steve Stratton
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