In his most recent book, Genesis, John Judis argues that while Israelis and Palestinians must shoulder much of the blame, the United States has been the principal power outside the region since the end of World War II and as such must account for its repeated failed efforts to resolve this enduring strife. The fatal flaw in American policy, Judis shows, can be traced back to the Truman years. What happened between 1945 and 1949 sealed the fate of the Middle East for the remainder of the century. A provocative narrative history animated by a strong analytical and moral perspective and peopled by colorful and outsized personalities, Genesis offers a fresh look at these critical postwar years, arguing that if we can understand how this stalemate originated, we will be better positioned to help end it.
With the recent collapse of the U.S.-led efforts to bring about peaceful coexistence and a two-state solution for Israelis and the Palestinians as a backdrop, please join us for an important discussion with John Judis and Heather Hurlburt on past and future U.S. policies in the Middle East.