I thoroughly enjoyed reading the final chapters of Armstrong's book. While her rundown of Israeli history following its creation was highly abbreviated I thought that it fairly explained the actions and grievances of both sides. Her writing effectively culminated with an explanation of the uptick in violence that occurred in 1995 and how this greatly diminished chances for conflict resolution. The way in which Armstrong's lack of confidence that peace could come about in 1995 closely mirrors the reasons that many experts give today in explaining why even today a peace deal is unlikely to be adopted is particularly telling. This case of history ominously repeating itself allows one to truly understand what a monumental task it is to bring lasting peace to Israel/Palestine. However, I do not believe that a peace deal of some form should not yet be branded an impossibility.
On a much lighter note, I was fascinated by Armstrong's passages about Theodore Herzl. I had never heard that he initially proposed establishing a Jewish state in Uganda of all places. I would be interested to know more about his initial desire, as I cannot think of any advantage to settling in Uganda. His contempt for Jerusalem itself was also surprising. Herzl diverted his attention away from the historical significance of Jerusalem and instead focused on its dilapidated physical state during his visit to the city.
Looking at it as a whole, I can confidently say that I benefited from reading Armstrong's book. I gathered a wealth of knowledge regarding Jerusalem. Like I've said before, I have a pretty solid understanding of the Middle East's conflicts, but I would like to know more about Jerusalem itself. This book was a good starting point.
I also thought the idea of a Jewish state in Uganda was interesting. Imagine how history might have played out if Herzl's idea won. Perhaps we would be discussing the displacement of native Ugandans rather than Palestinians.
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