Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

Insider's View This book is not an introduction, but more like a refresher for someone who wants to be brought up to speed on events since the Arab Spring. The author is a former intelligence analyst for the IDF, and his point of view is not that of a liberal US journalist. "Western narratives are often based on a reading that does not accurately reflect or appropriately dialogue with unfolding events”, the author writes.This analyst wants to know the significance of every event as it comes up, while the liberal, thinking in terms of progress toward a worthwhile goal, tends to overloo. "A must-read" according to LEM. This is a truly important, book for understanding today's Middle East, as well as the many ways in which we in the West do NOT adequately understand it. The author is fluent in Arabic, and makes use of a vast number of Arabic-language sources most US or European decision-makers can only read in translation, if at all. This allows Melamed to bring us an Arab perspective on their own culture, history, and current affairs. The book is about as up to date as it could be, having been edited in early 2016, so its coverage of the Arab Spring, Syrian civil war, rise of ISIS, etc., is. A Very Insightful and Helpful Summary - Loyd Eskildson Avi's story begins with a compelling introduction by Lucy Aharish, born in a small, predominately Jewish town in southern Israel. Her parents had moved there ten years earlier from Nazareth, and predominantly Arab town in northern Israel with a large Muslim and Christian population to build a better life for their family. Lucy then grew up as the only Muslim girl in school.An early unpleasant experience occurred during a family trip to visit a relative in Gaza. It was during an 'intifada' and a Palestinian had mistaken them for Jews - bombing their car and seriously injuring

This unparalleled volume is a milestone in our understanding of the Middle East. He also provides a rare opportunity to journey into the psyche of Arab society. Acclaimed Israeli intelligence analyst Avi Melamed has spent more than 30 years interpreting Middle East affairs. He elucidates developments such as the Arab Spring, the downfall of the Muslim Brotherhood, the rise of ISIS, the epic Sunni-Shiite animosity, the essence of the war in Syria, the role of the Caliphate and Jihad, and the looming nuclear arms race. It is the untold story of the struggles that will shape the region, and the world, for