National Minority, Regional Majority

The struggle between Israelis and Palestinians has proven to be

one of the most complex and intractable conflicts of our time, persisting

for more than a century despite the efforts of leaders in

both the Middle East and the West. In National Minority, Regional

Majority, Yitzhak Reiter reexamines the relationship between the

Jewish majority and the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel, focusing

on the unique dynamic at work there between a religiously and

ethnically defined majority and a significant national minority with

assurance and erudition. Reiter explores the complex factors that

influence the ethnonational conflict. Drawing extensively on the

theory of "interlocking conflicts," the author chronicles the pattern

of alternating tranquility and rebellion in Jewish-Arab relations.

Reiter s meticulous research and nuanced analysis yield a

sophisticated interpretation of Israeli policy toward the Palestinians

and offer a powerful approach toward conflict management."