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Violent Modernity. France in Algeria

the ‘clash of civilisations’ hypothesis (which is not a particularly difficult feat) but also briefly takes aim at the argument, made by Noam Chomsky and others, that America’s imperial quest for ‘oil hegemony’ is central to the current poor state of US-Arab relations. Makdisi argues that although oil might explain ‘why the United States is in the Middle East’, it does not explain ‘the depth and nature of Arab disillusionment with America’ (pp. 356–357). His argument that the ArabIsraeli conflict is what has soured US-Arab relations is generally convincing, but he seems somewhat less than confident about the implications of this contention. For example, he argues in his epilogue that the decision of the United States to continually ‘privilege Israel over the Arabs’ has ‘precluded the possibility of a less fraught American relationship with the Arab world’ (p. 357). If, then, the United States ended its privileging of Israel or was somehow able to calm the Arab-Israeli conflict by brokering a peace deal, would there still only be a ‘possibility’ of ‘less fraught’ relations? Such a statement might not convince US policymakers that making efforts in this direction would be worth the time and political capital such a task would require. The damage, in Makdisi’s mind, has been done and it has been extensive. It is a brusquely honest but disheartening conclusion. In 1922, the US House of Representatives held hearings in the run-up to the passing of a resolution in favour of the Balfour Declaration, during which they heard testimony from two prominent Palestinian-Americans, Fuad Shatara and Selim Totah. Both of these men futilely testified that the Zionist project was inherently unjust to the Palestinians and that American backing for this project would contradict the much-vaunted ideals of the United States. Their testimony, however, amounted to ‘voices in the wilderness’ according to Makdisi (pp. 166–169). Faith Misplaced is the heir to these voices, and it is a forceful restatement of the dissenting American argument on the issue of Zionism. The book will likely be read by many Americans who already feel sympathy for the Palestinian plight, but the country would be better served if it was read by those who generally identify with Israel. This is not to say that Makdisi’s book will necessarily change minds, but it will richly reward anyone who hopes to more fully understand the recent genesis and evolution of Arab anger towards the United States.