Featuring an experienced journalist's eye for irony, anecdote and the telling detail, Anton La Guardia here provides a portrait of the people behind the headlines in Israel and Palestine. The book is part iconoclastic history and part contemporary political reportage.
Deep fault-lines have opened up, not just between north and south, but between European institutions and the nation-states, and often between the rulers and the ruled, raising profound questions about Europe's democratic deficit. Belief in European institutions and national governments alike is waning, while radicals of both the left and the right are gaining power and influence. Europe's leaders have so far proved the doomsayers wrong and prevented the currency from breaking up. "If the euro fails, Europe fails," says Angela Merkel. Yet the euro, and the European project as a whole, is far from safe. If it is to survive and thrive, leaders will finally have to confront difficult decisions. How much national sovereignty are they willing to give up to create a more lasting and credible currency? How much of the debt burden and banking risk will they share? Is Britain prepared to walk away from the EU? And will other countries follow? In their astute analysis of the crisis, the authors describe America's behind-the-scenes lobbying to salvage the euro, economists' bitter debates over austerity, the unseen manoeuvres of the European Central Bank and the tortuous negotiations over banking union. In the final chapter, they set out the stark choices confronting Europe's leaders and citizens
Israelis, Palestinians, and the Struggle for a Promised Land
The book delves into the complex and tumultuous relationship between Israelis and Palestinians, highlighting their intertwined histories of disaster and redemption. It examines the ongoing efforts of statesmen to broker peace, the military's concerns over potential conflicts, and the influence of religious leaders on fervent beliefs. Additionally, it portrays the activities of pilgrims seeking spiritual connection and archaeologists uncovering historical truths, all while a diverse group of reporters and diplomats closely monitors the unfolding situation.