|
"This is an important book, as it dispels three misconceptions about policies pursued by Margaret Thatcher: that she was at odds with the Foreign Office on the Israel-Palestine conflict; that she was of one mind with the Reagan administration regarding the Middle East; and that conservatives such as Thatcher automatically support other conservatives, for example, Yitzhak Shamir. Well-researched and well worth reading."
Daniel Kurtzer, Former US Ambassador to Egypt and Israel
Daniel Kurtzer, Former US Ambassador to Egypt and Israel
"A key value of Bermant’s account derives from his careful reading not only of the official British archives, but also those of the Israeli governments of the time. He shows how each twist and turn in the British government’s efforts to find a route to resolve the conflict was interpreted in Israel."
Review by Prof. Rosemary Hollis, International Journal of Middle East Studies 49
Review by Prof. Rosemary Hollis, International Journal of Middle East Studies 49
"The first chapter of Azriel Bermant’s outstandingly valuable Margaret Thatcher and the Middle East is titled ‘Thatcher and the “Finchley Factor”’. Like Churchill’s Manchester seat, this outer suburb of North London had a large Jewish population, not universally loved by the local Tories. Thatcher was selected as a candidate thanks to one prejudice trumping another in the local Conservative Association: she might be a woman, but at least she wasn’t a Jew."
Review by Geoffrey Wheatcroft, The London Review of Books
Review by Geoffrey Wheatcroft, The London Review of Books