Harel is certainly suitably qualified to produce a high quality and original book that will draw and satisfy a wide range of scholarly and professional audience, as well as the large public of readers. In addition, this fine book will certainly have both an interdisciplinary appeal and an international appeal.
The significance and quality of the project
This book has a great significance as it presents an original contribution to the field of peace research in general, and to the solving of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict in particular. It is deeply researched, informative, objective, well-argued and well-demonstrated. It not only engages with recent scholarship but also takes it forward to where it is most needed, the newly developed area of peace research. The author shows an original and peaceful way how to reach the so long sought for Israeli - Palestinian Peace. One of the major strengths of this proposal is that the research is rigorous and it certainly meets the international standards set by this discipline. By using the Biblical quotation: 'Beating Swords into Ploughshares' for the title of the book, Dr. Shai Har-El brilliantly illustrates that the ways the conflict has been dealt with in the past - 'the use of the Sword' with war after war , has proved that it does not solve the conflict. The Sword - War is not the way. The new, original road the author proposes to adopt is to lay down arms, on both sides, and to turn all materials, amenities and potentials into useful and peaceful instruments (Ploughs) for planting a common field of understanding and harmony, through face to face negotiations, that can pave the way to a Peace Treaty between Israel and Palestine, that will be accepted by both the Palestinian and the Israeli sides, like the peace Treaty between Egypt and Israel, and Jordan and Israel. The fine quality of this coherent and richly informative book enhances the message of hope, and it helps to dissipate the nowadays shadowy waves of despair on all sides, concerning the possibilities of peace between Israel and Palestine.
Structure, organization, and presentation of the material
The organization and structure of the varied contents of the book help in enhancing the timelessness of the project, and ensuring its shelf-life. The presentation of the rich materials is coherent, well distributed and wisely laid out. The 'Personal Prologue' before the 'Historical Overview', at the beginning of the book creates a bridge of confidence between the author and the reader, who feels from the outset that he is in good and honest hands. The first chapter in Part One, 'Creating a New Paradigm' draws us at the outset into the heart of the main aspects of the message of the book. After accurately describing his 'New Vision of Peace' in the Middle East and between Israelis and Palestinians, Har-El shows us that where there is a vision there is a way that can lead people to flourish on both sides. He discusses the unrealistic attitude that some leaders and people adopt that maybe the conflict will go away by itself, and he clearly demonstrates that it will not, both leaders and people on both sides, have to work very hard on solving this continuous conflict as it will not disappear by itself. A
