On the 13 September 1993 Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin did the unthinkable: they shook hands in front of the world"s media, thus taking the first step towards a settlement of the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This book, which covers the 1993 Washington meeting and includes the Arafat-Rabin letters of mutual recognition and the historic Declaration of Principles, also gives the necessary historical background to understand these startling developments. Massalha"s detailed study examines the conflict from all angles: from the biblical history of the region, through the period of Jewish immigration and the British mandate, The Arab-Israeli wars and the various stages of the US-mediated "peace process". It also deals with the topics that will form the basis of future negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians -the status of Jerusalem, the Jewish settlements, water resources and a possible confederation with Jordan. This timely contribution by a uniquely well-qualified expert will prove useful in understanding future developments in the fast-evolving Middle East scene.