Ami Pedahzur

course of Arab-Jewish relations from their beginnings in the pre-Islamic period. The inevitably telegraphic account will benefit non-specialized readers or introductory classes in comparative history. Part Two, "Israel as a Middle Eastern Country," consists of three chapters. The first aims to prove that Israel is neither an alien creation, nor an intrusion, in the Arab world. To this end, Rejwan employs a two-fold strategy: he first highlights the undoubtedly remarkable Judeo-Arabic symbiosis and then circumvents most of the misdeeds of the European Zionists since their landing in Palestine. Hence, the chapter becomes as polemic as the texts it counter-argues. The second chapter in Part Two, "Ideology, Politics and Culture," addresses themes in the post-1948 Israeli domestic scene, of which the most crucial is the rift between the largely upper-class Ashkenazi Jews of European descent and the largely working-class Jews of Middle Eastern/Arab descent. Rejwan's elaboration on Israel's ethno-class divide is superior to the accounts that were offered by the uncritical sociologists whose prolonged grip over the field has been loosened during the last decade. Unlike them, Rejwan is neither interested in providing academic rationalizations on behalf of the Ashkenazidominated Israeli state to explain away the inferior socioeconomic position of non-Europeans in Israel, nor does Rejwan blame the victims for their subordination. Yet, precisely because of these accomplishments it is unfortunate that in describing non-European Jewish Israelis Rejwan utilizes archaic designations such as Orientals or Sephardic Jews while escaping the more appropriate term: Mizrahim. Furthermore, his discussion provides little new information to those who studied the work of scholars such as Eliyahu Eliachar, Abraham Shama, Raphael Shapiro, Ilan Halevi, Shlomo Swirski, Ella Habiba Shohat, G. N. Giladi, Sami Shalom Chetrit, Amnon Raz-Krakotzkin, Oren Yiftachel, or Henriet DahanKalev (none of whom are cited by Rejwan). The best element in the book's concluding chapter, "A Postnationalist Middle East," is the author's intimate familiarity with both the Arab and Israeli domestic scenes. It surveys some of the more troubling aspects within Jewish and Arab nationalisms and their democratic prospects. The governing objective of Israel's Place in the Middle East'ss to affirm Israel's normalcy in the Middle East. In so doing, Rejwan overrates the explanatory status of culture, temperament, or demography and undervalues the role of interests and policies. This trend is best exemplified in the little attention that Rejwan pays to the profoundly dissimilar historical relationships of the Jewish and Arab national movements/states to Western powers. The question of Israel's normalcy in the region should perhaps be tested against Israel's interests, policies, and strategic geopolitical alliances rather than against its culture, temperament, or demography.

245 Soviet Union's repression of religion. Islam was suppressed during the Soviet era throughout the Central Asian region, which Deonna implies explains the recent increase of support for Islam in parts of the region after the fall of the Soviet Union. This rather impressive start is followed by a glimpse at Iranian literature, modern film making, journalism and caricature art. She interviews members of the elites of art, journalism and politics. However, some of the interviews are problematic. For example, Deonna's interview of a war victim who supports political Islam actually serves to reinforce Western stereotypes of 'Muslim fanatics.' Deonna's book represents a viewpoint that an international observer would normally take. In sharp contrast to books of apparently similar type such as Honeymoon In Purdah (New York: St. Martin's, 2000) by Alison Wearing and Neither East nor West (New York: Pocket Books, 2001) by Christiane Bird, it is written from the perspective of a Western woman from the UN who has traveled to Iran. The basis of her analysis is her interviews with members of the elite and officials rather than ordinary Iranians of working class and peasant background. Unlike Wearing and Bird she mainly moves around Iran as an official while Wearing and Bird traveled mainly with public transport and put their assumptions behind them and attempted to report what ordinary Iranians told them. The book is written in a very accessible language and the style of writing is very pleasant. It is certainly a suitable style for members of international agencies whose time is often limited. One can pick up the book at any time and start anywhere as instead of chapters she has small passages, which together bring to light different parts of the whole. However using the book for courses may reinforce stereotypes about Iran rather than breaking them, as a reader with little or no background on Iran will receive the type of information that the mainstream media offers.