Muhammad Hallaj’s Unfolding the Arab-Israeli Conflict offers a first-hand account of the dismemberment of the land mapmakers once called Palestine, and the brutalization of its people from 1948 to whatever today’s date is.
Hovering above all this is the historian’s warning that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
To name but a few memorable characters and concepts Dr. Hallaj introduces to us: Alfred Dreyfus now exiled on Devil’s Island; Theodor Herzl and his new-found Zionism;  Arthur Balfour and his letter to Lord Rothschild; the U.N. and its 1947 partition of Palestine; the Nakba and its intrusion into our language. The bibliography alone makes this a valuable resource.

Hallaj's Unfolding the Threads of the Arab-Israeli Conflict: 1894-1970  explains the Arab-Israeli problem from the Palestinians' perspective. This is important for a non-academic reader since most of the news consumed by the average westerner is often from the Israeli viewpoint. As a former investigator, I understand the need to be unbiased if one seeks the truth, and often no one's hands are clean.
Though going only as far as 1970, it is enough for Hallaj to clearly and concisely lay the foundation for understanding why October 7, 2023 happened. He certainly doesn't justify acts of terror, but he does explain the historical events that precipitate them.

 Professor Hallaj, in his book: Understanding the Arab-Israeli Conflict, does a masterful job in exposing the roots of the conflict. Being an accomplished academician, and an eyewitness to part of the history he wrote about, made his book an invaluable source for those who need to understand the roots of the problem. True peace and justice can only be achieved when the truth is exposed. This book is a giant step towards such understanding and in setting the historical record straight.

As an Israeli, this book was a fascinating read for me. Dr. Hallaj’s historical perspective is clearly that of a Palestinian in the choice of voices quoted and events covered (and omitted), but the book is well written, well researched, and engaging - it held my attention from beginning to end. I highly recommend it for everyone interested in examining the roots of the world’s most famous land conflict.