audiobook The Farhud: Roots of the Arab-Nazi Alliance in the Holocaust by Edwin Black in History

Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. An account that is sure to fire up leftists and anti- Zionists.By SammyMr. Black's account of Jewish life in the Arab Muslim world is detailed and rich. How that life become undone by hatred is a history that is littleinvestigated. Particularly leftist polemicists are loath to present any historic accounts which can challenge their rigorous anti-Zionism. If we are going to truly understand the modern Middle East including ISIS; Hezbollah; Hamas; and Fatah; then the history of specifically anti Jewish hatred must be told. The Jews of Iraq were murdered; harassed and hounded out of the land they lived in for centuries prior to the Arab-Islamic invasion. This community has made a new life for itself in Israel where they preserve their traditions and enrich Israeli life and culture. Except for some digressions and some recounting of material that is redundant; this is a valuable book.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating HistoryBy RatonisEdwin Black's "The Farhud" is a great read; rich in history and written with a sense of drama worthy of a good novel. What I find so engrossing about this book is the way the author weaves together various threads of history--going back to the beginnings of civilization itself!--into a tapestry that contextualizes the Arab assault on Baghdad Jews in 1941. When he tells us in his subtitle that he is investigating "roots" of the Arab-Nazi alliance he is perhaps understating his achievement. Not only the roots are revealed; but the various streams of "nourishment" as well.Some of these roots and their nourishing streams touch upon geology; cultural traditions; ideology; government; and modern corporate practices. Black does not paint a glowing picture of Arab culture; but neither is he about to salute the virtues of the western powers. The fact is (and this is a key to the dynamics leading up to the Farhud) the Arabs were betrayed in their hopes and expectations of a unified Arab state by the victorious allies in World War I. That; and then having to see the birth of a Jewish state fueled resentment that "justified" in the Arab mind a dual opposition to the British as well as the Jews; and alliance with Hitler was the path to "killing two birds" together.There is another important aspect of this work; and that is the context Black gives us for understanding the notorious "Transfer Agreement" between Zionist Jews and the new Nazi regime. This event is often cited by flaming anti-Israel zealots as an example of nefarious Zionists doing anything to realize their plan to "steal" Palestine. Well; it isn't so simple as that; and you will know why if you read Black's searing account of anti-Jewish progroms in European countries and the reluctance of other nations to allow those fleeing for their lives to enter and take refuge. Where were the Jews to go? Black clarifies an important point--that in such a warped; hate-filled; and what we Christians call the "fallen" world there may be times when the only recourse left is to make a deal with the devil and try to save something. The Zionists; according to Black; were the only ones who understood that as bad as the pogroms were; things could get a lot worse; and people needed to have a place to go. He also gives us good reasons why the Zionists were opposed by other Jews; who felt themselves thoroughly assimilated into countries where they felt identified nationally and trusted in the civilized realities they were accustomed to. Why go to a flea infested; sweltering desert environment like Palestine?One can understand what the Arabs were looking at from their point of view: the transmission of a largely German colony in the historic environment of the Middle East. This does not; of course; excuse the fundamentally anti-semitic element in Arab culture nor the Islamic-inspired savagery of the Farhud. Far from it. It's just that Black writes in such a way as to illuminate the various perturbations at work in this whole sordid story.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A MUST READ TO HAVE ANY; ANY UNDERSTANDING WHAT ...By GERARD LA TOURNERIEA MUST READ TO HAVE ANY; ANY UNDERSTANDING WHAT SO EVER REGARIND THE MIDDLE EAST SINCE 1880 ONWARD; PRE WW I; MUSLEM BROTHERHOOD; 1924; POST WW I; PALESTINE MANDATE; SIKES-PICCOT AGREEMENT; BEAUFORT AGREEMENT; WW II; POST WW II 1947; 1956 SUEZ CANAL; 1968; 1973; BLACK SEPTEMBER; ALFATAH; ISIS; GULF WAR I; 911; GULF WAR II; AFGHANISTAN; G. LA TOURNERIE; WEXFORD SYSTEMS; LLC