Helena Cobban Knihy

Helena Cobban here provides a fascinating look at the painstaking negotiations between the two Middle East powers that thrice went to war in the past half-century, and the role that the United States played in trying to bring Israel and Syria closer together on crucial points.

In November 1998, eight Nobel Peace Prize laureates convened at the University of Virginia for two days of profound dialogue. Their discussions, featuring insights from figures like the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, spanned traditional international-relations topics and delved into personal transformation and community organizing. Veteran journalist Helena Cobban captures their compelling vision for a shared global future, emphasizing that peace stems from personal strength and activism rather than mere economic trends. Each chapter presents a laureate's perspective, underscoring that peace encompasses personal, spiritual, economic, and military dimensions of global interconnectedness. The Dalai Lama highlights the necessity of inner disarmament, while Betty Williams speaks to the emotional scars of war. Jody Williams and Bobby Muller recount their successful campaign for a landmine ban, and Oscar Arias Sánchez urges wealthier nations to acknowledge their luxury spending versus the needs of the less fortunate. Rigoberta Menchú Tum and José Ramos-Horta lament the sacrifices of marginalized communities, while Harn Yawnghwe discusses the challenges of transitioning from authoritarian rule in Burma. Cobban articulates a shared understanding among these leaders: the potential for individuals to escape cycles of suspicion and violence. Their stories reflect personal and political triumphs, sacrifices, and the complexities

Both accessible and authoritative, Understanding Hamas provides much-needed insight into a widely misunderstood movement whose involvement in a just resolution of the Israel/Palestine conflict will be critical. Across Western mainstream discourse, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has been subjected to intense vilification. Branding it as "terrorist" or worse, this demonization intensified after the events in Southern Israel on October 7, 2023. This book does not advocate for or against Hamas. Rather, in a series of rich and probing conversations with leading experts, it aims to deepen understanding of a movement that is a key player in the current crisis. It looks at, among other things, Hamas's critical shift from social and religious activism to national political engagement; the delicate balance between Hamas's political and military wings; and its transformation from early anti-Jewish tendencies to a stance that differentiates between Judaism and Zionism. Both accessible and authoritative, Understanding Hamas provides much-needed insight into a widely misunderstood movement whose involvement in a just resolution of the Israel/Palestine conflict will be critical.