Carmel/Yedioth Aharonoth, February 2025. 468 pages.

A VILLA IN THE JUNGLE? ISRAEL IN THE MIDDLE EAST [HEBREW]

Is Israel truly a “villa in the jungle”? Ehud Barak and Benjamin Netanyahu, who coined and popularized this expression, articulated a widespread and condescending view among Israel’s leadership—and the broader public—that sees Israel as separate from the Middle East politically, economically, and culturally. This collection of essays explores Israel’s place in the region from a range of strategic, political, educational, and academic perspectives. It demonstrates that, contrary to the prevailing Israeli narrative of a besieged state or a people dwelling alone, Israel has played multiple roles in the Middle East—both overt and covert, in times of war and in times of peace. The Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, and the ensuing war have once again brought into sharp focus the question of Israel’s regional standing. This volume is the culmination of two decades of research on this topic.

https://www.e-vrit.co.il/Product/35192/%D7%95%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%94_%D7%91%D7%92_%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%92%D7%9C_?srsltid=AfmBOopb2tWrIZt9W8P9ihE3lexkjLoDRiOeYnnm6iMEbKROdj8qHV-3

Elie Podeh is the Bamberger and Fuld Chair in the History of the Muslim Peoples at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem