This book refutes the long held view of the Israeli left as adhering to a humanistic, democratic and even socialist tradition, attributed to the historic Zionist Labor movement. Through a critical analysis of the prevailing discourse of Zionist intellectuals and activists on the Jewish-democratic state, it uncovers the Zionist left’s central role in laying the foundation of the colonial settler state of Israel, in articulating its hegemonic ideology and in legitimizing, whether explicitly or implicitly, the apartheid treatment of Palestinians both inside Israel and in the 1967 occupied territories. Their determined support of a Jewish-only state underlies the failure of the “peace process,” initiated by the Zionist Left, to reach a just peace based on recognition of the national rights of the entire Palestinian people.

In his analysis of these results, he offers some observations on the role of religion in contemporary Japanese society and advocates a more positive engagement in the debate on Japan's role in international security arrangements. By offering a representative sample of New Religion groups and focusing on their doctrines, Prophets of Peace provides a different perspective for those whose primary interest is the Japanese New Religions. Although students and scholars of Japanese religion will be the book's first audience, its accessibility and thematic approach also recommend it to readers with a broader interest in contemporary Japanese society, peace studies, and the role of religious groups in modern society.

The Word of God - The Word of Peace is about peace that is founded on justice, rooted in freedom, lived in charity, and spoken at personal risk. It is a book that celebrates the word of peace given us by God in the Scriptures. It is a book about how the Word of God can penetrate our incredulity, enlighten our vision, and strengthen our resolve to be a people of peace.

PART I - The Camp David Process -- First Steps, Harsh Truths -- "A Secluded Northern Castle" -- Back to Square One -- Longing for Hizballah -- Forcing the Leaders' Hand -- A Conceivable Endgame? -- The Promise of an American Steamroller -- Inauspicious Beginnings -- Clinton: "We Have Exhausted the Beauty of this Place" -- A Gamechanger (or so it looked..) -- O Jerusalem (and its lies...) -- Saeb Erakat: "Arafat is Interested in a Crisis" -- Albright's Intermezzo; Clinton's Last Push -- Our Faintest Hour -- Arafat: "Barak Has Gone Beyond my Partner Rabin" -- Making Most of Success -- Moments of Grace on Precipice Edge -- PART II - A Savage War for Peace -- "With Our Blood and Soul We'll redeem Palestine" -- Diplomacy Under Fire -- Trapped in No-Win Conditions -- Neither Inspiring nor Intimidating -- "Take it or Leave It" - The Clinton Peace Parameters -- "A Crime Against the Palestinian People" -- Barak in a Cage of Doves -- Taba: "The Boss Doesn't Want an Agreement" -- Post Mortem -- Part III. 2001-2020: A Story of Promise and Deceit -- The Conversion of the Hawks -- The Impossible Triangle: Obama-Netanyahu-Abbas -- The Geneva Understandings as a Parable -- The Failed Zionization of Palestine -- The International Community - A Broken Reed -- The Occupation's Traits of Permanence -- PART IV. Denouements -- Ominous Unravellings -- Exit Oslo, Enter Madrid -- PART V. Defying the Logic of Conflict Resolution -- Palestine - A Comparative Perspective.

In the midst of the dramatic seventh-century war between two empires, Muhammad was a spiritual seeker in search of community and sanctuary. Many observers stereotype Islam and its scripture as inherently extreme or violent-a narrative that has overshadowed the truth of its roots. In this masterfully told account, preeminent Middle East expert Juan Cole takes us back to Islam's-and the Prophet Muhammad's-origin story. Cole shows how Muhammad came of age in an era of unparalleled violence. The eastern Roman Empire and the Sasanian Empire of Iran fought savagely throughout the Near East and Asia Minor. Muhammad's profound distress at the carnage of his times led him to envision an alternative movement, one firmly grounded in peace. The religion Muhammad founded, Islam, spread widely during his lifetime, relying on soft power instead of military might, and sought armistices even when militarily attacked. Cole sheds light on this forgotten history, reminding us that in the Qur'an, the legacy of that spiritual message endures. A vibrant history that brings to life the fascinating and complex world of the Prophet, Muhammad is the story of how peace is the rule and not the exception for one of the world's most practiced religions.

The story of Israel's triumphs, defeats, backslidings, captivity, and reformation abounds in great.

Best Book of the Year NPR • The Washington Post • Boston Globe • TIME • USA Today • Entertainment Weekly • Real Simple • Parade • Buzzfeed • Electric Literature • LitHub • BookRiot • PopSugar • Goop • Library Journal • BookBub • KCRW • Finalist for the National Book Award • One of the New York Times Notable Books of the Year • One of the New York Times Best Historical Fiction of the Year • Instant New York Times Bestseller A singular and stunning debut novel about the forbidden union between two enslaved young men on a Deep South plantation, the refuge they find in each other, and a betrayal that threatens their existence. Isaiah was Samuel's and Samuel was Isaiah's. That was the way it was since the beginning, and the way it was to be until the end. In the barn they tended to the animals, but also to each other, transforming the hollowed-out shed into a place of human refuge, a source of intimacy and hope in a world ruled by vicious masters. But when an older man—a fellow slave—seeks to gain favor by preaching the master's gospel on the plantation, the enslaved begin to turn on their own. Isaiah and Samuel's love, which was once so simple, is seen as sinful and a clear danger to the plantation's harmony. With a lyricism reminiscent of Toni Morrison, Robert Jones, Jr., fiercely summons the voices of slaver and enslaved alike, from Isaiah and Samuel to the calculating slave master to the long line of women that surround them, women who have carried the soul of the plantation on their shoulders. As tensions build and the weight of centuries—of ancestors and future generations to come—culminates in a climactic reckoning, The Prophets fearlessly reveals the pain and suffering of inheritance, but is also shot through with hope, beauty, and truth, portraying the enormous, heroic power of love.