Rating: 
Summary: must read !
Review: by far this is the best book i have ever read about the israeli palestinian conflict, as israeli born i must say that most of us lack of knowledge, maybe this is one of the reason we still fighting for the the olive tree instead of focusing ont he lexus.
Mr frieman brilliantly analyze the conflict amazingly stays neutral as a jew.
i reccomend this book to any jew / israeli / palestinian or any american that wants to really understand why things are happening these days.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Insight and analyses of 2 burning hotspots....
Review: Friedman uses his experience in the middle-east, as well as his access to the powers-that-be to present a good commentary of the strife-torn Lebanon and Israel.Quite interesting to note was that most politicians in Israel are unable to provide one sound reason for following the policies of Palestinian subjugation. Most of them seem to be biding for time, hoping that the something dramatic would happen in the future which would quietly subside the Palestinian demand for a homeland. No political party knows for sure the advantages of forced Israeli settlement in the the Palestinian territories captured in 1967. No political party dares to clearly state what outcome would satisfy them enough to co-exist with the Palestinians. The only reason for giving this 4-stars is because the analyses of Beirut/ Lebanon leaves a lot desired. Friedman doesn't even take a jab at suggesting what could be done to stop the civil war. Instead it seems to be more a commentary on the daily lives of the Lebanese as they cope with and become immune to the everyday acts of terror.
Rating:
Summary: The Tribal Wars of the Middle East: Lebanon - Palestine
Review: Friedman gives an honest, objective perspective of "tribalism" in the middle east during the 20 years from 1967-1987. He was able to effectively depict the ruthlessness of Arab regimes in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon and examine why their leaders used such tribal tactics against their own people to create order and security for their own regimes and self-interests... He examines the rise of the PLO and meticulously illustrates how calculating, their leader, Yasir Arafat is. That although he is able to adapt at critical times to keep his reign, at the same time, has created false hopes for his people that ultimately led towards his own demise and his failure to deal with the Israelies. He effectively illustrates that Israel is not so innocent and that their survival is dependent upon how they react to the tribal tactics of their arab neighbors and their intentions of eliminating Israel's existence... He effectively paints a picture of what life was like for Palestinians under Israeli rule in the occupied territories after the six-day war leading to the Intifada and how different their lives are when compared to the Palestinian refugees... Was able to explain the Zionist movement and its origins... And the different beliefs from the messianic orthodox Jews to the secular Zionists and how they relate to the land of Israel and how it effects the Palestinian people and their behavior towards Israeli rule... He also reflects the relationships between the American Jews and the Israelies not only spiritually but economically... And the desire for secular Zionists to search for a spiritual alternative to the ghetto mentality and beliefs of the orthodox European Jews. Once gain, Friedman gives an insightful look of what society was like in Israel during these 20 years(1967-1987)leading up to the Intifada... However, at the same time, Friedman leaves you with feelings of frustration and bitterness, yet also challenges the status quo and recognizes that land for peace under Israel's terms and giving Palestinians their right of autonomy is the best answer to the Palestinian question...
Rating:
Summary: I thought it would be dry reading
Review: I had been wanting to learn more about the Middle East and I wanted a book that was written by someone with a side to promote. This book does a very good job of not only providing a balanced view but also provides a lot of insight into the minds of the people involved in the region. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for an understanding that goes beyond today's sound bites and video clips. ...
Rating:
Summary: The naval of the world.....
Review: In FROM BEIRUT TO JERUSALEM, Thomas Freidman likens the well in the nave of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, that marks the place where Jesus is thought to have been born, to the "naval" of the world. Although Freidman is Jewish, he apparently understands that Christians see the Holy Land as the beginning and the end--the alpha and the omega. Even Christians who say they are "fallen away" or secular feel a connection to the land and its people. Friedman's book was published in 1989 and concentrates on the years 1967 to 1987. The book tells the story of his two journeys--a physical journey from Minnesota to Beirut to Jerusalem to Washington DC--and a spiritual and psychological journey from adolescent boy with a crush on storybook land to mature man in love with a nation state. Unlike Friedman, I was not captivated by the Jews and Israel in 1967 (although Moyshe Dayan was a hero I could appreciate). I was captivated in the 1950s by with "Exodus" and "The Ten Commandments" and "The Story of Ruth" and other heroic tales produced by Jewish directors and producers. Jewish movie makers played a major role in the moral education of Americans regarding the wrongness of racism as anyone who has ever seen "Gentleman's Agreement" or "Guess Whose Coming to Dinner" knows. I think Freidman provides as balanced a version of the events in Beirut and Jerusalem in the 1980s as anyone can. He is Jewish and his story is autobiographical but he is very forthcoming about his feelings throughout the book. This book is not "objective" news reporting in the strictest sense, although his articles in the New York Times may have been more so. Not all Jewish readers agree with him either. As he says, we all have "supermyths" that shape the way we see the truth and we each interpret the truth differently. Freidman lays out what he says are the four major perspectives of the people of Israel about Israel--what it is and what it should become and/or remain. Apparently, there is no consensus. Points of view range from the secular Jews who see Israel as a haven or sanctuary following thousands of years of oppression, and who are not as obsessed with where the boundaries are as much that they are fixed and secure. On the other hand, the Messanic Jews think the boundaries of the modern Israel must match those of the historic Israel. And then there are in-between viewpoints. Another aspect of Friedman's book that I appreciated discusses the "Hama Rules" of Middle Eastern Tribal warfare (think Machivelli). The West expects Israel to behave like a model citizen and follow the "civilized" rules of warfare while tribal terrorists who follow the Hama rules of warfare blow up innocents without a second thought. Friedman says he thinks many Western journalists are perverse in their coverage of Israel. These journalists go out of their way to focus on Israeli misbehavior and look the other way when far worse events occur (and he provides plenty of examples). ... So much for objective reporting. He says the journalists and newspapers that report these biased stories have ulterior motives which he attempts to explain. And, he says Arafat is the master of exploitation when it comes to Western journalists. ... When he left Beirut and arrived in Jerusalem he was amazed to find similarities between the two--suicide bombers, identity cards, loss of civil rights. His description of life in Israel following the inception of the 1987 Intifada sounded uncomfortably familiar.
Rating:
Summary: Better with the second reading
Review: I read this book when it first came out, and it seems even more relevant the second time around. I'm getting a much better picture of the causes and frustrations of what's happening in the Middle East, and, as a consequence, in the world at large. Friedman is balanced in his approach, he doesn't have a major axe to grind, he tries, and usually succeeds, to give the observer's perspective, and I, for one, appreciate the objective approach. The books written by New York Times reporters about the areas they know best are truly top of the line, and Friedman's are right up there at least tied for first place. I hope he doesn't stop writing, because as he gets older and even more experienced, he'll have deeper and truer insights to share. The writing is delightful, anecdotal and engaging, truly a joy to read, a can't-put-it-down-till-the-end kind of book.
Rating: 
Summary: arrogance and misinformation
Review: The book attempts to compensate the lack of depth and informative reporting by personal anecdotes and descriptions of the author's thought processes triggered by very newsworthy but scarcely described events. Posturing as omniscient judge, he grades peoples and governments, particularly Israel and Israelis, probably assuming that he has a right to do that as a Jew (and what kind of Jew the Jew-hating and terror-supporting Saudi crown prince Abdullah would trust, as it has recently happened, to be his personal spokesman?). As for his self-perception as a Jew, he provides a telling detail: on Israeli Remembrance Day, when, on a siren signal, everybody stops to honor those who fell fighting for Israel, he, "still sitting in [his] car, was the only one not affected" (p. 275). "Israel is a country with a one-year warranty--that no one is sure will be honored" (p. 277). Importantly, the credibility of the narration is undermined by what looks like the author's lack of knowledge (which would be strange) or misinformation, as when he repeatedly excludes what is now Jordan from mandatory and historic Palestine.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely insightful, impartial, and very well written
Review: I spent a few years living in the Middle East and traveled (on weekends) to both Lebanon and Israel. There are many misconceptions about both sides. Friedman, being a Jew, is very informative (I learned a lot more about the history of this crisis) and he "tells it like it is." Further, I like the way he writes and describes his thoughts.
Rating:
Summary: From Beirut to Jerusalem - Clearing the Confusion
Review: In an old Genesis song called Blood on the Rooftops, Phil Collins sang out, "Let's skip the news boy, I'll make some tea. Arabs and the Jews boy, too much for me." This sentiment is widespread among many that watch the evening news and see the continued unrest in the Middle East. In his book From Beirut to Jerusalem, Thomas L. Friedman attempts to unravel the apathy that permeates the west regarding to this embattled region of the world. By sorting through the rhetoric that fills the airways night after night, Friedman shines light on a region of the world so misunderstood by those of us who live in the west. For so long our opinions of the Middle East have been obscured by our limited views and understanding of that land. We see it either as a place of brutal war or as the sacred land of Moses, Jesus and Mohammed.
Friedman spent almost ten years in the Middle East, first in Beirut, then in Jerusalem, working as a bureau chief for The New York Times. I feel the most interesting aspects of the book are the reports from Beirut where Friedman strives to get to the heart of the long Civil War that tore apart that country.
Friedman, a Jewish American, tells us how he became fascinated with Israel and Middle East politics in 1967. The June 1967 six-day war changed the mindset of Israel, and Jews everywhere, from a paranoid victim to a regional Super Power. In striving for impartiality, Friedman does a great job of separating his love for the Jewish State from the realities of Middle East politics. We also see his heart reluctantly change from a hopeful idealist to pessimistic realist. His impressions of Israel suffer a great blow after their occupation of Lebanon in the early 1980s. What was, in the beginning seen as a chance to bring a lasting and fair chance for peace to Lebanon was spoiled by ignorance and arrogance.
Many times Americans are criticized for not taking the time to understand people of other lands. We are culturally insensitive. But I am amazed as to how many of the problems of the Middle East are also caused by people living on the same plot of land not taking the time to understand why their neighbors do the things they do.
Hopes rise and fall faster in the Middle East faster than anywhere on earth. From Beirut to Jerusalem, is strongest when Friedman describes the major players in the conflicts. The people who make up the leadership of the nation states seem to be more interested in their own self-interests than the interests of peace. The attitude in negotiation seems to be 'if we are in a strong position, why compromise' and 'if we are in a weak position what do we have to loose if we fight?' We see Yasir Arafat constantly wavering between obscurity and notoriety. It is amazing how quickly his fortunes change. One day he is a marginal character in the region. Then a week (or even a day) later his leadership of the Palestinians is essential to the peace of the Middle East.
I felt the book slowed a bit in the middle after Friedman's move to Jerusalem. Here my interest waned when he got deeply into the internal politics of the Jewish State. But then it picked back up when he got back into what is best about the book - talking to the people who live every day in the middle of the conflicts and helping us understand the thoughts and feelings of these people.
Unfortunately, the book is also a bit dated. One week can change the landscape of the Middle East, i.e. the 1967 war. The book ends with Friedman back in the USA in 1994. At that time, the Israelis and the Palestinians were still striving to work things out. Even as late as the fall of 2000, the Clinton administration was working for a peace treaty for the region. Then the Intifahada started again and the hope for peace dwindled.
From Beirut to Jerusalem, does a wonderful job showing Israelis and Palestinians as co-inhabitants of the same land. 'On any given day, one could find the Israeli army arresting all Palestinian males eighteen and over in one West Bank village, while in the next village an Israeli contractor would be hiring all Palestinian males eighteen and over to build a new Jewish town. As for the Palestinian,.. he could be [working at a] bus stop at a new Jewish settlement in the.. morning and in the evening leaving a parcel bomb under the seat of that same bus stop ... [It's] a war... between two peoples who shared the same sewers.'
Rating:
Summary: Mediocre at best
Review: While providing some idea of what living in Beirut was like, as an american who grew up in Beirut, I found this an uninsightful blase accounting of what were extremely exciting times, to say the least. This is good example of why foreign reporters were generally regarded as idiots by fellow americans living in the region. It is particularly amusing, that Mr Freidman currently enjoys celebrity status based in large part on this C- work. That's some good marketing!
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