Resumo de Betrayal:france, The Arabs And The Jews

If the behavior of Francein the Gulf War (Kuwait)and in the War on Terror have mystified you, this book provides a most helpfulhistory of French diplomacy and international goals since the nineteenthcentury. Francehas viewed itself as an Arab / Muslim power (they are not quite identical)since colonial times. Since World War II, France has had to play a spoilerrole in certain international dealings in order to claim some relevance foritself. It was Chirac who kept the Clintonsponsored accords between Israeland Arafat from being signed. It was Francethat Saddam looked towards to keep the United States from invading in thecurrent conflict. And rather than Francehaving increasing influence in the Arab world, it is the Arab-Muslim world thatis transforming Franceboth politically and culturally. Contrary to some notions of this book, it is NOT about proving that France isanti-Semitic. The arguments in the book are more complex than that. DavidPryce-Jones demonstrates how France'slong standing view of the world and its place therein has made a profoundcontribution to our current troubles and their own confused situation.Anti-Semitism has been a part of the tradition and history of the FrenchForeign Affairs Ministry - referred to as the Quai d'Orsay because of where itsheadquarters are, and is reflected increasingly in its policies towards Israel, butthis is not the focus of the book. The book opens with the current state of Arab unrest inside France and therising number of blatant attacks against Jews because they are Jews. The authorthen begins to tie it to a centuries old anti-Jewish tradition of with theFrench diplomatic class. More than one French diplomat has expressed the ideathat the only real future for the Jews is to assimilate and to cease to be Jews(others have said this as well, but not from the diplomatic corps in an ongoingway). The role and tension between French Designs in the Arab world and Zionism isalso discussed, as is the role of the French in saving the Grand Mufti ofJerusalem, Haj Amin, from being tried with the Nazis after WWII. The authoralso later compares the French attitude towards Haj Amin with its treatment ofthe Ayatollah Khomeini and its protection of him and its aid to his return andrise to power in Iran.A great deal of the book also discusses the connection between the literaryculture and the foreign ministry and the anti-Jewish subjects and treatments bycertain authors over the past century and more. It is most interesting to readhow virulent some of them are and how those strains exhibit themselves eventoday.The discussions of France and Saddam and Yassir Arafat are also quiteenlightening and how Francehas dragged its feet and worse to try and thwart U.S. power and goals in the region.The author notes that France had hoped to have the influence in Iraq with itshuge oil reserves as the U.S. has with Saudi Arabia and its oil.All this and more makes the current behavior of France more understandable ifno less frustrating. It is a must read if you want to understand our currentrelationship with France andits history in the Middle East.

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