The Bride and the Dowry

The Bride and the Dowry, Volume 1, examines the critical two years following the June 1967 Six Day War. This history focuses on the complex political dynamics between Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinians. After seizing the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights, Israel possessed the territorial leverage to trade land for peace. However, a persistent political deadlock prevented a resolution to the Arab-Zionist conflict.

Avi Raz utilizes declassified records from Israeli, American, British, and United Nations archives to analyze this period of the Arab-Israeli conflict. This work of political influence challenges the narrative of Arab intransigence, arguing that Israeli leadership prioritized territorial gain over diplomatic peace. By reviewing private papers and official documents, the text provides a detailed analysis of why secret contacts failed and how these historical patterns continue to affect Middle East peacemaking today.