France, Israel and the Arabs:
A Double Game
(In French, Paris: Jean Picollec, 2005, 560pp.)

Freddy Eytan

Freddy Eytan, Director of European Affairs at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, has just published an important book in French: France, Israel and the Arabs: A Double Game (La France, Israel et les Arabes: le double jeu?). A veteran journalist and former ambassador in Israel's foreign service, Eytan analyzes in depth the frequently volatile relations between Israel and France and their relations with the Palestinians over a period fraught with tensions, misunderstandings, and reconciliation. He has published sensitive new documents which until now have been classified.

The study represents a timely contribution to our understanding of Israel's relations with France, whose ideas and preferences have decisively influenced European policy with regard to Israel and the region. This solid work gives a probing, objective, in-depth account of such highlights as the Yom Kippur War, the nomination of Jacques Chirac as Prime Minister of France, and Arafat's death.