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Terror Tunnels: The Case for Israel's Just War Against Hamas
At a time when Israel is under persistent attack―on the battlefield, by international organizations, and in the court of public opinion―Alan Dershowitz presents a powerful case for Israel’s just war against terrorism. In the spirit of his international bestseller The Case for Israel , Dershowitz shows why Israel’s struggle against Hamas is a fight not only to protect its own citizens, but for all democracies. The nation-state of the Jewish people is providing a model for all who are threatened by terrorist groups―such as ISIS, al-Qaeda and Boko Haram. Having himself been in one of the Hamas terror tunnels, Dershowitz explains why Israel had no choice but to send in ground troops to protect its civilians against Hamas death squads. Dershowitz wrote this book to warn the world that unless Hamas’s strategy of building terror tunnels and firing rockets from behind human shields is denounced and stopped―by the international community, the media, the academy, and good people of all religions, ethnicities, and nationalities―it will be coming soon “to a theater near you.” Covering all the hot-button issues―from the BDS movement, to the rise of anti-Semitism, to the charge of war crimes, to the prospects of peace― Terror The Case for Israel’s Just War Against Hamas is a must-read for all who care about Israel, peace in the Mideast, human rights, and fairness.
238 pages, Hardcover
First published September 10, 2014
About the author
Alan M. Dershowitz
125 books283 followersAlan Morton Dershowitz is an American lawyer, jurist, and political commentator. He is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. He is known for his career as an attorney in several high-profile law cases and commentary on the Arab-Israeli conflict.
He has spent most of his career at Harvard, where, at the age of 28, he became the youngest full professor in its history, until Noam Elkies took the record. Dershowitz still holds the record as the youngest person to become a professor of law there.
As a criminal appellate lawyer, Dershowitz has won thirteen out of the fifteen murder and attempted murder cases he has handled. He successfully argued to overturn the conviction of Claus von Bülow for the attempted murder of Bülow's wife, Sunny. Dershowitz was the appellate advisor for the defense in the criminal trial of O.J. Simpson for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
He has spent most of his career at Harvard, where, at the age of 28, he became the youngest full professor in its history, until Noam Elkies took the record. Dershowitz still holds the record as the youngest person to become a professor of law there.
As a criminal appellate lawyer, Dershowitz has won thirteen out of the fifteen murder and attempted murder cases he has handled. He successfully argued to overturn the conviction of Claus von Bülow for the attempted murder of Bülow's wife, Sunny. Dershowitz was the appellate advisor for the defense in the criminal trial of O.J. Simpson for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 17, 2022
Enervant de repetitivă.
December 11, 2014
I had watched the author discuss this book on RedEye and it piqued my interest. I thought I'd like this book, but found this book to be excellent with well laid out arguments. It is told through a series of essays based on first person account on topics in the Israel/Palestine "war".
I am not, in general, a fan of Mr. Dershowitz's legal books so, to be honest, I went into this with some trepidation. This book was engrossing and excellent for debate on the topic. It is thoroughly researched, "backed up" and documented.
I ended up reading this in one sitting. I found this book to be an absolute must read for anyone who truly wants to understand the Israel/Palestine conflict. Those who don't will hate this book.
Reviewed for publisher through Edelweiss Review Program.
I am not, in general, a fan of Mr. Dershowitz's legal books so, to be honest, I went into this with some trepidation. This book was engrossing and excellent for debate on the topic. It is thoroughly researched, "backed up" and documented.
I ended up reading this in one sitting. I found this book to be an absolute must read for anyone who truly wants to understand the Israel/Palestine conflict. Those who don't will hate this book.
Reviewed for publisher through Edelweiss Review Program.
June 18, 2015
If you kind of hate Israel, hold her to a different standard than her neighbors, or support BDS of Israel (but no other country), and further, think it has nothing to do with the fact that Israel is a Jewish state, I would recommend this book. Among other things of course.
November 3, 2023
Erie to read this book now. Basically the same strategy being used. Only downside to this book is it is a collection of articles with no real story line or flow of timelines.
November 18, 2023
Una dintre cele mai slabe cărți pe care le-am citit în ultimii ani. Și asta nu pentru că nu ar conține și idei valide, argumentate, ci pentru că este ÎNGROZITOR DE REPETITIVĂ. Autorul abuzează fără nicio jenă ce câteva argumente pe care le utilizează în absolut fiecare articol din care este compusă cartea. Acesta a fost un alt aspect negativ, că nu există o continuitate, articolele fiind parcă aruncate în carte, uneori nefiind respectată nici măcar ordinea cronologică.
Legat de conținut, toate articolele reprezintă un drum cu un singur sens. Cu alte cuvinte, autorul susține până în pânzele albe poziția Israelului, ignorând una dintre principalele reguli ale argumentării: pentru a fi cu adevărat convingător trebuie să oferi și contraargumente. Fără să susțin că nu are dreptate în multe dintre ideile prezentate, cartea este, totuși, o mare mostră de propagandă israeliană. Nu o recomand, nu aș putea să recomand astfel de pierdere de timp.
Legat de conținut, toate articolele reprezintă un drum cu un singur sens. Cu alte cuvinte, autorul susține până în pânzele albe poziția Israelului, ignorând una dintre principalele reguli ale argumentării: pentru a fi cu adevărat convingător trebuie să oferi și contraargumente. Fără să susțin că nu are dreptate în multe dintre ideile prezentate, cartea este, totuși, o mare mostră de propagandă israeliană. Nu o recomand, nu aș putea să recomand astfel de pierdere de timp.
May 11, 2024
This is more of a collection of articles written by the author than a regular book. This does make the book an easier read (newspaper articles usually are written in a way that's easy to read since they target a very wide audience).
This leads to A LOT of repetition. If this were re-written as a book it could probably be half as long and twice as good.
Being a collection of op-eds also means that the content is not nearly as in depth as I would have liked in a non-fiction book. Despite that, the author does go into some detail and highlights a lot of important topics.
Despite this, I do find this book to be useful and overall do recommend it if you're looking to learn more about the topic. But be prepared for lots of repetition and in many cases only a fairly surface level discussion.
This leads to A LOT of repetition. If this were re-written as a book it could probably be half as long and twice as good.
Being a collection of op-eds also means that the content is not nearly as in depth as I would have liked in a non-fiction book. Despite that, the author does go into some detail and highlights a lot of important topics.
Despite this, I do find this book to be useful and overall do recommend it if you're looking to learn more about the topic. But be prepared for lots of repetition and in many cases only a fairly surface level discussion.
October 20, 2023
Appreciated the first "chapter" or two but ultimately the style and format was irritating. I think this is a collection of essays / articles. So, it's repetitive and one chapter doesn't naturally build on the previous one.
June 7, 2024
Dershowitz reputation has been soiled.
But, he has some good & important points, rarely heard but repeated often.
Back in 2014 the Hamas tunnel/kidnap strategy was known.
This book shows that the war has been predictable.
But, he has some good & important points, rarely heard but repeated often.
Back in 2014 the Hamas tunnel/kidnap strategy was known.
This book shows that the war has been predictable.
November 15, 2023
Profoundly important.
March 12, 2024
Few legal arguments, minimal law, tons of conclusions. He’s obsessed with refuting the Goldstone report. A lion doesn’t mind the opinion of sheep, but Dershowitz is the shepherd.
February 12, 2015
Informative, but also the most repetitive book I've ever read. TERROR TUNNELS is a collection of independent essays culled from various newspapers, which means that each chapter exists in a vacuum and is therefore oblivious of the information that came beforehand.
Dershowitz eloquently describes how the terrorist group Hamas has intentionally put Palestinian civilians in harm's way so that, whenever these civilians are tragically hurt or killed, the international media can take plenty of gruesome photos and make the Israeli government look like a bunch of big meanie heads for simply protecting themselves from Hamas' rockets and kidnapping tunnels. The notion that Hamas is responsible for last year's violence in the Gaza Strip strikes me as absurdly obvious, yet a disturbing amount of people would prefer to heap blame on the soldiers who accidentally kill hostages than on the hostage-takers responsible for endangering their lives in the first place. Dershowitz also shows how the recent criticism of Israel's self-defense policy is hopelessly steeped in hypocrisy, naiveté, and blatant anti-Semitism (sadly on the rise once again).
I don't necessarily recommend reading the whole book, due to the constant repetion of every single fact and opinion. But, if you can get this from a library, definitely take a look at the introduction, as well as the debate transcript at the very end. A debate in which Dershowitz absolutely destroys his esteemed opponent on this issue.
Dershowitz eloquently describes how the terrorist group Hamas has intentionally put Palestinian civilians in harm's way so that, whenever these civilians are tragically hurt or killed, the international media can take plenty of gruesome photos and make the Israeli government look like a bunch of big meanie heads for simply protecting themselves from Hamas' rockets and kidnapping tunnels. The notion that Hamas is responsible for last year's violence in the Gaza Strip strikes me as absurdly obvious, yet a disturbing amount of people would prefer to heap blame on the soldiers who accidentally kill hostages than on the hostage-takers responsible for endangering their lives in the first place. Dershowitz also shows how the recent criticism of Israel's self-defense policy is hopelessly steeped in hypocrisy, naiveté, and blatant anti-Semitism (sadly on the rise once again).
I don't necessarily recommend reading the whole book, due to the constant repetion of every single fact and opinion. But, if you can get this from a library, definitely take a look at the introduction, as well as the debate transcript at the very end. A debate in which Dershowitz absolutely destroys his esteemed opponent on this issue.
November 26, 2015
The book is essentially an anthology of articles written by Professor Dershowitz about the two most recent was between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Professor Dershowitz argues passionately for the need for a clearer, more balanced approach to the ongoing conflict.
Some will take issue with his conclusions. I found the book to provide a cogent rehearsal of the events of recent years along with a cogent and passionate response to these events from one of the most articulate commentators on the subject.
Even if one does not agree with all if Professor Dershowitz's analysis, I believe he offers a compelling case for viewing the conflict
Of special not is the transcript if his "debate" with Justice Dugard of South Africa in the aftermath if the war of summer 2014.
Professor Dershowitz argues passionately for the need for a clearer, more balanced approach to the ongoing conflict.
Some will take issue with his conclusions. I found the book to provide a cogent rehearsal of the events of recent years along with a cogent and passionate response to these events from one of the most articulate commentators on the subject.
Even if one does not agree with all if Professor Dershowitz's analysis, I believe he offers a compelling case for viewing the conflict
Of special not is the transcript if his "debate" with Justice Dugard of South Africa in the aftermath if the war of summer 2014.
November 8, 2014
It's not a long book - 123 pages, of which the final 10 are footnotes and references. In fact, it isn't really a book, rather a collection of newspaper articles/essays, so there is a fair bit of repetition. Dershowitz is a well-known lawyer, so he knows whereof he speaks in discussions of "proportionality" and the like. All in all very interesting and enlightening. The sad thing, of course, is that those who need to read this book are the ones who certainly won't.
January 15, 2015
Terror Tunnels The Case for Israel's Just War Against Hamas lives up to its title. I am so glad Alan Dershowitz is on Israel's side. It could have no greater champion. The sad thing though is that he is preaching to the choir, because the people who really need to read this book probably won't.
January 12, 2015
Book made a valid point, but did not have to repeat it in every chapter. I got it the first time.
December 29, 2014
A collection of Dershowitz's articles in connection with the Gaza war.
As always, well argued and written.
As always, well argued and written.
February 9, 2015
Somewhat redundant because it is a collection of articles written over a period of time, so some of the same points made again and again.
July 7, 2015
Excellent arguments. Well thought out.
Read
October 12, 2018My god, he's right-wing!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews