Lords of the Land or Lobbying for Social Change

Lords of the Land: The War Over Israel's Settlements in the Occupied Territories, 1967-2007

Author: Idith Zertal

Lords of the Land tells the tragic story of Jewish settlement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In the aftermath of the 1967 war and Israel's devastating victory over its Arab neighbors, catastrophe struck both the soul and psyche of the state of Israel. Based on years of research, and written by one of Israel's leading historians and journalists, this involving narrative focuses on the settlers themselves — often fueled by messianic zeal but also inspired by the original Zionist settlers — and shows the role the state of Israel has played in nurturing them through massive economic aid and legal sanctions. The occupation, the authors argue, has transformed the very foundations of Israel's society, economy, army, history, language, moral profile, and international standing. "The vast majority of the 6.5 million Israelis who live in their country do not know any other reality," the authors write. "The vast majority of the 3.5 million Palestinians who live in the regions of their occupied land do not know any other reality. The prolonged military occupation and the Jewish settlements that are perpetuating it have toppled Israeli governments and have brought Israel's democracy and its political culture to the brink of an abyss."

The New York Times - Adam LeBor

Lords of the Land is the first complete history of the settlement project. It provides a detailed narrative of injustice, and is profoundly depressing for anyone still hoping for a fair resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or even hoping that Jews and Arabs will be seen as equal in the eyes of Israeli law…This may be an angry, embittered book, but the two authors are well-informed experts. Zertal is a noted Israeli historian, who now teaches at the University of Basel, and Eldar is an influential columnist for the left-wing daily, Ha'aretz. They are especially good on Gush Emunim, the Bloc of the Faithful, the religious Zionists driving the settlement project and the compromises with them made by a weak secular Israeli establishment.

The Economist

In this thorough and eye-opening book, Idith Zertal, a historian, and Akiva Eldar, a journalist, explain how a few tens of thousands of people bent the state to their purpose. Settlements were not on the official agenda after Israel's surprise capture of the Palestinian territories in 1967. But pressure from ardent young religious Zionists found a secular echo among military men, who came to see security benefits to having Israelis live in the West Bank.

See also: The Biopsychosocial Approach or The Fit Traveler

Lobbying for Social Change

Author: Willard C Richan

Written by a leader in the field of American social policy, this new edition of Lobbying for Social Change provides step-by-step suggestions and case examples for individuals who wish to get involved with and have an impact on social policy. Using a nuts-and-bolts approach, Lobbying for Social Change is ideal for those with no previous experience in advocating for public policy. This new edition avoids professional and academic jargon and prepares readers to lobby effectively, face-to-face with public officials with its new chapters on the changing context of political action and how to use the new technology of the information age to aid lobbying efforts.

Booknews

Provides step-by-step suggestions and case examples for individuals who want to have an impact on social policy, especially those with no previous experience. Discusses setting an action agenda, gathering evidence, lobbying, working with a live audience, testifying in hearings, and using the mass media. This second edition contains a new section reflecting changes in the political scene since 1991, looking at middle- and working-class Americans and changes in technology. Paper edition (unseen), $19.95. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Table of Contents:

	Preface to the Second Edition
	Acknowledgments
	Introduction	1
Ch. 1	The Politics of Frustration	23
Ch. 2	Lobbying in the Information Age	47
Ch. 3	Assessing Your Strengths and Limitations	69
Ch. 4	Setting the Action Agenda	87
Ch. 5	Understanding Policymakers	105
Ch. 6	Gathering Evidence	131
Ch. 7	Preparing the Case	155
Ch. 8	Lobbying One-on-One	185
Ch. 9	Working with a Live Audience	221
Ch. 10	Testifying in a Hearing	249
Ch. 11	Using the Mass Media	279
	Appendix: The Policymaking Machinery	321
	Bibliography	339
	Index	349