Enemies and allies An unforgettable journey inside the fast-moving & immensely turbulent modern Middle East

Joel C. Rosenberg, 1967-

Book - 2021

Do recent changes in the Middle East signal peace? One Arab country after another is signing historic, game-changing peace, trade, investment, and tourism deals with Israel. At the same time, Russia, Iran, and Turkey are forming a highly dangerous alliance that could threaten the Western powers. Meanwhile, the U.S. is drawing down its military forces in the Mideast and focusing on matters closer to home. Where's it all heading?

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Subjects
Published
Carol Stream, Illinois : Tyndale House Publishers [2021]
Language
English
Main Author
Joel C. Rosenberg, 1967- (author)
Physical Description
xxii, 369 pages : map ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 337-369).
ISBN
9781496453815
  • Preface
  • Part 1. The Threats
  • 1. What Are the Most Serious Threats We Face Today in the Middle East?
  • My conversations with Mike Pompeo, former CIA director and secretary of state
  • 2. Why Is Iran a Threat like No Other?
  • My conversation with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu
  • 3. The Rise of a Russian-Iranian Axis
  • My conversations with senior U.S., Israeli, and Arab intelligence officials
  • 4. Why the Addition of Turkey to the Russian-Iranian Axis Is So Dangerous
  • Further conversations with senior U.S., Israeli, and Arab intelligence officials
  • Part 2. The Opportunities
  • 5. I Had Never Met a King Before
  • My first meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II
  • 6. Who Is King Abdullah II?
  • Understanding the vision of the longest-reigning Arab leader in the region
  • 7. "Let My People Come"
  • My first encounter with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
  • 8. Who Is Abdel Fattah el-Sisi?
  • First impressions of Egypt and taking our first delegation to Cairo
  • 9. Sitting with Sisi
  • On the record with the leader of the world's most populous Arab country
  • 10. The Media's War against the Moderates
  • Why our visit to Cairo became front-page news
  • 11. Crossing the Jordan
  • Assessing the future of the eastern half of the Holy Land
  • 12. "I Am Ready to Make Peace"
  • Our stunning meeting with UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed
  • 13. Who Is Mohammed bin Zayed?
  • Why is he leading the way toward a new Middle East?
  • 14. The Road to Riyadh
  • The rise of a new king, a new crown prince, and a new president
  • 15. An Invitation to the Forbidden Kingdom
  • Our decision to go to Saudi Arabia and the firestorm that followed
  • 16. Meeting MBS
  • Two hours on the record with the most controversial leader in the Arab world
  • 17. Reading MBS
  • Processing and explaining our visit to the new Saudi Arabia
  • 18. Lunch at the White House
  • Briefing the president and vice president on my observations in the Middle East
  • 19. 9/11 in Saudi Arabia
  • Why I brought a second delegation to the kingdom
  • 20. Sitting with Sheikh Mohammad Al-Issa
  • Are the Saudi reforms real or merely cosmetic?
  • 21. The Abraham Accords
  • Witnessing the historic signing of the first Arab-Israeli peace deals in nearly twenty-six years
  • 22. Nobel Prize or No Big Deal?
  • The titanic battle to define the significance of the Abraham Accords
  • Part 3. The Future
  • 23. What Is the Future of Faith in the Middle East?
  • My remarks at the State Department's conference on religious freedom
  • 24. What Is the Future Role of Evangelical Christianity in the Middle East?
  • After two decades of genocide and terror, what Christians see coming next
  • 25. What Is the Future of Security and Prosperity in the Middle East?
  • The Biden administration and the road ahead
  • 26. What Is the Future of Peace in the Middle East?
  • My conversation with Israeli president Reuven Rivlin, the ninth-generation Jerusalemite who loves the Arabs
  • Acknowledgments
  • About the Author
  • Notes
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Novelist and former political strategist Rosenberg (Damascus Countdown) attempts to explain the modern Middle East in this underwhelming collection of interviews with key political players. A dual citizen of the U.S. and Israel, Rosenberg is well-connected in the region, and his access to interview subjects such as Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi creates a unique opportunity for English-speaking audiences to hear directly from these leaders. Rosenberg's accompanying commentary, however, is blatantly politically biased, making this ultimately a work of advocacy rather than scholarship; his religious worldview shapes his interpretations, to the point that the book's chapter on the future of faith in the region focuses solely on the presence of evangelical Christianity, and he never misses an opportunity to denigrate Barack Obama and praise Donald Trump. The book also spends as much time on the author as on his interview subjects, frequently belaboring what personal connections led to any given interview or emphasizing Rosenberg's humble responses to his interviewee's graciousness. Readers already in agreement with Rosenberg's worldview may appreciate the extra facts and detail provided, but others seeking new insights or nuance should steer clear. (Sept.)

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