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Author and Middle East historian Michael B. Oren to

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By Lyn Payne • Heritage Florida Jewish News

In his latest book Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East 1776 to the Present, historian Michael Oren, a senior fellow at Jerusalem’s Shalem Institute, has provided the first comprehensive look at the United States’ historical relationship with the region. A graduate of Princeton and Columbia universities, Oren received international recognition in 2002 for his best seller Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East. He immigrated to Israel in 1979, achieved the rank of major in the IDF and has served as an advisor to the late Prime Minister, Yitzchak Rabin.


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"I belong to both worlds--the U.S. and the Middle East," says Oren. "My new book is an attempt to bridge both these worlds."

"Power" refers to the pursuit of U.S. interests–diplomatic, financial, and military–and ranges from the Barbary Wars to the present war in Iraq. "Faith" details the impact of religious belief in shaping Americans’ attitudes toward the Middle East, beginning with the Protestant missionaries of the early 1800s. "Fantasy" surveys the literary gems and magical tales that Americans have loved, from Bible legends and the Arabian Nights, to the silent films of Rudolph Valentino as "The Sheik" and Walt Disney’s "Aladdin." Indeed, since the founding of America, many Americans have fallen under the spell of the Orient.

Oren spent 3 1/2 years researching hundreds of primary and secondary sources ranging from obscure 19th century travelers’ notebooks to State Department documents. His target audience is "the intelligent reader who cares about America’s involvement in the Middle East" and wants to know its historical background in order to make informed decisions about the current role of the U.S. in the region.

"When it comes to the Middle East, Americans need to understand the rules of the game. Power is respected, and displays of weakness lead to more attacks," according to Oren. "For example, Thomas Jefferson understood that the more you palliated the Barbary pirates who were attacking American ships along the coast of North Africa, the more they would be reincentivized. But the third president was also prudent and understood there were limits to American power, and when he could conclude a peace deal, he did so."

Oren says that former president Jimmy Carter’s 2006 book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid" and the recent report of the Iraq Study Group headed by Lee Hamilton and James Baker will fit in neatly in future editions of his own book.

"Carter has a deep theological problem with Israel, whether it is religious or secular, Oren says. "That faith is in line with the traditional Christian concept that the Jews’ dispersion is a divine punishment for the rejection of Christ. And the Hamilton-Baker report, predicated on the notion that Syria and Iran want to negotiate with the U.S., is so far into the realm of faith that it inches into the realm of fantasy."

Oren completed his book at the end of July 2006, and anticipated celebrating with an Italian vacation. He was called to report to duty in Israel’s north on Aug. 1, and served as an officer on the army spokesperson’s staff. While on duty at the border, he got a call from his editor that the book was scheduled for publication in April 2007. Oren says, "If you were writing about China," or anywhere else, such a time lag wouldn’t be significant. But "you couldn’t do that in the Middle East," where the situation is the world’s most fluid. He grew angry with the editor and "started talking to him rather loudly." They screamed back and forth, until there was "a barrage of rockets overhead." "I was forced to dive under a large rock," Oren says. He held up his cell phone to the noise, and shouted at his editor, "You hear that? That’s how fast the Middle East is changing." Publication was moved up to January and Oren has yet to enjoy his vacation.


Michael B. Oren will make two appearances/book signings in South Florida—Monday, March 5 at 8 pm at the Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Jewish Studies at the University of Miami and Tuesday, March 6 at 7:30 pm in cooperation with Books & Books at Temple Judea, 5100 Granada Blvd. in Coral Gables.


Posted by FJN Staff on 03/02 at 01:00 AM • Hits: 502



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