Likewise, Israel's current security concerns are treated mockingly by Lonely Planet . While acknowledging the controversies within Israeli society and between Israel and its neighbors, the author conveys as well the dramatic successes of the nation. An introductory chapter describes Israel's struggle for existence, its absorption of hundreds of thousands of destitute immigrants despite an economy crippled by war and boycott, the pioneering of the land, the birth of Israeli culture, and the renaissance of the Hebrew language. The world's press certainly has plenty of easy answers, as do governments around the globe. Politicians and pundits, concerned about their own national interests, are all too ready to instruct Israel in the error of its ways.
Visitors often come up with quick solutions.
Israelis know it is not so simple, and that their whole survival is at stake. Fodor 's treats Israel's security issues seriously, giving the reader an understanding of the historical and political complexities of the nation's position in the Middle East. The Intifada and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict are also presented accurately. He goes on to explain the history of the Arab military and economic campaigns against Israel. They include a piece on Israel's wine industry, one about the ideological background and practical experience of the kibbutz movement, a section on Israel's flora and fauna and narratives on the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bedouin.