The Seed of Abraham: Jews and Arabs in Contact and Conflict

""Arabs have been conditioned by their religion, tradition and history to have an especially disdainful attitude to the Jews,'' writes Patai, who explains that for 13 centuries, Arabs viewed the Jews as dhimmishumble, downtrodden people who accepted their lower-class status. But the establishment of the Jewish state of Israel changed all that; Arabs, writes Patai, are now ``psychologically unable to accept'' the fact that some Muslims live under Jewish rule, a condition said to violate the will of Allah, and egged on by anti-Semitic leaders, the Arab masses consider Jews a sinister menace. Patai's apologetic screed, an attempt to probe the psychological roots of Arab-Jewish enmity, is likely to raise hackles on both sides, though he does underscore commonalities that have linked Jews and Arabs through the centuries. Patai (The Arab Mind, etc.) also highlights past Jewish cultural achievements that flourished despite oppressive Muslim regimes. (May 29)