This book took me a long time to read. I paused after each chapter to reflect on what I read. After the kidnapping of Israeli citizens on October 7, 2023, I looked for books that would help me understand the dynamics of the Palestinian and Jewish residents of Israel. How did we get to this point? 

This book did not help me answer that question. As the title says - the book is an outline of events that happened effecting the people who live in the area we have called Israel since 1948. Under Turkish rule and part of the Ottoman Empire for centuries until the late 1800’s - when Britain took over. The Palestinian people lived under all these governing bodies - never becoming strong enough to create a government and structure for operating a nation on their own. 
 
Palestinian leaders participated in multiple conversations/meetings over the years about governing the area - most famously (at least to me) Yasser Arafat who lead the Fatah party and signed the Oslo Peace accords. Still - the struggle continues.
The author mentions Hamas - but does not explain that their doctrine explicitly states a goal of obliterating the Jewish people. How is that going to lead to anything but continued violence? Israel must defend it’s citizens  - Jewish, Palestinian, Christian, Muslim - from a group that will attack with the goal of murdering the Jewish citizens.