Started this book a few days after I returned from Beirut. A few days after that, Hamas attacked Israel. Now Israel is launching drone attacks in Beirut and trading rockets with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
Despite the title, what happened in Hama, Syria in 1982 will stick with me more than anything else I read. Once you understand “Hama rules”, nothing about Israel’s response will surprise you.
The first (Lebanese) half is much better than the second (Israeli) half, only because the latter half covers the same ground that’s been covered many times before (and after). Somehow, Friedman is able to maintain a folksy optimism about the whole thing. Saw an interview with him recently – wasn’t getting a lot of optimism.
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