Editorial Product Review:Amazon.com:The conflict in the Middle East between Israel and its neighbors is given comprehensive treatment in this two-video set produced by PBS. Using archival footage and extensive interviews with participants, the production begins by explaining conditions in Palestine at the end of World War II and the crisis created by the exodus of European Jews who went to the Middle East after the Holocaust. The withdrawal of the British, who had controlled Palestine for decades, is detailed, as is the creation of the state of Israel. Much of the region's history is complex, with the local struggles being conducted at times as a part of the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union, but these videos do an admirable job of explaining the complexities of the situation. The segment on the Six Day War, for example, is masterful, with the scenes shifting from Israel to Egypt to Washington to Moscow, the story developing before the viewer's eyes.
The 50 Years War is often a tale of mistrust and betrayal, but this production strives to present a balanced view of history, and is not only impressive for its command of the facts but for its skillful and often dramatic presentation of history.
--Robert J. McNamara
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Buyer Reviews
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Headlines In One Of History's
"Leading statesmen, generals, terrorists and others who made the HEADLINES IN ONE OF HISTORY'S most bitter and enduring struggles tell the story of the Arab-Israeli conflict in The 50 Years War: Israel And The Arabs....."
[from the back cover of the video case]
Customer Rating: 
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Good but a bit dry
The documentary is a really good introduction through different sources but gets a bit dry towards the end. It actually led me to look for other ways to learn more about the conflict. I stumbled across a video game called Global Conflicts: Palestine that is really worth a try.
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Great movie but I received an "ILLEGAL COPY"
Great movie, but I'm still dissapointed with the seller.
I received my "copy" on time, kind of cheap for a $1.00 DVD+ disc
Customer Rating: -
Very objective
This is one of the best and most objective documentaries on the Arab-Israeli conflict. It covers the origins of this conflict since the days of the British mandate during which the mandate power failed to coerce coexistence of the two communities, the native Arabs and the growing Jewish one that was flooding into Palestine not only from oppressive Nazi Europe but also from other non-aligned countries around the world including Ottoman Arab states that prior to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, did not show any significant hostility toward their Jewish communities.
The British mandate came to an end on May 15, 1948 when David Ben Guerion - Israel's first president - announced the creation of the state. This announcement made the armies of five surrounding Arab countries namely Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon invade Palestinian in an attempt to restore the status quo in favor of the Arab community and wipe out the new infant Jewish state.
But unfolding events showed that while the Israelis had carefully done their homework by raising funds from Jews in the Diaspora, arming their militias and conscripting most of their able fighters, the Arabs had underestimated the Jews by sending in small armies without enough ammunition. The Jewish victory resulted in some Israeli ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in some areas. When the Arabs propagated such news to win sympathy of the world, they had actually spread fears among further Palestinian villagers who further flee their hometowns.
But the conflict was not over in 1948 after Palestine was divided and in 1967, a rematch between the Arabs under the leadership of Egyptian dictator Gamal Abdul-Nasser and Israel resulted in further humiliating losses for the Arabs and this time Israel swept the whole of historic Palestine land along with the Egyptian Sinai and the Syrian Golan. A third war in 1973 resulted in a stalemate and opened negotiations that led to a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt in 1979, and Jordan and the Palestinian Liberation Organization in 1993.
The film is extremely well researched and narrated and the footages it has are extremely valuable. If you are interested in the Arab-Israeli conflict, this film should find its way to your library.
