The late Israeli President Shimon Peres was a colossal figure in Israeli and Middle Eastern politics. But what drove the hawkish statesman behind Israel’s nuclear deterrence and early settlement policy to stake his political reputation on peace negotiations with the Arab world and the Palestine Liberation Organization, Israel’s sworn enemy?

Author Avi Gil, Peres’s closet confidant and advisor, reveals all – from behind the scenes at the Oslo talks, to Peres’s intense rivalries with figures such as Rabin, Sharon and Netanyahu.

Buy Shimon Peres An Insider’s Account of the Man and the Struggle for a New Middle East by Avi Gil from Blackwell’s

Avi Gil served as the Director-General of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2001 – 2002), the Director-General of Israel’s Ministry of Regional Cooperation (1999-2001), and the Bureau Chief of the Prime Minister’s Office (1995 – 1996). Closely involved in Israel’s policy-making and peace negotiations, Gil also served as Director of Content of the 5 Israeli Presidential Conferences (2009-2014). He is currently Senior Fellow at the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute.

Anshel Pfeffer has covered Israeli politics and global affairs for two decades. He is a senior correspondent and columnist for Haaretz, and the Israel correspondent for The Economist. He lives in Jerusalem.

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