Myths & Facts Online http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/myths/mftoc.html
Edited by Mitchell G. Bard
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In 1957, Si Kenen started a newsletter " Near East Report " to inform the
public about events relating to the Middle East. Much of what he published
in NER was current, but he also recognized the need to educate readers about
the Arab-Israeli conflict and to debunk myths perpetrated by those who
wished to rewrite history to suit their own purposes. Toward this end, NER
began to publish special surveys of pertinent issues. Gradually these
analyses grew to book length and were published as Myths and Facts.
Myths about the Middle East did not originate in the 1950's, nor have they
ceased to be promulgated. The tumultuous events in the region seem to be
consistently accompanied by all new distortions of the facts about the
Arab-Israeli conflict. Mitchell Bard and Joel Himelfarb edited the last
edition of Myths and Facts in 1992. A great deal has happened since then,
so, with Near East Research's permission, and by popular demand, AICE
produced an updated version of this classic text. This version has the
advantage of being hyperlinked to the vast resources available in our Jewish
Virtual Library and is constantly updated as new events occur.
The response to our online version has been overwhelming and people began to
ask for hard copies of the text. Consequently, we are publishing the
complete version as a paperback for quick, easy reference. I recommend you
purchase a copy to keep handy for use when you can't get online. New myths
that emerge after publication of the book will be incorporated online with
the corresponding facts.
We would like to acknowledge the contributions of past editors Sheila Segal,
Wolf Blitzer, Alan Tigay, Moshe Decter, M.J. Rosenberg, Jeff Rubin, Eric
Rozenman, Lenny Davis and Joel Himelfarb.
"Truth," Lord Acton said, "is the only merit that gives dignity and worth to
history." The following pages lay out the truth about the Arab-Israeli
conflict. It is the best weapon we have against the purveyors of falsehood.
Mitchell G. Bard
June 2001
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