Original Sin

The attack Hamas carried out on Israel on 7 October 2023 killed many people and set off a ruinous war in Gaza that is still claiming lives daily. Opinion around the world has split over whether to stand with Israel or with Palestine, and the fighting has clouded the prospects for the whole region. Just before the war, the United States was promoting the idea of 'a new Middle East', and the idea had gained wide international backing. Its foundations were laid by the Abraham Accords of 2020, under which four Arab countries normalized relations with Israel. Stanly Johny argues that this realignment overlooks what he calls West Asia's 'original sin': the Palestinian question, which has never been settled. Johny draws on repeated reporting trips to the region and dozens of interviews to follow the conflict back to its origins. Along the way he explains the tangled web of regional and global powers that shape it, and why the situation is so hard to resolve. The book also looks closer to home, tracing how India's stance on Israel and Palestine has shifted over time, what its diplomatic record in the region looks like, and which interests guide its policy today. It is aimed at readers who want a grounded understanding of the current war and the history behind it.