Since the foundation of the state of Israel, the quest for peace in the Middle East has preoccupied the international community. This book tells the behind-the-scenes story of half a century of clandestine Arab-Israeli peace negotiations. The author illuminates Arab attitudes which have often seemed baffling to the outside world. It looks at: why Nasser, the greatest of Arab nationalist leaders, secretly encouraged Jordan's King Hussein to make peace with Israel; why Yasser Arafat supported Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait; why Arafat agreed to the Israeli terms in 1993 which were no better than those that had been on offer for many years; why Islamic fundamentalists tried to wreck the deal; and what the future prospects for peace in the Middle East are?