With Iran's nuclear program heating up, and rockets once again firing between Tel Aviv and Gaza, the whole world's eyes are once again on Israel's difficult relationship with their neighbors in the Middle East. At the heart of this conflict is Palestine, which many believe Israel keeps downtrodden as a barrier against its own enemies. In State of Failure,Palestinian-Israeli expert Jonathan Schanzer argues that the reasons behind Palestine's inertia are far more complex than its supporters believe, and that, despite recent rumblings, the dream of statehood may again be scuttled by internal corruption and incompetence. Drawing on exclusive sources within the Palestinian Authority, he shows how Mahmoud Abbas used President George W. Bush's support to catapult himself into the presidency. Schanzer reveals how Abbas, now four years past the end of his legitimate term, may cost the Palestinians everything. This is a must-read for both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian partisans at this critical juncture in Middle Eastern politics.