This collection of Chiha's reflections spans the volatile years of 1944-54, and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1949: a time when many of the seeds of modern conflict were sown. Although at times provocative, Chiha's writings retain at heart his staunch advocacy of an open, liberal and cosmopolitan culture, and the economic fruits that flourish in such an environment. Lebanese - and ardently patriotic - Chiha proves a candid analyst of Lebanon;s shortcomings, often tracing these to the partition of Palestine in 1949, and the creation of its Zionist state. Chiha was one of the earliest critics of US foreign policy, writing in 1948: 'America continues to bring its considerable weight to bear in influencing countries for the benefit of Israel.' Since these early writings, Michel Chiha has become something of a public intellectual. The pieces collected in Palestine reveal a writer at their freshest, and their relevance is undimmed by the passing of over half a century.