From the resurgence of Islamic fundamentalism, to the fate of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, and the Palestinian conflict, this volume brings together Gilbert Achcar's major writings on these issues over the past decades.

Achcar analyses the social bases, strategies and tactics of PLO, Hizbollah, Israel and the United States from the establishment of the state of Israel to the second Intifada. He pinpoints the contradictions of the Israeli state - seeking at the same time to be Jewish and yet democratic - and the impact of these contradictions on all parties to the conflict.

Informed by strong moral and political commitments, Eastern Cauldron is aims to produce a better understanding of the conflicts of the region.