Hands Across the Sea is a study of the roots of the current Arab-Jewish relations and the American Jewish Rights movement. The text helps increase understanding of U.S. policy towards the Middle East following the Balfour Declaration in 1917, which is increasingly critical today in light of recent American policy toward Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Based on analysis of Yiddish and Anglo-Jewish press accounts and reactions, Hands Across the Sea deals with major World War I events and their impact on the American Jewish community.