📖 Overview
Mitchell Geoffrey Bard is an American foreign policy analyst and author who specializes in U.S.–Middle East policy. As Executive Director of the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise (AICE) and director of the Jewish Virtual Library, he has established himself as an authority on Israeli-American relations and Middle Eastern affairs.
Bard's academic background includes degrees from multiple University of California campuses, culminating in a Ph.D. in political science from UCLA focusing on U.S. Middle East Policy. His post-doctoral research at UC Irvine examined Operation Moses, the Israeli rescue of Ethiopian Jews from Sudan.
Before his current roles, Bard served as editor of the Near East Report for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and worked as a polling analyst during George H.W. Bush's 1988 presidential campaign. His expertise has been featured on major media outlets including Fox News, MSNBC, and Al-Jazeera.
👀 Reviews
Readers describe Bard's works as detail-oriented but note his pro-Israel perspective influences his analysis. Many readers cite his books as comprehensive reference materials on Israeli-American relations and Middle Eastern politics.
What readers liked:
- Thorough documentation and extensive footnotes
- Clear writing style that makes complex topics accessible
- Comprehensive historical coverage
- Useful reference lists and bibliographies
What readers disliked:
- Perceived bias in coverage of Israeli-Palestinian conflicts
- Limited inclusion of Palestinian perspectives
- Some readers found the writing dry and academic
- Several noted factual discrepancies in historical accounts
Ratings across platforms:
- Goodreads: Average 3.8/5 across his books
- Amazon: 4.2/5 average, with "The Arab Lobby" and "Israel Matters" receiving highest ratings
- Google Books: 4.0/5 average user rating
One reader on Goodreads noted: "Comprehensive but needs more balanced perspective." An Amazon reviewer wrote: "Excellent source material but clear political leanings affect objectivity."
📚 Books by Mitchell Bard
The Arab Lobby: The Invisible Alliance That Undermines America's Interests in the Middle East - An examination of how Arab states and their allies attempt to influence American foreign policy in the Middle East.
Will Israel Survive? - An analysis of internal and external challenges facing Israel in the modern era.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Middle East Conflict - A comprehensive overview of the historical and contemporary issues shaping Middle Eastern politics and conflicts.
Myths and Facts: A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict - A detailed reference work addressing common claims and misconceptions about the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The Water's Edge and Beyond: Defining the Limits to Domestic Influence on U.S. Middle East Policy - An examination of domestic factors affecting American policy decisions in the Middle East.
48 Hours of Kristallnacht: Night of Destruction/Dawn of the Holocaust - A historical account of the November 1938 Nazi-orchestrated pogroms against Jewish communities.
The Founding of Israel - A historical examination of the events and decisions that led to Israel's establishment as a state.
Death to the Infidels: Radical Islam's War Against the Jews - An analysis of antisemitism in radical Islamic movements and ideology.
Will Israel Survive? - An analysis of internal and external challenges facing Israel in the modern era.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Middle East Conflict - A comprehensive overview of the historical and contemporary issues shaping Middle Eastern politics and conflicts.
Myths and Facts: A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict - A detailed reference work addressing common claims and misconceptions about the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The Water's Edge and Beyond: Defining the Limits to Domestic Influence on U.S. Middle East Policy - An examination of domestic factors affecting American policy decisions in the Middle East.
48 Hours of Kristallnacht: Night of Destruction/Dawn of the Holocaust - A historical account of the November 1938 Nazi-orchestrated pogroms against Jewish communities.
The Founding of Israel - A historical examination of the events and decisions that led to Israel's establishment as a state.
Death to the Infidels: Radical Islam's War Against the Jews - An analysis of antisemitism in radical Islamic movements and ideology.
👥 Similar authors
Daniel Pipes focuses on Middle Eastern politics and U.S. foreign policy as founder of the Middle East Forum. His academic work covers similar territory to Bard's analysis of Israel-U.S. relations and regional conflicts.
Dennis Ross served as U.S. Middle East peace envoy and has written extensively about Arab-Israeli negotiations and American diplomatic efforts. His firsthand diplomatic experience complements Bard's policy analysis of U.S.-Israel relations.
Aaron David Miller worked as a State Department analyst and Middle East negotiator while producing books on U.S. Middle East policy. His work examines many of the same diplomatic and policy issues that Bard covers in his writings.
Martin Gilbert wrote comprehensive histories of Israel and numerous books about Jewish history and the Middle East. His historical research provides context for many of the contemporary issues Bard analyzes.
Steven Spiegel teaches Middle East politics at UCLA and writes about U.S. foreign policy in the region. His academic approach to analyzing U.S.-Israel relations parallels Bard's scholarly work on the topic.
Dennis Ross served as U.S. Middle East peace envoy and has written extensively about Arab-Israeli negotiations and American diplomatic efforts. His firsthand diplomatic experience complements Bard's policy analysis of U.S.-Israel relations.
Aaron David Miller worked as a State Department analyst and Middle East negotiator while producing books on U.S. Middle East policy. His work examines many of the same diplomatic and policy issues that Bard covers in his writings.
Martin Gilbert wrote comprehensive histories of Israel and numerous books about Jewish history and the Middle East. His historical research provides context for many of the contemporary issues Bard analyzes.
Steven Spiegel teaches Middle East politics at UCLA and writes about U.S. foreign policy in the region. His academic approach to analyzing U.S.-Israel relations parallels Bard's scholarly work on the topic.