Reddit mentions of Arabs & Israel for Beginners (Writers and Readers Series)

IMHO, it all depends on what exactly do you want to read: geo-political backgrounds or military history; official line based on recollections and opinions, or official documentation; and, then it of course depends on whether you want to take sides or remain neutral.

From my POV, starting point for anybody with intention of obtaining a neutral position requires the reading of such works like:

• Arabs & Israel For Beginners
  
  At first look, this one might appear as 'on the light side', or at least a 'light/easy to use'. Actually, this is a concise, well-supported collection of historical facts, providing an indispensable introduction to the Arab-Israeli conflict. IMHO, it shouldn't be missing from any serious reading list to this topic.
  
  
• Taking Sides: America's Secret Relations with a Militant Israel, 1948-1967.
  
  Partially used as a source of reference for above-mentioned work by David, this one is also an indispensable read. It is based on primary sources - foremost official US documentation that seems to have been completely ignored by all other authors. 'Taking Sides' is a relatively small book, but it is incredibly well-supported, detailed, and offering clear insights into the coming into being of Israel (and the US support for the same); into how Israel actually survived the first 20 years following its creation; and then especially into how Israel established itself in a position of military hegemony over most of the Middle East.

This book is somewhat out of date but I really enjoyed it. You can read it in a sitting.

Arabs & Israel for Beginners (Writers and Readers Series) by Ron David et al. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0863161618/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_.YxWtb17TM1GG