In the past, when blood revenge took place, the perpetrators were proud of the fact as it enhanced their honor. Now admittance of guilt is much more proscribed, and the authorities, unable to penetrate the strict secrecy codes of Arab society, are having to adopt new strategies to prevent disputes getting out of hand. This issue has tremendous implications for law and order in Israeli society.

This fully revised second edition takes account of the political upheavals since 1987 and provides substantial new ethnographic material.

From the Foreword to the first edition by Philip Carl Salzman: Security based upon small-scale political action groups invested with collective responsibility works, to the extent that it does, because of two complementary forms of constraint on conflict. On the one side is the deterrence resulting from likely retribution for an injury or death stemming from conflict. An individual knows that coming into conflict with another individual means coming into conflict with that individual's group, and that a victor in individual combat becomes a target for reprisal. On the other side, each group member knows that he is responsible for the actions of each other group member, and can himself become the target of reprisal for the injuries caused by any member of his group. Thus individuals are under intense pressure from fellow group members to restrain themselves from unnecessarily inflicting injury. Should, in spite of these constraints, conflict break out and injury take place, customary equivalencies or retribution, such as similar injury to the offender or a member of the offender's group, or indemnification, as in a standard payment, remove the blood debt andreturn the opposed groups to debtless if not enmityless relationship.

The processes and substance, the complexities and reality of this security system based upon collective responsibility are set out and elaborated by Prof. Ginat in his richly documented case material and analysis of Bedouin in Israel. He provides us with the detailed workings of the system in the actions and reactions of individuals and groups, showing the variations in development and outcome of conflicts and injuries. Integral to this system, as Prof. Ginat shows in full detail, is a critical lubricating factor, mediation, which provides linkage between the action groups and elicits the healing potential in balanced opposition. Here is a crux of leadership in a decentralized polity: the mediator, encouraging, cajoling, facilitating, shaming, flattering and subtly bullying fellow tribesmen in conflict to act reasonably and responsibly and in the public interest, to fulfil their obligations as fellow tribesmen and Muslims, and to resolve their disruptive and destructive conflict by means of appropriate restitution. From successful mediation comes stature and prestige for the mediator, status and recognition otherwise unavailable in an egalitarian, stateless society.

From the Foreword to the second edition by Gabriel Bach: This book makes fascinating and enthralling reading from numerous points of view, though it cannot be denied that it has some frightening aspects as well. Professor Joseph Ginat's research is of the greatest interest to scientists, experts, and students belonging to a variety of different disciplines. Whether you are an historian, an anthropologist, an expert on Middle Eastern cultures, asociologist, a psychologist or a member of the legal profession, you will find this volume highly informative as well as stimulating and thought provoking.

But you do not actually have to be a student or an expert in order to be captivated by this work. With the help of the extensive list of case histories, depicted in a concise and yet comprehensive manner, Professor Ginat has managed to bring before us, in as vivid a fashion as possible, a realistic portrayal of an existing human problem of the utmost importance. I also believe that the impact of this complex problem is not limited to the societies whose habits, sentiments, and traditions are directly described in this book. People everywhere respond to questions like the quest for revenge and the wish to protect one's sense of honor and the honor of the family. Strong sentiments are aroused by these problems, although the answers posed are of course widely different.

People of all walks of life can easily relate to the feelings, fears, anxieties and dilemmas described by Professor Ginat of the various persons concerned in these fatal decisions: the actual persons involved in the disputes, the members of their families, the members of their tribe, their spiritual and communal leaders and the mediators who try, for a variety of reasons, to bring about peaceful settlements to the disputes.