Books in Brief.

The article discusses two books: "Contextualizing Sectarianism in the Middle East and South Asia: Identity, Competition and Conflict" edited by Satgin S. Hamrah, and "Elastic Empire: Refashioning War through Aid in Palestine" by Lisa Bhungalia. "Contextualizing Sectarianism" challenges the common focus on the Sunni-Shia binary and explores the political, social, and cultural factors contributing to sectarian conflict in the region. "Elastic Empire" examines the collaboration between the US and Israel in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, highlighting the role of American aid in shaping the conflict. Both books provide valuable insights for scholars and students studying the Middle East and international security. The first text discusses the Anti-Terrorist Certification (ATC) that aid workers and groups must sign to ensure they do not support terrorism or organizations designated as terrorist by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The author argues that the use of modern technologies and databases by ATC and OFAC links Palestine and the US, contributing to American empire. The second text challenges the assumption that evangelical Christians in America universally support Israel over Palestine. The authors conducted surveys over five years and found that younger evangelicals are driven by sociopolitical and justice rationales, leading to more critical views of Israeli policies. The third text is an autobiography by Avi Shlaim, an Arab Jew, that explores his identity and the complex historical context of the Arab Middle East. [Extracted from the article]