Birth of the Chess Queen

The Palestinian researcher Najat Abdel Haqq presents in her book “The Jews and Greeks in Egypt and their Economic Role until 1960,” published in the translation of Abdel Rahim Youssef by **Dar Karma **, A study of the disintegration of the economic centralization of these two groups before the era of nationalization, based on in-depth archival research that departs from common conspiratorial interpretations. The author skillfully traces the mechanisms of the rise of the Jewish and Greek elites, identifying the types of companies and complex networks of relationships that linked businessmen and women to broader Egyptian society, and explaining how the transformations following World War II contributed to reducing their role. ## About the book: “This book is a unique contribution to the economic and social history of Egypt. It is a vitally important and necessary antidote to popular conspiratorial or xenophobic explanations for why some—but certainly not all—elements of the Egyptian Jewish and Greek communities rose to the pinnacle of economic success before their forced departure in the mid-twentieth century. Najat Abdel Haq’s comprehensive, rigorous, and fair narrative, supported by extensive archival evidence, represents the only narrative based on a systematic comparison of the economic activities of elites in the two sects.” – Joel Benin, Professor of Middle Eastern History at Stanford University  “Dr. Najat Abdel Haq presents a model of bold research that combines scientific knowledge, class and social awareness, and a genuine desire to present a new model and vision.” – Representative Aida Touma-Soliman, Leadership Palestinian Feminism