Israel Books

Re-reading the book after many years brings up poignant reveries of what could have been if it had only succeeded. The heady optimism, the potential for a true peace, for harmony. Michael Bernet captures the human story of arab and jew, soldier and civilian during the brief days of war.

Most of us are too young to recall Israel's stunning Six Day War of 1967 against Egypt, Syria and Jordan. Most of those who were then old enough, seem to have forgotten the details of that earthshaking event, and have been taken in by decades of Arab lies and deceit. Michael Bernet was there and recorded the events from the points of view of both Israelis and Arabs, warriors, politicians, soldiers and civilians. It was not a war of aggression by Israel but an unexpected unnecessary war that was forced on her. It was also not a war of conquest: the Israelis were hoping to speedily give back all the territory they had captured in return for a genuine peace.

What is even more surprising, at the end of the war Arab and Jew treated each other as long-lost brothers. There was genuine hope and excitement on both sides, an expectation of peaceful, productive and synergetic coexistence. That hope was dashed twelve weeks later when the Arab states met in conference and vowed never to negotiate with Israel, never to recognize the Jewish state, never to permit peace. Now, forty years later, the Islamist warmongers have won out, as we see tragically from Iraq to Afghanistan, Spain and Bali, and New York and the Pentagon.

Bernet is a brilliant writer. His book is gripping, the personal details he recounts bring the participants to life with all their fears, their courage, their hopes and the flow of their emotions.

A must reading for anyone interested in the shape and future of today's world.

The Six Day War of 1967 was perhaps the last war of the old era, before media technology developments facilitated bringing the gory truth into our living rooms and rendered all operations seemingly transparent. Michael Bernet, with this excellent book, sheds light on what really happened to the people involved. He does this like a good documentary director, with parallel editing and surprise twists in the 'plot' of fascinating real life stories, and with his own refreshing insights.
I am eagerly waiting for Michael Bernet's new book on the psychology of the Middle East.

I remember the excitement and optimism as a young Israeli teenager in the summer of 1967. Venturing across the "green line" to meet with people my age in Eastern Jerusalem and Ramalla. I was filled with awe at the prospect of peace and coexistence.
Jews and Arabs got together like long-lost cousins, rejoicing in the rapid end to the war, learning to understand and accept each other, seeking channels for cooperation in education, health, commerce, democratization.
This book takes me back to those optimistic euphoric days and sheds some light on the reasons why we are now at such a dead-end...

This extremely powerful book is a must read for all who have lost somebody close to them. Mr. Clyman has opened up his life for everybody to learn from and will take a person on a trip which they will not forget easily.

Opening this book may take some courage because entering it brings you into the inner world of a father's pain. But once you do, you won't be able to put it down.

Through a series of remberences, flashbacks and pure prose, Seth Clyman takes us with him on a journey through one of the most horrific experiences a parent can go through - the loss of a child.

While at the babysitter's one day the Clyman's three month old daughter stops breathing. Seth receives a call at work telling him to come home - no reason or details offered. From that moment on we see a world turned on its head, full of pain and loss through a father's eyes.

As a woman, a mother and a wife, I have rarely had such a vivid glimpse of the raw emotion of a man - a father and a husband. Without ever being maudlin or whiney Seth Clyman allows us to glimpse the inner workings of a man's feelings when faced with the unbearable. Books about pain and loss by women are the norm. Women are encouraged to "vent" - let their feelings out and share them with the world. Often when faced with a crises even the most emotional and expressive of men are forced (or feel they are forced) to hold their feelings in and be strong in order to be strong for the women in their lives and to appear so in front of their men friends. One can read Mr. Clyman's account and apply it to any tragedy and understand that it is not only the tear streaked sobbing women that are in pain.

Any parent, or anyone who has loved and lost should read this moving account.

And ladies, after you finish this book give it to a man.

In May 2000, the Clay Mathematics Institute (CMI) named seven mathematical problems, known as the Millennium Prize Problems, all of which focused on important classic mathematical questions that have resisted solution over the years. CMI designated a $7 million prize fund for the solution to these problems, with $1 million allocated to each. Nearly eight years later, only one of the problems has been solved.

In Touching the World of Angels, Seth Clyman tackles a question harder than any Millennium Prize Problem, why do babies die? In truth, Clyman does not look for an explanation to the reason, or why his baby daughter died. He is humble to admit to the obvious impenetrable nature of such a question. Rather the book is his way of making sense of his loss, and a way to comfort others. In the book, Clyman succeeds at both.

Touching the World of Angels is a book that is both raw and inspiring. In 16 short chapters, you enter the abyss that Clyman found himself in during the week after his daughter's death. Reading through the chapters, one can almost feel the pain and anguish. And that pain that the parents felt is unfathomable, yet they somehow came out of it stronger and inspired.

Touching the World of Angels; How My Daughter's Short Life Changed Mine is a book that gives solace to those in pain and inspiration to every reader.

The book offers no answers as to why, since there are none. All it can do is attempt to make sense of it all, to put it into a context that makes gives meaning to the unknowable. And as such, Touching the World of Angels is a book that should be read by all.

Readers may think that such a book would be depressing and difficult to read. I found it to be just the opposite! Written about death of a small, innocent baby - it speaks about living - of her loving parents, their caring family and true friends.
Anyone with any kind of challenge (and who doesn't have some of those?)will gain great insights and tools for coping without being lectured to.
The set-up of the book makes it easy to read, fast to the finish.
Mr. Clyman provides tools, stories, ideas and his feelings that come from a very deep place.
I think that this "little" book is going to be very BIG.

an excellent outlet to understand the source of the present irrationality. while the book may seem overburdened with conspiratorial themes, Cahmish's documented historical behavioral patterns and factual narrations of the 'traitors and carpetbaggers' does fit their public posturing. as such, the book aptly neutralizes the present journalistic facade, while offering a fresh and believable account. highly recommended.

I do not profess to be any sort of expert pertaining to the governmental in-fighting, intrigue and conspiracies within the Israeli, Western & International political spheres, but if only one percent of the revelations illustrated in this book by Barry Chamish are correct, then it is more than sufficient to give serious cause for concern in relation to the security of the Jewish State. Especially when so many of the revelations disclosed here relate to the `peace process'.

At the outset, the author declares that what one will read and access within this book will not be found in the news media. This book will indeed shock many readers. It certainly shocked me.

This is an incredible journal of the scheming, back-stabbing, betrayals, political manipulation & external International interference in matters regarding the present and future status of Israel.

Many International entities are referred to in some detail, including the US & its variety of Governmental Departments, the UK, France & other Western nations, plus numerous Middle Eastern nations including Egypt, Syria, Jordan. Not to mention certain notable elements within Israel's own political arena such as Rabin, Peres, Beilin plus Palestinian figures such as Arafat & his adjutants.

Shortly before writing this review I read in the Jerusalem Post about Shimon Peres' alleged intentions of `redefining' what constitutes a Jew. Elaborating somewhat, the report assigned to the alleged comments of Peres, further outlined that if the `definition' was left to Rabbis, then perhaps moves should be taken to actually `redefine' what constitutes a Rabbi. I was astonished at how someone could even make such a statement. Yet when faced with other revelations such as those so well depicted in this book, surprise should perhaps have been the last sensation to be experienced.

Reading the disclosures here leaves one with a different perception of so many senior Israeli political figures as well as a vast plethora of International figures including US Presidents, Secretaries Of State, UK Prime Ministers & Foreign Secretaries and similar personages from many other senior figures in both the West and Mid-East. I cannot help but ponder on how `paper-thin' the Mid-East peace agreements between Israel and Egypt/Jordan seem to appear.

I have no previous experience in relation to the actual veracity of these disclosures by the writer. However, I also possess two of his other works entitled "The Last Days Of Israel" and "Who Murdered Yitzhak Rabin". Having browsed through these other two books, they too appear to possess `mind-blowing' material.

Whilst the disturbing implications of what one reads here can only attract concern about the manipulation of Israel's affairs, as a Christian who has a deep love for the People & Land of Israel, I personally hold to the words included in the Old Testament Psalm 33; 10-11..."The Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations."

In other words, no matter what the politicians/nations conspire or contrive, the Divine Purpose for Israel, it's People & Land, will eventually be fulfilled.

We need more investigative reporters from Israel like Mr. Chamish! It's refreshing to read what's really going on in Israel behind the scenes of the "peace process." Few are courageous enough to expose the self-serving Establishment, but thankfully every generation has flickers of the "eternal flame" of truth. May "Traitors and Carpetbaggers in the Promised Land" serve to stir people up to truly think and question, and come to an independent conclusion, based upon all the facts and not just what we're spoon-fed!

I have been student of the Middle East for the past 40 years and have read hundreds of books on the Arab-Israeli conflict. All of them combined don't add up to what Mr. Chamish done: he has given us the real story, not the propaganda we read in the so-called "free press".

One can only wonder what this man can write for an encore.

Efraim Menashe Kibbutz Amchofshi Israel

This book is great for everyone to have a better understanding of the scriptures. For people who truley are searching for the Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Who have questions in their hearts that know one seemed to understand. The principles of keeping the Commandments, to understand and prove the Biblical Israelites are actualy the people who have been conquerd and enslaved in the North Americas (Black & West Indian People). Also when reading the bible I realized it is not a religous book but a book of law statues and commandments, that were written by great men of character whom the Lord and Christ chose. These men were writing these things as a guidance and instructions for how we should live and worship the heavenly father and christ. The bible also is a history book because when you read in the scriptures during the times of Christ and Apostles they were writing these works in subjection under Rome and all of it's Ceasars. Now thats for those who thinks the bible has no significant and historical acts. What this book has done for me is change the image of what we precieve to be depiction of christ, and how we should understand what we are reading or learning in church when the scriptures are taught

This book was well put together and for the most part it was enlightening, though certain segnments I found to be lacking. The identity of the Gentiles did not seem to be consistent throughout, leaving me with unanswered questions about Genesis 10. The Beast in the book of Revelation was also mislabeled.

Nathanyel ben Israel is an excellent writer. His book serves as a guide to all those interested in getting a true understanding of the scriptures. A must have for "true" Israelites.

One of the most controversial books of the century. This writing is destined to change the history of our Western Civilization, as we know it.

If you are a dedicated historian searching for the real truth behind slavery in the America(s),then this book is a definite must have. I use it as a concordance to the bible and as a great learning tool because it explains all of the holy scriptures as it was meant to be explained. Read it now, because once this knowledge circulates, I am sure that this book will soar off the shelves, increasing its price.

It started out slow at first, then I thought I wasn't going to enjoy this book, as I started to read into the novel the story went form one character to character the story started to fit into place. I couldn't put the book down; it became so interesting to read the difference in the time line story from the different characters. Over all I would recommend this novel to read.

After reading Edeet Ravel's first published novel, "Ten Thousand Lovers" last winter, I was delighted to read her second novel, "Look for Me." (Lucky for me, both had already been published!)

During the period of waiting for novel #3 to be published, I took my family on our first trip to Israel. Our first stop was Tel Aviv, the setting for all three books. How exciting to be in the city where 'Ami,' 'Lily,' 'Daniel,'and 'Dana' "lived." I emailed Edeet (via her website), and she graciously replied, informing me that the Italian restaurant where we'd just dined was the setting for Dana and Vronsky's weekly Wednesday dinners! Too cool!

We travelled with a private guide through Israel for 2 weeks, just before the removal of the Israeli settlers from Gaza. We were struck by the peaceful attitude of the Israelis and Palestinians we met -- many people wore either orange or blue ribbons to announce their feelings re: the pull-out, but there was no violence, no problem. EVERYONE has at least one opinion, but most manage to live fairly peacefully with the situation - perhaps because it's been going on for so long. Our tour guide, an Israeli, made a point to expose us (safely) to Palestinians -- food vendors in Akko and Jerusalem's Old City, shop-keepers everywhere. Of course, most of these Palestinians were Israeli -that is, they spoke Hebrew and were desirous of living within the borders of the State of Israel. We had many friendly discussions with many people; politically, our tour guide apparently is close to Edeet Ravel's position.

Individually, the Arabs seem peaceful and reasonable. I think that a large part of the problem is that they do not have organization, and a leader who is democratic. Democracy is not on the anti-Israel Palestinian agenda. Neither is "recognizing" the State of Israel.

Back to the book:

Well, I've waited anxiously for the third in the series to be published, and was not disappointed even one whit!

The brilliant conceit of this book is the revolving sequence of chapters, each using a different, but consistent, point of view. One chapter was a piece of Sonya's story (which collectively detail just ONE DAY!!); then, a bit from Noah's diary; then one in a series of letters written in 1957 by Sonya's mother to the lover she left behind in Russia. The sequence of authors continues through the book; we are able to get a view into the heart of each writer, and are also able to see the same events through different eyes.

I also loved that Ravel "recycles" several characters through the books. I was so happy to "see" Lily, from "Ten Thousand Lovers" again! This seems entirely plausible, as Israel is a tiny country, and, really, everyone is connected somehow!

A lovely story, about characters you will love and care about!

I recommend reading the series in the order written, but it is not imperative. You probably will re-read them all anyway!

From Kirkus: "The last of a trilogy (after Ten Thousand Lovers, 2003, etc.) portrays the emerging character of Israel through the relatively low-key, emotionally limpid diary entries of three characters from different generations.

An epiphanic day in the life of a deaf Tel Aviv University math professor, Sonya Vronsky, holds center court, while Sonya's mother and cousin also offer journal entries containing some family history. The mother, Anna, a new refugee to Israel, writes to her lover back in Russia during the late 1950s, while her cousin, Noah, in his youthful diary reveals the milieu he and Sonya grew up in during the 1980s. First, though, Sonya, at 33, has been living with her attentive older brother, Kostya, in a gorgeous house in Tel Aviv he purchased out of guilt for the defining catastrophes of Sonya's life: her deafness, caused by an overdose of medicine given when she had a kidney infection at age 12; and a vicious rape she survived as a young student when twin drugged-out teenagers broke into her deserted university classroom. Sonya, as she reveals in her breezy journals, is a remarkably resilient character devoid of self-pity or sense of entitlement; she is determined to live her life her own way-that is, lose her virginity properly and take a lover. Goaded by a flirtation with one of her students, she proceeds to seduce the Arab taxi driver who brings her home, and afterward she convinces her brother and friends to help her find him again. In her journal, Anna, newly escaped from the Soviet Union and living with young son Kostya, records her involvement with an amateur theater production; Anna will learn of her lover's death, precipitating her dark journey into alcoholism. Noah, in turn, will venture into adolescent flirtations and the trial of serving in the Israeli army.

Handling a tricky juxtaposition of three disparate lives with grace and wit, Ravel shows her characters forging a country out of trauma."

This is the third book I have read by Edeet Ravel, and I loved each of them. I'm Israeli, and I find the characters real and complex, not cardboard stereotypes like so much literature set in a political context. All the books are a very good read, and left me thinking and caring about the people whose story she tells. This book would be a great gift for people who care about Israel.

I've had a great time reading this short book. Historical events are seen, at last, from a meaningful perspective: the long conflict between God's plan and Satan's revolutionary plan to spoil it. This is a gigantic work of synthesis of historical events, all flowing to an inevitable conclusion. But if it was (it is) inevitable then "why does God let the rebellion go on so long? Why couldn't He have demonstrated His sovereignty by crushing Satan as soon as he rebelled?" Well, the answer comes out pretty obvious at the end of the book. If you are the kind of history buff that always wonders why we still have so much evil in our crazy world -despite all the efforts against (apparently)- then this is your book.

If the trees don't let you see the wood, this will provide you with just the right vantage point.

Excellent overview of what God is doing in the world. This is a favorite in our library and to give as gifts.

This book looks at the expanse of human history from a biblical point of view, linking and making sense of its great figures/events/ movements, and in the process addressing the huge questions of life--who are we, what's the meaning of it all, why do the wicked prosper, how's it going to turn out, and so on. The author starts out in eternity past (pre-Adam and Eve) and keeps the flow of history moving along quickly and connectedly, all the while in parentheses noting the relevant verse citations to back up his assertions, evidencing that this philosophy of history is not based on private speculation, but on what is revealed in the Bible by a God who transcends time and space and really does have a plan that runs thru history.

It is a pleasure to recommend this noteworthy addition to Dr. Showers growing collection of biblical studies in which he shows us the "continuing war of the ages between God and Satan". He goes on to state that over the ages humanity has been wrestling with three major questions: Where have we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? These questions set the stage for the author's chapter-by-chapter development of a philosophy of history as shown in the Bible--from eternity past to eternity future.

Along the way, Renald Showers gives us glimpses of how this battle between God and Satan has played out during various periods of history. During the past, present, and future we can see how this unfolds according to God's sovereign will. Being faithful to the use of a single normative method of interpretation across the whole of Scripture, Dr. Showers viewpoint is naturally premillennial, pre-tribulational, and normative dispensational.

In looking back at history, it is interesting to note that the apostasy of the church is linked to its becoming the official and only religion of the Roman Empire in 380 A.D. At that time, the church began to Christianize pagan practices (syncretism), and when joined with the state started persecuting other religions. Even though all other attempts since then have resulted in the same disaster (look at most of Europe), some evangelicals believe we should try again, and that we must subdue the world with Christianity so that Christ will be able to return...

Dr. Showers also shows how allegorical methods of interpreting the Scriptures can be traced back through Roman Catholic St. Augustine to Origen (185-254 A.D.). Through the influences of men like St. Augustine (354-430 A.D.), many errors entered the church, and church tradition became equal to, or above the authority of the Bible. Through his adoption of allegory, St. Augustine also became the first to reject premillennialism and taught that the Roman church is the kingdom. He also misinterpreted Scripture to support his persecution of groups like the Donatists who separated from and opposed the Church of Rome and infant baptism. This laid the groundwork for the Inquisitions. St. Augustine thus became the most influential of the founding fathers of the Roman Catholic Church, but it is ironic that he is still venerated by many influential evangelicals today like John Piper.

Since it is usually glossed over by historians, be sure to read the section, "The Internal Attacks Against Protestantism" which relates a brief history of groups like the Anabaptists and their persecution by other Reformers. Although John Calvin isn't mentioned by name, he was the most infamous. Finally, chapter 8 has a good discussion of the end times--from the rapture of the church to eternity future.

While my edition is only about 130 pages, as a history enthusiast, I still appreciated the author's concise treatment of each period. If you don't have the time or money to invest in Philip Schaff's "History of the Christian Church" this would be a good place to start. If you want a really concise guide to church history look for Dr. Showers' 25-page booklet "Two Millennia of Church History".

What on earth is God doing?--I hope you benefit from the answers Renald Showers gives us from the Bible as much as I did.

THIS BOOK IS VERY FAIR AND BALANCED. THOSE EUROPEAN JEWS THERE ARE NOT REAL JEWS ANYWAY, THEY ARE DESCENDED FROM THE KHAZARS. THEY ARE RECENT CONVERTS TO JUDAISM, HAVING CONVERTED TO AVOID THE WARS BETWEEN ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY, THEY HAVE NO CLAIM TO ISRAEL. THAT HONOR GOES TO THE REAL JEWS WHO ARE BLACK IN ORIGIN. WITNESS SOLOMON'S STATEMENT "I AM BLACK, BUT COMELY". THESE EUROPEAN SETTLER COLONIES ARE IMPOSTOR JEWS, WORSE THAN THE SETTLER COLONIES IN SOUTH AFRICA. THE NOBEL PRIZE RECIPIENT ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU WAS BANNED FROM SPEAKING AT ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY IN MINNESOTA DUE TO HIS STATEMENT THAT ISRAELI TREATMENT OF THE PALESTINIANS IS WORSE THAN APARTHEID WAS IN SOUTH AFRICA (AZANIA). JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS PUT SEVERE PRESSURE ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES IF THEY ALLOWED HIM TO SPEAK. THESE TYPES OF WHITEMAIL TACTICS ARE PAR FOR THE COURSE FOR THE ADL AND OTHER POWERFUL JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS. JUST LOOK AT THEIR TREATMENT OF THE PALESTINIANS, AND EVEN THE NON-WHITE JEWS. THEY TRIED TO MAKE THE BLACK ETHIOPIAN FALASHA JEWS SUBSCRIBE TO THEIR EUROPEANIZED VERSION OF JUDAISM UNDER PENALTY THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE RECOGNIZED AS JEWS. SOLOMON'S BLACK ANCESTORS ARE THE RIGHTFUL HEIRS TO THAT LAND, NOT WHITE PEOPLE, WHO WERE CAVE DWELLERS IN THE CAVES OF THE CAUCUSES MOUNTAINS DURING ISRAEL'S ANCIENT HISTORICAL PERIOD. THAT IS WHY THEY ARE REFERRED TO AS CAUCASIANS. NONE OF THESE ANCIENT HISTORICAL EVENTS TOOK PLACE IN EUROPE, THEY TOOK PLACE IN WHAT IS NOW FICTITIOUSLY LABELED THE MIDDLE EAST (ACTUALLY THE LAND MASS IS PART OF AFRICA). THERE ARE ONLY 6 CONTINENTS & THE MIDDLE EAST IS NOT ONE OF THEM), NOR IS EUROPE AS IT IS ACTUALLY WESTERN ASIA. *REMEMBER ONE OF THE RULES FOR A CONTINENT IS THAT IT MUST BE A SEPARATE LAND MASS UNTO ITSELF, BUT DUE TO RACIST HISTORIANS WHITES MADE A NEW CONTINENT WHERE THERE WAS NONE BEFORE. TRUTH CRUSHED TO EARTH SHALL RISE AGAIN. AS-SALAAM ALAIKUM

Colin Chapman's book is one of a very few books that contends that, like every other problem, political answers are seldom satisfactory because they seldom recognize the real problem. Many Evangelicals have bought into a purely political view of the Middle East. This involves taking sides in an intense propaganda battle between Palistinians and Israelis.Colin Chapman does not take sides in the conflict but applies an accurate reading of history along with careful biblical scholarship to both protagonists. Some, whose minds are made up, won't want to be confused with the facts. For all others, this book is indispensable.

Colin Chapman has taken on the unpleasant task of confronting a modern theological innovation that has captured the imagination of the evangelical church - dispensationalism. The concept, born in England in the mid-1800's as the brainchild of John Nelson Darby, has developed into a complex system of biblical interpretation that has become attractive due to its claim to a simple, straightforward, literal interpretation of the Bible. In Whose Promised Land?, Mr. Chapman brings together a myriad of voices on the topic, beginning with the oldest biblical texts, working his way through the historical maze of details and treaties, to the modern day crisis of the Palestinian people and the Jewish State. He does this successfully by letting the voices speak for themselves by way of extended quotes and detailed references for further research. After laying out the historical details, he makes biblical argument for the rejection of the dispensationalist's unqualified support for the State of Israel. For those interested in hermaneutics (biblical interpretation) and the sensitive issues involve, the trek through all the historical data will be worth your while when you arrive at the section entitled "Is there a word from the Lord?" The worst thing about this book is that it is currently out of print. This is unfortunate. For, any serious student of biblical prophecy and theology will want to have this book in their collection.

This book revolutionaized my perspective of Biblical prophecy. The terrible political position of Christian Zionism has created untold havoc in the Middle East. The violence and hatred is only supported by Christian Zionists who fatally misread Biblical text. Chapman does an excellent analysis of the situation and makes a prophetic call for Christians to change.

If you are proud of the role that Orthodox Jews have played in developing the modern Zionist movement, you will love this reader compiled more than 35 years ago (and back in print). Orthodox rabbis and Zionist leaders Yehuda Alkalai, Zvi Hirsch Kalischer, Yechiel Michel Pines, Meir Bar-Ilan, Shmuel Chaim Landau, Samuel Mohilever, Avraham Yitzhak HaCohen Kook and Isaac Reines take up a disproportionate amount of space in Hertzberg's rich work. And for good measure you will find the writings of Ben-Gurion and Jabotinsky.

This is an anthology of works by major Zionist thinkers. It introduced me to the fact that Zionism was primarily a radical project of self-criticism and not a whining diatribe against the Gentiles. The ruthless mode of thought and pitiless self criticism of the founding fathers of Zionism makes one realize that this is our strength in the face of our enemies, who clearly lack the ability to engage in self-criticism. I try to follow in the footsteps of this tradition of Zionist self-criticism in my own book "The Optimistic Jew: a Positive Vision for the Jewish People in the 21st Century"
The Introduction by Rabbi Hertzberg is brilliant and worth the price of the book alone. If you want to know something about Zionism, Israel, and modern Jewish history, buy this book and read the Introduction!

the a hundred page introduction of this work is absolutely essential for people of every ilk who want to undertand the whole zionist idealogy in one fine, easy-read scoop. the rest of this work is a presentation of every important leader of zionism in the course of 19th and 20th centuries with a short description of the writers life, endeavors, and accomplishments in the beginning of every excerpt.
this book serves on two fronts which makes it into a bona-fide classic of zionist literature: (a) someone who wants to throughly understand the conception of the movement must read this book because without it even fine, scurpulous research is incomplete. (b) someone who wants to cursorly scan the movement to form a capsule of the zionist idea in his mind for all practical intents and purposes.
i'm not a zionist, but this book gave me a clearer percpective of zionism. now i'm confident to vouch that i know precisely what zionism holds and so should you!

What is modern Zionism? Is it Jewish nationalism? Is it simply an ideology of human rights for everyone, including Jews? These are questions that I hoped would be answered (and are answered) in a book that contains articles written from 1843 to 1948 by about three dozen leading Zionists.

A doctrine of human rights for all would permit any group, including Jews, to bid on land in and near Jerusalem and (upon obtaining it) pass laws ensuring their rights of life, liberty, and property there. As well as continued immigration. I wanted to see if most Zionists saw it that way, arguing that there are many Jews (and many Jewish nationalists) and that Zion is the Jewish homeland, with Jerusalem its capital.

Moreover, I wanted to know if any of these thinkers said or implied anything like the following:

1) We Jews don't care for Zion, but many non-Jews do, so we'll buy Zion and displace those who really love the land.

2) We Zionists love Zion, so we'll steal it from the rightful and legal owners.

3) We don't care about human rights. We want special treatment, so we can have privileges that are denied to non-Jews.

Not one of these authors displayed any of the above three attitudes. None of them advocated wastefulness, greed, destruction, theft, or unfairness. They did indeed argue for the rights of Jews to be equal to those of other nationalities. And they went on to discuss Jewish culture, Hebrew universities, Jewish religion, and the need for a people to have a common language and a state. These days, when the international information supply is saturated with antizionist misinformation, it's worth noting all this.

In this book, we see Theodor Herzl say that the Jews are a people, one people. A people that he thinks "will not be left in peace." And, most important, that he is not aiming to arouse sympathy on behalf of the Jews: "All that is nonsense, as futile as it is dishonorable." Those who ask that we make the dubious stipulation that Zionism is merely a claim of sympathy for what has happened to the Jews of Europe might want to note that!

We then see Ahad Ha-am say that he wants to focus on a national culture, with Zion providing merely a "secure refuge," rather than starting with a state and relying on it to produce a national culture. That's a good answer to those who ask today what Ahad Ha-am would have said about Israel's desire to continue to exist as a refuge for Jews.

Two other authors who are often quoted by "post-Zionists" are Judah Magnes and Martin Buber. I'd advise reading what they say as well. In particular, Buber splatters Mahatma Gandhi's argument that the Levant "belongs to the Arabs" by pointing out that "God does not give any one portion of the Earth away." A powerful comment for those who might otherwise think that the Jews, not the Arabs, are the ones who are regarding the Levant as theirs by Divine Right!

Vladimir Jabotinsky is often given as an example of someone who favored Jewish greed over Arab need. Guess again! Here we see him speak forthrightly about there being "no question of ousting the Arabs," And that Arabs will be a minority in Israel, but that is no hardship. And that he asks "only for the same condition as the Albanians enjoy."

If you want to learn something about Zionism, read this.

As a researcher of ancient Middle Eastern culture and thought, I found "Ancient Israel" to be one of the definitive volumes ever concerning this relatively vague field. A+.

This is a indepth look at Ancient Israel, but not at all dry. The author has a dry wit and great enthusiasm for his subject. Although he uses alot of Hebrew language references, I was still able to understand his explanations. The author's personal faith in the Christian God is evident and refreshing. He is not out to tear apart the Old Testament, but to help other's better understand the life and times in which it was written. For anyone who has had questions after reading the Old Testament, I highly recommend this book. Submitted by Wendy Lang, Orillia, Canada

This book is FINALLY back in print in the USA and for a very reasonable price! this is part of Eerdman's "Biblical Resource Series". "The purpose of The Biblical Resource Series is to bring back titles that the scholarly community regards as ESSENTIAL RESOURCES for the biblical thinker of today." This is well organzied so even the beginner can easily find information, and covers Nomadism, Family Institutions, Civil Institutions, Military Institutions, and Religious Institutions. An encyclopedia of sorts! Roland de Vaux (1903-1971) was esteemed both as a biblical historian and as an archaeologist. If you get this book, you also need to purchase Archaeology of the Land of the Bible by Amihai Mazar available here. Both will get you moving in the direction of biblical studies.

I enjoyed this biography of Ariel Sharon. The author, Uri Dan, had been a close friend of Sharon's and had insight into Sharon's thoughts. Much of the book is based on interviews Dan had with Sharon. Uri Dan did not mince words with Sharon about the Gaza pullout and other decisions that were controversial.
The book was written recently and is fairly current. I found the book to be an easy read and recommend it for those that want to learn about Ariel Sharon.

Great insider's view, and basically an awesome history of the entire state of Israel. Well worth the read.

This book is the story of a friendship, between a journalist and a major military and political figure. The focus however is on the life, and most importantly public actions of one of the great leaders of modern Israel, Ariel Sharon. The book traces the career of Sharon from the Israeli War of Independence in 1948 to his final actions as Prime Minister of Israel when on January 2, 2006 Sharon suffered a massive disabling stroke. A short while later Uri Dan himself came down with terminal cancer and passed away before his revered friend.
Dan was for many years accused in Israel of being only a 'yes-man' for Sharon. But that is hardly the case. The book is filled with instances of disagreement in which Dan openly as good friend gave Sharon his critical advice.The greatest difference was in Sharon's decision to make a unilaterial disengagement from Gaza in the summer of 2005. It is interesting that in an earlier section of the book Sharon explains why two of the settlements which were removed were of vital security significance.
The overall story however is not focused on differences of opinion, but rather on cooperative action in service of a cause and ideal - end both Dan and Sharon believed in with all their hearts, the founding and defending of the state of Israel. It is their total committment to this cause which was at the heart of their friendship.
Sharon's deeds are so numerous and legendary that it is difficult to know where to begin to chronicle them. He is of all the great Israeli modern soldiers Dayan, Rabin, Meir Har- Tsion, Avigdor Kahalani the one who is great at at every level of operation. He is the founder of the 101 Unit which combatted Arab terror in the fifties. He was the one who formulated the Israeli battle- orders by which an officer ideally goes forward first always saying 'After me" He illustrated more than one time the principle of not leaving wounded soldiers behind . He was of all the Israeli military leaders the one who truly understood the futility of static defense, the Bar- Lev line, and the one whose turnaround action in crossing the Suez Canal in October 1973 turned an Israeli military defeat into a victory.
Dan was not an armchair journalist but trained specially so as to be able to accompany Sharon on the field of battle. His descriptions of Sharon's control and command , his low sure voice at the most critical moments of battle help explain why Sharon's soldiers so loved and trusted him.
Dan gives a lot of space here to Sharon's controversial part in the First Lebanon War. He makes a strong case that the Kahane commission and Chief Justice Barak did a great injustice in blaming Sharon for what the soldiers of the Phalangists did to the Palestinians. Dan also describes the famous libel suit in which Sharon unprecedentedly won a retraction from the American magazine 'Time'.
Sharon has been not only a major military but a major political figure in Israel. He was instrumental in helping found the Likud which in 1977 became the basis of the first non- Labor party led government in Israel. Dan also tells the story of Sharon's massive election victory over Ehud Barak and his struggle to restore badly damaged Israeli security which had come in the wake of the Oslo process.
Without going into the family story at great length Dan touches upon major events such as the loss of Sharon's first wife , the death in a shooting accident of his eleven year old oldest son. Dan also indicates what was a well- known public fact in Israel Sharon's very successful marriage to Lily who was his principal help and source of support. Though Dan does not speculate upon this many believe that her death from cancer had a deleterious effect on Sharon's political policies.
Insiders , and close- followers of Israeli politics will note certain emphases and omissions in the book. Dan gives great credit to one Sharon adviser Aryeh Genger while saying next to nothing about the person thought to be Sharon's right- hand man in his last few years, Dov Weisglas. Dan does not say much about the role of Omri Sharon and his influence on his father's politics. He mentions without comment Omri's conviction for election- fraud.
The book contains narrative sections interspersed with interviews with Ariel Sharon. In these we again see his fighting spirit, his optimism, his dedication to and concern for the security of Israel, his committment to the Jewish people.
Sharon was by some affectionately and by some pejoratively called in Israel, 'The Bulldozer' He was time and again whether it was in founding the whole settlement movement , or removing Yamit from Sinai the one who could do what no one else would do. Instructively in an early conversation with Ben- Gurion cited in the book, Sharon is asked about Moshe Dayan's appointment as Minister. Sharon says then that he thinks that Dayan is suitable for every position, save one, Prime Minister. And this because Sharon says Dayan tends to avoid taking responsibility. Sharon of course was the opposite of this. He took responsibility and more than responsibility for countless actions taken in the defense of Israel. At times he was ( During the Lebanese War) the most vilified person in Israel.In his last years he was the greatly esteemed leader who would have won reelection in 2006 had he not been incapacitated.
Uri Dan's last words in this book tell about his reaction to the news of Sharon's second and finally disabling stroke. He said that he began to cry and has been crying ever since.