Israel Books

I greatly enjoyed this book. The pictures in this volume are so captivating that you cannot simply read this book, instead, you experience it. The text is relevant and helpful, but the images are what bring this land and its people alive to the reader. But buyer beware, this book is far more expensive than you realize. By the time you have finished, you will want to take your next vacation in that tiny and beautiful sliver of land in the Levant, known as Israel.

This is an excellent book about Israel. Rather than gloss over differences of opinion about the country, it selects articles with well-defined viewpoints.

We start with an excerpt from "The Jewish State" by Herzl showing that a Jewish state is necessary to normalize the Jewish people, given that the Jews will not "be left in peace." That's countered by Ahad Ha-am, who argues that Jews ought to be special and refuse a state! And there is a juicy and vicious tidbit against Zionism from Mahatma Gandhi, a person I previously had a high regard for.

Then we see an article by David Ben-Gurion in favor of Zionism and a counterclaim by George Antonius that there is no room in the Levant for any more nations! Plus a fascinating article by Judah Magnes, who is willing to give up on having a Jewish state if there guaranteed Jewish immigration, settlement on the land, Hebrew life, and culture. I think it is interesting that he did not demand freedom. But it hasn't mattered, Jews have had no chance to get any of what Magnes did demand without a state.

There is an outrageous article by Ed Said and others that seems intent on setting a world record for falsehoods per word. And a good article by Peter Schwartz on how the Jews and Arabs value civil rights. There are articles about Israel's value (or lack of it) to the United States. And once you start wondering if Israel is just an American colony, there is an article by Cheryl Rubenberg who implies that America is an Israeli colony! Plus a sober essay by Hyman Bookbinder, who reminds us that the Jewish lobby is not nearly as strong as its enemies assert, but not nearly as weak as they would like it to be.

The presence of opposing views breaks the spell of some of the more absurd articles. For example, Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi might seem to be reasonable if he had the floor to himself when saying that the UN condemned Zionism as racism in 1975. But in this book, his failure to condemn such a lie is properly seen as extreme and ludicrous.

Yitzhak Shamir comes across well, given that he speaks sincerely in favor of fulfilling the dream of Herzl. Kathleen Christison does not, as she tries to advise the Jews to give Arafat what he wants, in effect surrendering now, before it is too late. And there are interesting articles about whether Israel ought to keep all, none or part of the West Bank.

There are also articles debating whether or not Israel should become more religious, less religious, or pluralistic. And we see arguments about the importance of rebuilding the Jewish Temple, and about Divine Purpose.

This is simply a superb book. As the editors claim, one can't understand one's own arguments unless one understands the arguments of those who disagree. But one can't understand the arguments of those who disagree unless one sees them challenged.

Our Grandson and his wife were in Israel last month. We had seen this book at our church and thought it would be a great memento of all the places they had just visited. They were truly thrilled!

Meir Kahane wrote this book about 2 years into the first intifada of 1987. He never lived to see Oslo, any subsequent agreements, or the 2000 Al-Aksa Intifada. But you wouldn't know that just by reading this book; the words he wrote over 10 years ago ring true now more than ever.

The thesis of this book is simple: the Israeli government has become an obtuse, impotent entity that is unwilling to protect its citizens. This situation will not continue because it simply cannot, but will the change come about through revolution or referendum?

The majority of this book is anecdotal; that is, Kahane illustrates his point through voluminous tales of government hpyocracy, cover-ups, and the like. He cites, for example, many incidents where Israelis are jailed for using lethal force against Arabs when the Israelis themselves are in real mortal danger.

As a Zionist and seeker of truth, I say that this is a must-read. Kahane wrote to make people emotional and uncomfortable, and this does just that.

This oversized "coffeetable" book is marvelously and colorfully filled with unusual, eye-catching photographs. Areas I thought I had seen from every imaginable angle were caught with wonderful flair and style. Along with many different types of pictures (aerials, panoramics, sketches, antiquities) was historical information from biblical and non-biblical sources. Very helpful timelines were strategically interspersed throughout. Overall -- magnificent!

This is incredibly comprehensive coverage of the founding of the present state of Israel and as such, is unique. The correspondents have clearly got their fingers dirty, by digging down to the real issues behind the present state. I read this in conjunction with Richard Patton's incredible "The Autobiography of Jesus of Nazareth and the Missing Years". Having been brought up in a largely Christian culture, Patton's book about the man we call Jesus was wonderfully enhanced by the political background provided by Brinkley et al. This book should be read by anyone interested in the troubled Middle East. It is a work that will stand long after its authors have shuffled off their mortal coil! Highly recommended.

Most debates on the Israel/Palestine problem consist in a confrontation between two basic positions: 1) For the sake of its own survival, Israel is justified in holding on to all its present territories by any means necessary, and 2) For the sake of justice, Israel should make peace with the Palestinians and grant them their own state, even though it will mean giving up land. In either case it is usually assumed that the Israelis and the Palestinians are two different nations, the latter being descended from the Arab conquerors of the land. This is what Professor Katz' book disputes. Basing hmself on seldom-discussed writings by David Ben-Gurion and Israel Belkind, founder of the Bilu movement, as well as on contemporary research, he points to evidence that the Palestinians are in fact descended from the agricultural classes of ancient Israel. The division between Palestinians and Jews in Israel is actually a division between two halves of one nation. The division began when many of the elite were taken to Babylon after the destruction of the First Temple. In exile they developed a "Judaism" no longer tied to the land and the nation. Returning, they rejected the "people of the land," and the tension between the two groups continued throughout the Second Temple period. The "people of the land" were at first attracted to Christianity (which began as an anti-elitist movement within Judaism); then the majority converted to Islam over many centuries of Islamic rule. But they retained many marks of continuity with the ancient Israelite population, and Professor Katz believes that they would have welcomed the possibility of becoming reassimilated to a secular Israeli society. Instead, shortsighted separatist policies resulted in discrimination against them and gave rise to the anger that resulted in the Intifada and the drive for a separate state, which Prof. Katz does not believe would be in either group's interest. His presentation of this argument is interwoven with a lively account of his own experience as an Israeli since age 5, ending with his decision in 1970 to emigrate rather than become a "party to the dismantling" of the nation. A thoroughly unsettling and thought-provoking work.

Ella Shohat's book is a provocative and eminently readable history of Israeli cinema. The book is particularly noteworthy for its focus on the representation of Sephardic Jews.

Editor's Review:
The book is written by practitioners who have experience and knowledge, who are equipped with the insight and knowledge, and who bore responsibility while serving the public in the various institutions. Among the authors are former State President Yitzhak Navon, former cabinet minister Gad Yaakobi, former Deputy Speaker of the Knesset Naomi Chazan, former Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein, Former Supreme Court President Meir Shamgar, and the State Comptroller Eliezer Goldberg. Indeed, some of the best authors in their respective fields take part in this project.

The book aims to tackle timely concerns, analyzing the relationships between democracy and bureaucracy, the military-political complex, the issue of separation of powers in democracy and more specifically the role of the Supreme Court, and the need for a written, solid constitution. It also sheds light on the roles of other influential institutions: the government, the Presidency, the Knesset, the Legal Advisor to the Government, and the State Comptroller. In addition, the book discusses citizenship education in Israel as well as the press council and its role in a democratic society.

The book will be useful to researchers on Israeli democracy, students, teachers, historians, sociologists, political scientists and legal scholars who wish to better understand this fascinating society and its institutions.

Table of Contents
Introduction vii
Chapter 1 New Historiography and National Identity: Reflections on Changes in the Self-Perception of Israelis and Recent Israeli Revisionist Historiography 1
Chapter 2 Arab-Jewish Relations in Israel: A Deeply Divided Society 31
Chapter 3 Whatever Became of "Negating Exile"? 69
Chapter 4 The Diaspora Factor in Israeli Life 109
Chapter 5 Fifty Years of Israeli Discourse on the Holocaust: Characteristics and Dilemmas 137
Chapter 6 Israeli Identity: The Jewish Component 163
Chapter 7 Immigrants from the Former Soviet Union: Their Influence and Identity 185
Chapter 8 From Melting Pot to Multiculturalism; or, The Privatization of Israeli Identity 215
Chapter 9 The Globalization of Israel: Transformations 233
Index 257
About the Editor and Contributors 267