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Ally: My Journey Across the American-Israeli Divide
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Michael B. Oren’s memoir of his time as Israel’s ambassador to the United States—a period of transformative change for America and a time of violent upheaval throughout the Middle East—provides a frank, fascinating look inside the special relationship between America and its closest ally in the region.
Michael Oren served as the Israeli ambassador to the United States from 2009 to 2013. An American by birth and a historian by training, Oren arrived at his diplomatic post just as Benjamin Netanyahu, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton assumed office. During Oren’s tenure in office, Israel and America grappled with the Palestinian peace process, the Arab Spring, and existential threats to Israel posed by international terrorism and the Iranian nuclear program. Forged in the Truman administration, America’s alliance with Israel was subjected to enormous strains, and its future was questioned by commentators in both countries. On more than one occasion, the friendship’s very fabric seemed close to unraveling.
Ally is the story of that enduring alliance—and of its divides—written from the perspective of a man who treasures his American identity while proudly serving the Jewish State he has come to call home. No one could have been better suited to strengthen bridges between the United States and Israel than Michael Oren—a man equally at home jumping out of a plane as an Israeli paratrooper and discussing Middle East history on TV’s Sunday morning political shows. In the pages of this fast-paced book, Oren interweaves the story of his personal journey with behind-the-scenes accounts of fateful meetings between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu, high-stakes summits with the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, and diplomatic crises that intensified the controversy surrounding the world’s most contested strip of land.
A quintessentially American story of a young man who refused to relinquish a dream—irrespective of the obstacles—and an inherently Israeli story about assuming onerous responsibilities, Ally is at once a record, a chronicle, and a confession. And it is a story about love—about someone fortunate enough to love two countries and to represent one to the other. But, above all, this memoir is a testament to an alliance that was and will remain vital for Americans, Israelis, and the world.
Praise for Ally
“The smartest and juiciest diplomatic memoir that I’ve read in years, and I’ve read my share. . . . The best contribution yet to a growing literature—from Vali Nasr’s Dispensable Nation to Leon Panetta’s Worthy Fights —describing how foreign policy is made in the Age of Obama.” —Bret Stephens, The Wall Street Journal
“Illuminating . . . [Oren’s] personal odyssey exemplifies the shift from a liberal and secular Zionism to a more belligerent nationalism.” — The New York Times
“Provocative . . . Oren’s book offers a view into the deep rifts that have opened not only between Washington and Jerusalem, but also between Israeli and American Jews.” — Newsweek
“[Oren is] one of the most uniquely qualified judges of this ever more crucial special relationship.” — The Washington Times
“The diplomatic equivalent of a ‘kiss-and-tell’ memoir . . . informative and in parts entertaining.” — Financial Times
“The talk of Washington and Jerusalem . . . an ultimate insider’s story.” — New York Post
Michael B. Oren’s memoir of his time as Israel’s ambassador to the United States—a period of transformative change for America and a time of violent upheaval throughout the Middle East—provides a frank, fascinating look inside the special relationship between America and its closest ally in the region.
Michael Oren served as the Israeli ambassador to the United States from 2009 to 2013. An American by birth and a historian by training, Oren arrived at his diplomatic post just as Benjamin Netanyahu, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton assumed office. During Oren’s tenure in office, Israel and America grappled with the Palestinian peace process, the Arab Spring, and existential threats to Israel posed by international terrorism and the Iranian nuclear program. Forged in the Truman administration, America’s alliance with Israel was subjected to enormous strains, and its future was questioned by commentators in both countries. On more than one occasion, the friendship’s very fabric seemed close to unraveling.
Ally is the story of that enduring alliance—and of its divides—written from the perspective of a man who treasures his American identity while proudly serving the Jewish State he has come to call home. No one could have been better suited to strengthen bridges between the United States and Israel than Michael Oren—a man equally at home jumping out of a plane as an Israeli paratrooper and discussing Middle East history on TV’s Sunday morning political shows. In the pages of this fast-paced book, Oren interweaves the story of his personal journey with behind-the-scenes accounts of fateful meetings between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu, high-stakes summits with the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, and diplomatic crises that intensified the controversy surrounding the world’s most contested strip of land.
A quintessentially American story of a young man who refused to relinquish a dream—irrespective of the obstacles—and an inherently Israeli story about assuming onerous responsibilities, Ally is at once a record, a chronicle, and a confession. And it is a story about love—about someone fortunate enough to love two countries and to represent one to the other. But, above all, this memoir is a testament to an alliance that was and will remain vital for Americans, Israelis, and the world.
Praise for Ally
“The smartest and juiciest diplomatic memoir that I’ve read in years, and I’ve read my share. . . . The best contribution yet to a growing literature—from Vali Nasr’s Dispensable Nation to Leon Panetta’s Worthy Fights —describing how foreign policy is made in the Age of Obama.” —Bret Stephens, The Wall Street Journal
“Illuminating . . . [Oren’s] personal odyssey exemplifies the shift from a liberal and secular Zionism to a more belligerent nationalism.” — The New York Times
“Provocative . . . Oren’s book offers a view into the deep rifts that have opened not only between Washington and Jerusalem, but also between Israeli and American Jews.” — Newsweek
“[Oren is] one of the most uniquely qualified judges of this ever more crucial special relationship.” — The Washington Times
“The diplomatic equivalent of a ‘kiss-and-tell’ memoir . . . informative and in parts entertaining.” — Financial Times
“The talk of Washington and Jerusalem . . . an ultimate insider’s story.” — New York Post
432 pages, Hardcover
First published June 23, 2015
245 people are currently reading
1804 people want to read
About the author
Michael B. Oren
15 books137 followersMichael Bornstein Oren is an American-Israeli diplomat, essayist, historian, novelist, and politician. He is a former Israeli ambassador to the United States (2009–2013), former member of the Knesset for the Kulanu party and a former Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office.
Oren has written books, articles, and essays on Middle Eastern history and foreign affairs, and is the author of the New York Times best-selling Ally: My Journey Across the American-Israeli Divide, Power, Faith and Fantasy, and Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East, which won the Los Angeles Times History Book of the Year Award and the National Jewish Book Award. Oren has taught at Harvard, Yale, and Georgetown universities in the United States and at Ben-Gurion and Hebrew universities in Israel. He was a Distinguished Fellow at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem and a contributing editor to The New Republic. The Forward named Oren one of the five most influential American Jews, and The Jerusalem Post listed him as one of the world's ten most influential Jews.
Oren retired as ambassador to the United States in 2013, and was replaced by Ron Dermer. In the 2015 Israeli election, Oren was elected to the Knesset for the Kulanu party.
Oren has written books, articles, and essays on Middle Eastern history and foreign affairs, and is the author of the New York Times best-selling Ally: My Journey Across the American-Israeli Divide, Power, Faith and Fantasy, and Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East, which won the Los Angeles Times History Book of the Year Award and the National Jewish Book Award. Oren has taught at Harvard, Yale, and Georgetown universities in the United States and at Ben-Gurion and Hebrew universities in Israel. He was a Distinguished Fellow at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem and a contributing editor to The New Republic. The Forward named Oren one of the five most influential American Jews, and The Jerusalem Post listed him as one of the world's ten most influential Jews.
Oren retired as ambassador to the United States in 2013, and was replaced by Ron Dermer. In the 2015 Israeli election, Oren was elected to the Knesset for the Kulanu party.
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January 24, 2022
Behold, I'm finally writing a review for this book.
Ally is a must read for anyone interested in diplomacy or in America-Israel relations. As someone who is both, I feel like I learned a ton from this book.
Michael Oren served as Israel's ambassador to the USA between 2009–2013. These were tumultuous years, defined by the growing chasm between Netanyahu and Obama. Oren takes us with him from his early days in a Zionist youth group to the process of becoming a diplomat to the every day struggles of diplomacy. He places much emphasis on the failing Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the challenges of the Iranian nuclear power.
Oren writes casually. Despite being over 500 pages, this book had a certain grace to it. It did not feel heavy. If the topics are interesting to you, Oren does a great job at making them accessible. It does feel like a sneak peak into the life of a diplomat, portraying the potential of the job but also the limitations.
In terms of the subjects dealt, this book is a time capsule. It's fascinating to read nowadays. For example, Oren describes the skepticism about the Iron Dome air defense system. At the time, it was just at the beginning and people did not believe it was worth it. Nowadays, the Iron Dome is taken granted. This said, Oren also predicted that the Iron Dome wouldn't be enough for Israel to exit the West Bank- Israel is still not technologically advanced enough to stomach a hostile West Bank, even if it has a very expensive solution for rockets.
Another example would be the ICC- Israel's offers to negotiate peace during Obama's term were shut down in part because the Palestinians opted for international recognition in the UN, rather than cooperation with Israel. This is an interesting decision. It prioritized international recognition of Palestine's borders instead of creating a reality where those borders are real. Unsurprisingly, this angered both Israel and the USA. Already then there was the concern that the Palestinians would try angling for the ICC following that recognition and indeed, a decade later, they did.
Quick ICC rant cause I'll enjoy reading this in a few years →
Oren often highlights his dual loyalty, in the best way possible. He is passionately connected to Israel and the US and spends much time arguing that such a connection is only logical, that Israeli values are American values. It was interesting to read this argument- I feel there are also many core identity issues that Israel and the US do not see eye to eye on and that framing that as "friendly disagreements" is an understatement.
Those disagreements were especially interesting in light of MENA issues. I've never considered that Israelis serve as a bridge for intelligence by being so connected to MENA culture but aligned to the West. For example, Obama's hopes for democracy through the Arab Spring and the role Israel plays. Oren sometimes leans into the Israeli perception of Obama as naïve and unaware of how the Middle East works. The focus on the Turkey-Israel flotilla drama was also fascinating.
There's a lot more to say but as always, so much studying awaits. I don't see eye to eye on everything with Oren but I appreciate this sneak peak to the life of a diplomat.
what i'm taking with me
- Oren makes a fantastic point about how people's earliest memories of Israel have shifted. Israel of 1967 was heroic, the underdog facing empires. Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon or operations in Gaza appear far less heroic and that is what younger generations are seeing.
- I felt like this book shows Israelis how they theoretically like to be seen. Like, it uses all of the cliches, from talking about how much Israelis shout at each other to pointing out that Israel is among the happiest countries. He also points out that Jewish Israelis are likely to feel more of a connection with Arab Israelis than with American Jews. There's room to question some parts of this claim.
- This quote from the 2008 war, "... a West Bank Palestinian who grilled me while on air but, once off camera, whispered "whatever you do, don't stop until you crush Hamas". How tragic it is that nothing has changed.
- Reading this was the first time I realized that Israelis don't celebrate the deaths of people assassinated. I can't recall a Bin Laden or Qasem Soleimani speech from any Israeli political leader, nor have I ever seen an Israeli office with posters celebrating any war. At most, the classic is that picture from 1967 of the Western Wall.
------------------
I wish someone would have as much faith in me as Oren has in American-Israeli diplomacy.
Also wow, I love how Israeli-Palestinians issues bring drama wherever they goes, like AOC, if you're this upset about voting on funding the Iron Dome, imagine the "real sense of panic and horror" of people who actually live here.
Review to come!
Ally is a must read for anyone interested in diplomacy or in America-Israel relations. As someone who is both, I feel like I learned a ton from this book.
Michael Oren served as Israel's ambassador to the USA between 2009–2013. These were tumultuous years, defined by the growing chasm between Netanyahu and Obama. Oren takes us with him from his early days in a Zionist youth group to the process of becoming a diplomat to the every day struggles of diplomacy. He places much emphasis on the failing Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the challenges of the Iranian nuclear power.
Oren writes casually. Despite being over 500 pages, this book had a certain grace to it. It did not feel heavy. If the topics are interesting to you, Oren does a great job at making them accessible. It does feel like a sneak peak into the life of a diplomat, portraying the potential of the job but also the limitations.
In terms of the subjects dealt, this book is a time capsule. It's fascinating to read nowadays. For example, Oren describes the skepticism about the Iron Dome air defense system. At the time, it was just at the beginning and people did not believe it was worth it. Nowadays, the Iron Dome is taken granted. This said, Oren also predicted that the Iron Dome wouldn't be enough for Israel to exit the West Bank- Israel is still not technologically advanced enough to stomach a hostile West Bank, even if it has a very expensive solution for rockets.
Another example would be the ICC- Israel's offers to negotiate peace during Obama's term were shut down in part because the Palestinians opted for international recognition in the UN, rather than cooperation with Israel. This is an interesting decision. It prioritized international recognition of Palestine's borders instead of creating a reality where those borders are real. Unsurprisingly, this angered both Israel and the USA. Already then there was the concern that the Palestinians would try angling for the ICC following that recognition and indeed, a decade later, they did.
Quick ICC rant cause I'll enjoy reading this in a few years →
Oren often highlights his dual loyalty, in the best way possible. He is passionately connected to Israel and the US and spends much time arguing that such a connection is only logical, that Israeli values are American values. It was interesting to read this argument- I feel there are also many core identity issues that Israel and the US do not see eye to eye on and that framing that as "friendly disagreements" is an understatement.
Those disagreements were especially interesting in light of MENA issues. I've never considered that Israelis serve as a bridge for intelligence by being so connected to MENA culture but aligned to the West. For example, Obama's hopes for democracy through the Arab Spring and the role Israel plays. Oren sometimes leans into the Israeli perception of Obama as naïve and unaware of how the Middle East works. The focus on the Turkey-Israel flotilla drama was also fascinating.
There's a lot more to say but as always, so much studying awaits. I don't see eye to eye on everything with Oren but I appreciate this sneak peak to the life of a diplomat.
what i'm taking with me
- Oren makes a fantastic point about how people's earliest memories of Israel have shifted. Israel of 1967 was heroic, the underdog facing empires. Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon or operations in Gaza appear far less heroic and that is what younger generations are seeing.
- I felt like this book shows Israelis how they theoretically like to be seen. Like, it uses all of the cliches, from talking about how much Israelis shout at each other to pointing out that Israel is among the happiest countries. He also points out that Jewish Israelis are likely to feel more of a connection with Arab Israelis than with American Jews. There's room to question some parts of this claim.
- This quote from the 2008 war, "... a West Bank Palestinian who grilled me while on air but, once off camera, whispered "whatever you do, don't stop until you crush Hamas". How tragic it is that nothing has changed.
- Reading this was the first time I realized that Israelis don't celebrate the deaths of people assassinated. I can't recall a Bin Laden or Qasem Soleimani speech from any Israeli political leader, nor have I ever seen an Israeli office with posters celebrating any war. At most, the classic is that picture from 1967 of the Western Wall.
------------------
I wish someone would have as much faith in me as Oren has in American-Israeli diplomacy.
Also wow, I love how Israeli-Palestinians issues bring drama wherever they goes, like AOC, if you're this upset about voting on funding the Iron Dome, imagine the "real sense of panic and horror" of people who actually live here.
Review to come!
July 3, 2015
The deadline for a nuclear agreement with Iran passed on June 30th and the odds of eventually coming to an accommodation remain up in the air. The American realpolitik to reach a consensus dates back to the election of Barack Obama who has stressed the diplomatic card in dealing with Iran since his inauguration, and at the same time offered that “all options were on the table.” Iran’s nuclear development in addition to the correct approach in dealing with the Palestinians form the major disagreements between the United States and Israel as is related in Michael Oren, who served as former Israeli ambassador to the United States from 2009 to 2013 new memoir ALLY: MY JOURNEY ACROSS THE AMERICAN-ISRAELI DIVIDE. Oren’s main goal is to impart to the reader his struggle to maintain the “special relationship” between the two countries, and the difficulties he encountered in trying to do so. The key was to keep the “day light” between the positions of the two allies to a minimum. As Oren relates this proved to be very difficult with a new President who had his own agenda for the Middle East. For Barack Obama, diplomacy and economic sanctions were effective tools in dealing with the ayatollahs in Teheran. Opposing Israeli settlement expansion and alluding to the pre-1967 borders for a Palestinian state became his mantra. Throughout his memoir, Oren repeatedly argues why these positions were untenable from an Israeli security perspective and how he went about dealing with an administration that seemed to alternate between pressuring Israel, at times ignoring her needs, and then supporting Tel Aviv when the need arose. The book also explores in depth the relationship between Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a relationship that was fraught with land mines.
ALLY is more than a justification for Israeli policies and trying to get along with an American administration that was difficult to trust. Oren delves into his own background of being born an American and the dual nature of his outlook. Seeing himself as part American and part Israeli, Oren is conflicted at times as he tries to reconcile the differences between the two countries that form his dual persona. Oren’s description of growing up in New Jersey, attending Columbia, and finally making aliya (emigration) to Israel is often clouded by a vision of becoming his own version of an Israeli sabra (Israeli born national). His idealism as it pertains to Israel and Jewish history strongly reeks of a Leon Uris novel. Every harsh event or training he undergoes, be it as a paratrooper or as private citizen is seen in the context of Jewish history in which he places himself. I realize this is a memoir, but this approach can be tiresome. While studying at Princeton in 1983 Oren realized the community of fate that existed between the United States and Israel and the need for a close alliance between the two. It was at this time that Oren was exposed to the toxicity of leftist’s historians and politicians who saw Israel as a bridgehead of western imperialism in the Middle East. It seemed to have made a deep impression on Oren and would be a major theme in his memoir - the hypocritical nature of excoriating Israel and treating the Arabs paternalistically. Oren’s anger is clear as his distress in dealing with the revisionist writings of Israeli historians who question the mythology associated with the 1948 and 1967 wars.
While touring the United States for the Israeli government in 2008, Oren wrote an article where he predicted that should Obama be elected president problems would arise between Tel Aviv and Washington. Obama had revealed his opposition to Israeli settlement building and his support for Palestinian rights as Oren writes that “Obama might be expected to show deeper sympathy for the Palestinian demand for a capital in Jerusalem…and greater flexibility in including Hamas in negotiations,” he further stated that Obama would call for “less saber-rattling and more direct diplomacy and pledged to engage with Syria and Iran.” (44) As Oren details in his memoir these fears came to fruition as soon as Obama was inaugurated. Once ensconced in the oval office according to Oren the appointment of George Mitchell, the former Maine Senator as America’s top Middle East negotiator did not bode well for Israel as in the past he had exonerated Yasir Arafat from any involvement in the Second Intifada. Further, Obama appointed Jim Jones as his National Security Advisor who had been very critical of Israel when he was the Department of State enjoy to the region in 2007. In addition, Obama’s first presidential interview was with Al Arabiya, where he emphasized his Moslem family connections and the desire to restore relations in the region to “where they were twenty or thirty years ago.” (49) In dealing with Iran as the IAEA reported they had produced enough low-enriched uranium to produce one nuclear weapon, but instead the United States concentrated on Israel to suspend all settlement construction and endorse a two state solution at the same time Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, turned down Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s offer for Palestinian statehood. It seemed to Oren that Obama’s mind was preset no matter what circumstances might hold. In 2009, Oren was chosen Israeli ambassador to the United States and many labeled him as “Bibi’s mouthpiece” in Washington. As any ambassador, Oren presented the position of his government as best he could. Portraying himself as somewhat of a referee between Obama and Netanyahu the reader is presented with a window into the Israeli Prime Minister’s background and belief system, and how he went about bridging the gap between these two diverse men.
Oren offers numerous examples of disagreements, anger, and outright hostility between Israel and the United States during his ambassadorship. Condemnation of Israeli actions in Gaza, but none against Assad’s murderous policy in Syria or Iran’s crackdown on the Green Revolution was viewed from Tel Aviv as hypocritical. The overriding issue for Obama was to obtain a settlement freeze to bring Abbas to the negotiating table. For Oren, Obama was doing Abbas’s dirty work because the President would pressure Israel, but the Palestinian leader would offer nothing in return. Obama rarely addressed Israeli sensitivities and seemed to always criticize Israeli actions, be it in Gaza or elsewhere, but he never mentioned Hamas rockets that were landing in Israel. Overall, for Oren, Obama, either did not care to learn, or just chose to ignore the nuances needed in dealing with conflict in the Middle East. An excellent example would be the Obama administration’s response to the Arab spring. For the president events in Tunisia and Egypt were a call for democratic government, living in the region, Israel saw events through a different lens as they felt the Arab reaction was due to humiliation and a loss of dignity. The resulting elevation of the Moslem Brotherhood, a ”political cousin” to Hamas, and American comments supporting the new Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi who immediately began supplying weapons to Hamas was unacceptable to Israel. Further, Obama stated on May 18, 2011 that “We believe the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps,” raising the question in Israel as to why the Palestinian Authority was being rewarded when they had stonewalled negotiations for two years.
Perhaps Oren’s best chapter is entitled, “the Years of Affliction.” The year 2011 had been rife with crisis. The flotilla incident with Turkey as Islamic jihadists had joined a supply flotilla designed to arm and supply Hamas forces in Gaza resulted in the death of Turkish nationals when Israeli forces tried to board a ship and were met with gunfire. A year later, to assuage Obama, Netanyahu agreed to apologize to Turkish Prime Minister Recip Tayyip Erdogan. When all seemed under control and the apology was issued, the Turkish president responded by bragging how he humiliated Israel and would break the blockade of Gaza by force. The Iranian nuclear controversy grew more and more heated throughout the year and Obama pressed for a diplomatic solution employing sanctions and the Israelis worried that there window to stop Iran was fast closing. More and more Israel felt its “Qualitative Military Edge” over its enemies was narrowing, while Washington, who historically was committed to its maintenance disagreed. On the Israeli domestic side, the Carmel forest fire was a threat to Haifa and was finally controlled, this time with American aid. For the United States, its funding of the Iron Dome weapons system to protect Israel from Hamas rockets was enough support, and it refused to condemn Hamas even when it used human shields to protect its launch sites.
Oren’s chapter dealing with Israel’s portrayal in the American media is very interesting. He sees this as a matter of Israeli national security and spends a great deal of time parsing how Israel is presented. He is concerned there is an anti-Israel bias that has become so pervasive that even the New York Times, Washington Post, and 60 Minutes seem to be purveyors of an image of Israel that their enemies have created. He points to a 60 Minutes feature that accuses Israel of persecuting Christians. The details Oren provides are explicit and argues against the myth that Jews control the American media as even reporters like Thomas Friedman have been inadvertently coopted into this cabal. If in fact this is true, Oren might be on to something or perhaps Israel has become a victim of the new digital world, and the recent media sophistication of its enemies.
The question as to whether the Obama administration would defend Israel against an Iranian nuclear attack is a major theme in the book and encompasses Netanyahu’s frustration with the president. This carries over to Obama’s second term when he replaced what Oren viewed as a fairly pro-Israeli group headed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta with Chuck Hagel, who refused to label Hezbollah as a terrorist group, and John Kerry who Oren believes has a soft spot for the Palestinians. Whether Oren’s observations are true or not is beside the point, this is an Israeli perception that affects the relationship with the only democratically elected government in the Middle East. It is obvious that it is very difficult to work with Benjamin Netanyahu at times, as highlighted by his reelection campaign, but the American-Israeli relationship is extremely important in terms of the national security interests of both countries. At times it seems that Oren goes overboard and is a bit polemical, but that can be the nature of a memoir. Perhaps Oren should stick to narrative history as his books; JUNE, 1967 and POWER, FAITH, AND FANTASY: AMERICA IN THE MIDDLE EAST are excellent. Overall, this a provocative “kiss and tell” memoir, and is important in understanding how Israel thinks of their plight living in the midst of a hostile neighborhood.
ALLY is more than a justification for Israeli policies and trying to get along with an American administration that was difficult to trust. Oren delves into his own background of being born an American and the dual nature of his outlook. Seeing himself as part American and part Israeli, Oren is conflicted at times as he tries to reconcile the differences between the two countries that form his dual persona. Oren’s description of growing up in New Jersey, attending Columbia, and finally making aliya (emigration) to Israel is often clouded by a vision of becoming his own version of an Israeli sabra (Israeli born national). His idealism as it pertains to Israel and Jewish history strongly reeks of a Leon Uris novel. Every harsh event or training he undergoes, be it as a paratrooper or as private citizen is seen in the context of Jewish history in which he places himself. I realize this is a memoir, but this approach can be tiresome. While studying at Princeton in 1983 Oren realized the community of fate that existed between the United States and Israel and the need for a close alliance between the two. It was at this time that Oren was exposed to the toxicity of leftist’s historians and politicians who saw Israel as a bridgehead of western imperialism in the Middle East. It seemed to have made a deep impression on Oren and would be a major theme in his memoir - the hypocritical nature of excoriating Israel and treating the Arabs paternalistically. Oren’s anger is clear as his distress in dealing with the revisionist writings of Israeli historians who question the mythology associated with the 1948 and 1967 wars.
While touring the United States for the Israeli government in 2008, Oren wrote an article where he predicted that should Obama be elected president problems would arise between Tel Aviv and Washington. Obama had revealed his opposition to Israeli settlement building and his support for Palestinian rights as Oren writes that “Obama might be expected to show deeper sympathy for the Palestinian demand for a capital in Jerusalem…and greater flexibility in including Hamas in negotiations,” he further stated that Obama would call for “less saber-rattling and more direct diplomacy and pledged to engage with Syria and Iran.” (44) As Oren details in his memoir these fears came to fruition as soon as Obama was inaugurated. Once ensconced in the oval office according to Oren the appointment of George Mitchell, the former Maine Senator as America’s top Middle East negotiator did not bode well for Israel as in the past he had exonerated Yasir Arafat from any involvement in the Second Intifada. Further, Obama appointed Jim Jones as his National Security Advisor who had been very critical of Israel when he was the Department of State enjoy to the region in 2007. In addition, Obama’s first presidential interview was with Al Arabiya, where he emphasized his Moslem family connections and the desire to restore relations in the region to “where they were twenty or thirty years ago.” (49) In dealing with Iran as the IAEA reported they had produced enough low-enriched uranium to produce one nuclear weapon, but instead the United States concentrated on Israel to suspend all settlement construction and endorse a two state solution at the same time Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, turned down Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s offer for Palestinian statehood. It seemed to Oren that Obama’s mind was preset no matter what circumstances might hold. In 2009, Oren was chosen Israeli ambassador to the United States and many labeled him as “Bibi’s mouthpiece” in Washington. As any ambassador, Oren presented the position of his government as best he could. Portraying himself as somewhat of a referee between Obama and Netanyahu the reader is presented with a window into the Israeli Prime Minister’s background and belief system, and how he went about bridging the gap between these two diverse men.
Oren offers numerous examples of disagreements, anger, and outright hostility between Israel and the United States during his ambassadorship. Condemnation of Israeli actions in Gaza, but none against Assad’s murderous policy in Syria or Iran’s crackdown on the Green Revolution was viewed from Tel Aviv as hypocritical. The overriding issue for Obama was to obtain a settlement freeze to bring Abbas to the negotiating table. For Oren, Obama was doing Abbas’s dirty work because the President would pressure Israel, but the Palestinian leader would offer nothing in return. Obama rarely addressed Israeli sensitivities and seemed to always criticize Israeli actions, be it in Gaza or elsewhere, but he never mentioned Hamas rockets that were landing in Israel. Overall, for Oren, Obama, either did not care to learn, or just chose to ignore the nuances needed in dealing with conflict in the Middle East. An excellent example would be the Obama administration’s response to the Arab spring. For the president events in Tunisia and Egypt were a call for democratic government, living in the region, Israel saw events through a different lens as they felt the Arab reaction was due to humiliation and a loss of dignity. The resulting elevation of the Moslem Brotherhood, a ”political cousin” to Hamas, and American comments supporting the new Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi who immediately began supplying weapons to Hamas was unacceptable to Israel. Further, Obama stated on May 18, 2011 that “We believe the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps,” raising the question in Israel as to why the Palestinian Authority was being rewarded when they had stonewalled negotiations for two years.
Perhaps Oren’s best chapter is entitled, “the Years of Affliction.” The year 2011 had been rife with crisis. The flotilla incident with Turkey as Islamic jihadists had joined a supply flotilla designed to arm and supply Hamas forces in Gaza resulted in the death of Turkish nationals when Israeli forces tried to board a ship and were met with gunfire. A year later, to assuage Obama, Netanyahu agreed to apologize to Turkish Prime Minister Recip Tayyip Erdogan. When all seemed under control and the apology was issued, the Turkish president responded by bragging how he humiliated Israel and would break the blockade of Gaza by force. The Iranian nuclear controversy grew more and more heated throughout the year and Obama pressed for a diplomatic solution employing sanctions and the Israelis worried that there window to stop Iran was fast closing. More and more Israel felt its “Qualitative Military Edge” over its enemies was narrowing, while Washington, who historically was committed to its maintenance disagreed. On the Israeli domestic side, the Carmel forest fire was a threat to Haifa and was finally controlled, this time with American aid. For the United States, its funding of the Iron Dome weapons system to protect Israel from Hamas rockets was enough support, and it refused to condemn Hamas even when it used human shields to protect its launch sites.
Oren’s chapter dealing with Israel’s portrayal in the American media is very interesting. He sees this as a matter of Israeli national security and spends a great deal of time parsing how Israel is presented. He is concerned there is an anti-Israel bias that has become so pervasive that even the New York Times, Washington Post, and 60 Minutes seem to be purveyors of an image of Israel that their enemies have created. He points to a 60 Minutes feature that accuses Israel of persecuting Christians. The details Oren provides are explicit and argues against the myth that Jews control the American media as even reporters like Thomas Friedman have been inadvertently coopted into this cabal. If in fact this is true, Oren might be on to something or perhaps Israel has become a victim of the new digital world, and the recent media sophistication of its enemies.
The question as to whether the Obama administration would defend Israel against an Iranian nuclear attack is a major theme in the book and encompasses Netanyahu’s frustration with the president. This carries over to Obama’s second term when he replaced what Oren viewed as a fairly pro-Israeli group headed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta with Chuck Hagel, who refused to label Hezbollah as a terrorist group, and John Kerry who Oren believes has a soft spot for the Palestinians. Whether Oren’s observations are true or not is beside the point, this is an Israeli perception that affects the relationship with the only democratically elected government in the Middle East. It is obvious that it is very difficult to work with Benjamin Netanyahu at times, as highlighted by his reelection campaign, but the American-Israeli relationship is extremely important in terms of the national security interests of both countries. At times it seems that Oren goes overboard and is a bit polemical, but that can be the nature of a memoir. Perhaps Oren should stick to narrative history as his books; JUNE, 1967 and POWER, FAITH, AND FANTASY: AMERICA IN THE MIDDLE EAST are excellent. Overall, this a provocative “kiss and tell” memoir, and is important in understanding how Israel thinks of their plight living in the midst of a hostile neighborhood.
October 6, 2015
I thought Ally was very much on target and it confirmed my opinions on the state of American-Israeli relations. I also agreed with Oren's insights regarding American Jews feelings towards Israel, or lack thereof, as well as Israel's "PR problem".
One particular section under the heading "Hatchet Jobs", was shocking though not surprising... I am quoting Oren's discussion with the NYT Op-Ed editor Andy Rosenthal regarding fact checking.
"Most malicious was the op-ed page of The New York Times, once revered as an interface of ideas, now sadly reduced to a sounding board for only one, which often excluded Israel's legitimacy. The page's contributors accused Israel of ethnic cleansing, brutal militarism, racism of several stripes, and even "pinkwashing" - exploiting its liberal policy toward lesbians and gays to cover up is oppression of Palestinians. After awhile, I simply gave up trying to debunk such lunacy. Only once, when an op-ed by Mahmoud Abbas suggested that the Arabs had accepted the UN's Partition Plan in 1947 while Israel rejected it, did I feel compelled to phone the page's editor, Andy Rosenthal."
"When I write for the Times, fact checkers examine every word I write," I began. 'Did anyone check whether Abbas has his facts exactly backward?'
'That's your opinion,' Rosenthal replied.
'I'm an historian, Andy, and there are opinions and facts. That the Arabs rejected partition and the Jews accepted it is an irrefutable fact.'
'In your view.'
'Tell me, on June 6, 1944, did Allied forces land or did they not land on Normandy Beach?'
"Rosenthal, the son of a Pulitzer Prize-winning Times reporter and famed executive editor, replied, 'Some might say so.'"
Ally is an engaging, thought-provoking and heart-felt memoir which will open up many eyes as to the challenges Israel faces and strives to overcome.
One particular section under the heading "Hatchet Jobs", was shocking though not surprising... I am quoting Oren's discussion with the NYT Op-Ed editor Andy Rosenthal regarding fact checking.
"Most malicious was the op-ed page of The New York Times, once revered as an interface of ideas, now sadly reduced to a sounding board for only one, which often excluded Israel's legitimacy. The page's contributors accused Israel of ethnic cleansing, brutal militarism, racism of several stripes, and even "pinkwashing" - exploiting its liberal policy toward lesbians and gays to cover up is oppression of Palestinians. After awhile, I simply gave up trying to debunk such lunacy. Only once, when an op-ed by Mahmoud Abbas suggested that the Arabs had accepted the UN's Partition Plan in 1947 while Israel rejected it, did I feel compelled to phone the page's editor, Andy Rosenthal."
"When I write for the Times, fact checkers examine every word I write," I began. 'Did anyone check whether Abbas has his facts exactly backward?'
'That's your opinion,' Rosenthal replied.
'I'm an historian, Andy, and there are opinions and facts. That the Arabs rejected partition and the Jews accepted it is an irrefutable fact.'
'In your view.'
'Tell me, on June 6, 1944, did Allied forces land or did they not land on Normandy Beach?'
"Rosenthal, the son of a Pulitzer Prize-winning Times reporter and famed executive editor, replied, 'Some might say so.'"
Ally is an engaging, thought-provoking and heart-felt memoir which will open up many eyes as to the challenges Israel faces and strives to overcome.
July 9, 2015
A very powerful and timely book about the treatment of an important ally since 2008. Oren does a good job not only discussing the actions of the US but equally balances some of the more questionable actions taken by the Israelis especially early on. Still its flabbergasting after completing this book that this has become the state of affairs between two amazing allies thanks to a single man's worldview. Even more important with recent news about on-going Iranian nuclear talks.
November 23, 2015
I don't know what led me to believe this would be a fair (or even insightful) look into US-Israel relations. Perhaps it was the candor and even-handedness of Ari Shavit's great book "My Promised Land". However I came to read this book, I was clearly duped. This was a politically written account of Israel during the Obama Administration straight from Netanyahu's mouth. No perspective, no introspection, no sympathy (or empathy) for the Palestinians who live under Israeli occupation. Is Israel a country with enemies? Of course. But to completely write off terrorism as if it just came out of the sky, and is in no way influenced by the continued building of settlements (which the UN calls illegal) in the West Bank, or the continued occupation of Gaza, is just madness.
November 7, 2023
Years ago I read Six Days of War and Power, Faith and Fantasy by Oren. Little did I know that at the time I was reading those books, he was the Ambassador to the US for Israel.
This is his memoir of the years working as Benjamin Netanyahu’s ambassador during the Obama years. Boy, that was not an easy task; and I truly wish America had done better by Israel.
Ages: 16+
Content Considerations: unfortunately there was a lot of swearing - though it did help that it was clumped together (for the most part) into two sections that lasted a minute or two and happening with a particular person: around ten f-words, sh*t twice, b*st*rd.
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This is his memoir of the years working as Benjamin Netanyahu’s ambassador during the Obama years. Boy, that was not an easy task; and I truly wish America had done better by Israel.
Ages: 16+
Content Considerations: unfortunately there was a lot of swearing - though it did help that it was clumped together (for the most part) into two sections that lasted a minute or two and happening with a particular person: around ten f-words, sh*t twice, b*st*rd.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
July 15, 2015
A must read for anyone worried as I am about the survival of Israel and the Iranian bomb.
August 22, 2015
Michael Oren covers decades of his involvement with Israel and America. For almost half a century he has loved both countries, demonstrating his respect and admiration for both. In this book, he tries to illuminate the magnificence and beauty of Israel’s accomplishments and the value of its achievements and its democracy to the rest of the world; it is a democracy that stands alone in the heart of a Middle East surrounded by enemies that have tried to annihilate it in the past and still want to in the present. He concentrates on revealing the relationship between Israel and America as it morphed over several administrations. To this end, he often points out the unjust ways in which Israel has often been portrayed by the United Nations, the Palestinians and, recently, by the United States, under the guise of the Obama administration.
Consistently in the Arab/Israeli crisis, a one sided view has been presented to the world by the Arab nations and the UN, but, for the first time, it has been maligned by an American administration, as well. Whether or not you agree with the current President’s policies toward any of the countries in the Middle East, it is a fact that never before has any President or its administration been so condemnatory and, to coin my own term, “uneven-handed” when dealing with Israel or its leaders. Heretofore, the image of Israel was important to the leaders of the United States, and it would never endanger it, or make more vulnerable, that tiny nation, by exhibiting loose lips announcing negative interpretations of events, carelessly assigning blame to Israel for casualties incurred while defending itself against attacks. Never before has the US openly sided with terrorists that launched the attacks. Some might say that this administration has taken the shaming of Israel to an art form by also employing Jews to do the dirty work, in many cases; Jews like Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod, who represent the extreme left wing of the Democrat party and not necessarily the best interests of Israel, are vocally negative and even insulting, stooping to name-calling. The carefully chosen and perhaps naïve Jews and liberals have been placed in positions of importance to send messages that have presented a more destructive picture of Jews and Israel than ever before, creating more danger for Jews everywhere as evidenced by an increasing amount of anti-Semitism worldwide.
When America indicates its disinterest and perhaps its lessened concern for the support of Israel, it is open season on such behavior everywhere. Sadly, this administration has often undermined Israel’s image while at the same time it has strengthened and propped up the image of Arab countries, dictatorships and terrorists, dismissing their behavior, often downplaying it, and reprimanding Israel and its leaders for exercising their right to defend themselves, publicly considering their methods unnecessarily heavy-handed, even while saying they have the right to defend themselves from the attacks which themselves are not called heavy-handed. The administrations remarks underplay the fear that Israel’s citizens are forced to live with everyday, of rockets launched into their country intended to destroy their cities and maim and murder as many victims as they can in an attempt to wipe Israel from the face of the map and/or to destroy its economy and tourism industry.
While the leaders of the United States swear they have Israel covered, that they have its back, they send mixed messages with the world watching as the U.S. constantly retreats from promises it has made finding one or another eloquent excuse. Obama is a very able speaker, but sometimes his words and his actions do not converge. Obama encouraged the Arab Spring with his speech in Cairo, but then did little to encourage democracy there. His actions did not speak louder than his words. Rewording a quote, he seems to speak loudly but carries a small stick, unlike Theodore Roosevelt. For failures, he blames everyone else. He has blamed George Bush’s invasion of Iraq for the rise of Isis when it was his failed Middle Eastern policies and early withdrawals from countries that needed our support that caused it to spread. He has drawn red lines which behave like a moveable feast, repositioning themselves or even disappearing as needed. Humiliating Israel and its leaders for misdemeanors while ignoring the Palestinian felonies should have decent Americans up in arms. Muslims are demanding an end to Israel. These are the same people who took down the Towers, the same who demand, as well, death to America. One has to wonder if Obama’s administration is more interested in his legacy than in preserving world peace and America’s superiority and honor. He insists that the Americans have no stomach for war, but do they have a stomach for the ultimate chaos that will ensue when the world spirals out of control, when nuclear weapons proliferate?
As each page turns, the reader is given a glimpse of what went on behind the scenes during various important negotiations and conversations, during times when there were differences of opinion, during times that the Obama administration tried to dictate Israeli politics, even as it criticized Israel’s attempt to influence that of America. Obama often stroked one side of the Israeli cheek as he slapped the other in an embarrassing public display. An interesting comment was made by Oren at the end of his book. He stated that, ironically, Arab enemies have grown closer to their Israeli enemy in their common fear of the American President. Too often, he says one thing and does another, he does not support his allies, he betrays his friends and reneges on promises, he exacts retribution for perceived slights; as the adult in the room, he has very thin skin. Because of his past performance, can he be trusted? He tends to speak out of both sides of his mouth, using double speak to avoid taking a stand, and when a stand is taken, he often does not defend his own position and is slow or unwilling to act in a timely fashion. His goal does not always appear to be to protect our allies or Israel, as all other Presidents have done, instead he seems to want to preserve the global alliances and diminish the importance of America as a superpower in the world. He wants the U.S. to be reduced to just another member of the UN, another country at the negotiating table, but a country without its former power.
If the current situation continues, Jews may soon have to come to grips with their new disdained world status, made worse by Obama’s politics, made worse by his threats of same, and perhaps by his effort to make it a self-fulfilling prophecy, and by their own behavior, by not acting in their own self-interest. There is an increase in the jaded views of Jews themselves; they have forgotten the words “never again” and could be setting the stage for another genocide. They appear to be worshiping at the feet of the God of Pollyanna, while they ignore the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, fooling themselves into believing they are only “Americans” as they once thought they were only “Germans”. But they were then and are now, simply Jews. Do they not see that this administration has begun to mirror the behavior of the UN, which has always been anti Israel and pro-Palestinian, ignoring the terrorist attacks, ignoring the fact that they started the wars, and that their lies were often inaccurate portrayals of the truth, yet their side was always accepted as gospel and publicized while Israel, although innocent, was condemned?
One must, in the end, ask why Obama’s administration has deliberately shown such disrespect to the leader of Israel. Do American Jews want Netanyahu to be blackmailed by Obama? Bibi lost a brother in the fight for Israel, the country that welcomes all Jews to one degree or another. Former Ambassador Oren also gave up a family member and suffered the injury of another, in the support of Israel. His wife’s sister died in a bus bombing and his son was wounded during his tour of duty. So how can any outsiders, especially those who have not made any superlative sacrifices, even presume to decide what is good for Israelis or what will benefit Israel, other than Israelis? This is the first administration to demand that Israel return to pre 1967 borders, not only an impossibility, but a non-negotiable item because it would endanger the security of Israel. The demand was made deliberately, to put Israel between a rock and a hard place, to embarrass the Netanyahu government and to influence the Israeli elections, the very objection he voiced when Netanyahu addressed our Congress when he was running for reelection. Obama’s efforts backfired, but it doesn’t diminish the interference or damage done by the demand. After reading this book, if nothing else, the reader should begin to wonder whether or not the United States is serious about having not only Israel’s back, but any ally’s back.
Oren has placed the reader’s eye and ear to the door of meetings that were not made public. He was prescient in his deductions but his warnings concerning Obama’s foreign policy went unheeded allowing Obama to single-mindedly continue to pursue his agenda. The reader will have to decide this for themselves, but there is ample information in this book to make them question the policies of the current government when it comes to dealing with all of its allies. Its many mistakes and unfulfilled promises have gone unreported or under reported by a liberal media that is engineering the presentation of news and information in order to support Obama. Honestly speaking, when a President implies that all those who disagree with him are stupid, how many do you believe will be courageous enough to stand up and disagree? Yet, what if it is the current administration’s policies that are stupid or faulty and the results wind up being deadly for Israel in the short term and Jews everywhere, in the long term? Read the book think seriously about why Obama is relinquishing our power by giving credence and rights, regarding Israel, to a UN that has been unfairly judging it for years. Is this administration going to say that giving the UN greater power and the Palestinians recognition is also the best deal that they can get, and it is better than no deal, as they have been saying about the deal with Iran? When it is once again too late because America has dragged its feet when coming to the table and/or its senses, will that excuse still be acceptable?
The flower children of the 60’s, preoccupied with sex and drugs, carrying flowers and smoking peace pipes, in the end only accomplished the dumbing down of our current culture. They are the professors and J Street followers of today, they are the mentors who are teaching our children. Naively, they believe that being pro-Palestinian is equal to being pro-peace when, in actuality, if their agenda succeeds, it probably signals the end of Israel as a Jewish state. All over college campuses evidence of anti-Israel sentiment and efforts to boycott Israel are rampant and increasing, largely due to their misguided efforts. They are Jews fighting Jews, and the world loves that circus. Political correctness is alive and well too, maligning those who disagree with their efforts and shutting down any dialogue by labeling it racism or making some other disparaging remark effectively shutting down the very free speech college used to foster, the very atmosphere where ideas used to germinate and grow.
A criticism of the book has been that it is self-serving, if it is, what was Obama’s reason for writing his many books, or Hillary’s for that matter? Regardless of where the reader stands on an issue, what cannot be denied is the double standard used when it comes to dealing with Israel when compared to other Middle Eastern nations or even African nations that frequently commit genocide. Sadly, Obama’s behavior has encouraged, intended or not, an atmosphere which has proliferated anti-Semitism, boycotts of Israel and chaos all around the Middle East and the world. To deny those facts is to deny reality. The book should be read and analyzed by every thinking Jew as well as every thinking American, because knowledge is the best weapon. When Americans finally have a stomach for war or for a show of strength, will it be too late?
Consistently in the Arab/Israeli crisis, a one sided view has been presented to the world by the Arab nations and the UN, but, for the first time, it has been maligned by an American administration, as well. Whether or not you agree with the current President’s policies toward any of the countries in the Middle East, it is a fact that never before has any President or its administration been so condemnatory and, to coin my own term, “uneven-handed” when dealing with Israel or its leaders. Heretofore, the image of Israel was important to the leaders of the United States, and it would never endanger it, or make more vulnerable, that tiny nation, by exhibiting loose lips announcing negative interpretations of events, carelessly assigning blame to Israel for casualties incurred while defending itself against attacks. Never before has the US openly sided with terrorists that launched the attacks. Some might say that this administration has taken the shaming of Israel to an art form by also employing Jews to do the dirty work, in many cases; Jews like Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod, who represent the extreme left wing of the Democrat party and not necessarily the best interests of Israel, are vocally negative and even insulting, stooping to name-calling. The carefully chosen and perhaps naïve Jews and liberals have been placed in positions of importance to send messages that have presented a more destructive picture of Jews and Israel than ever before, creating more danger for Jews everywhere as evidenced by an increasing amount of anti-Semitism worldwide.
When America indicates its disinterest and perhaps its lessened concern for the support of Israel, it is open season on such behavior everywhere. Sadly, this administration has often undermined Israel’s image while at the same time it has strengthened and propped up the image of Arab countries, dictatorships and terrorists, dismissing their behavior, often downplaying it, and reprimanding Israel and its leaders for exercising their right to defend themselves, publicly considering their methods unnecessarily heavy-handed, even while saying they have the right to defend themselves from the attacks which themselves are not called heavy-handed. The administrations remarks underplay the fear that Israel’s citizens are forced to live with everyday, of rockets launched into their country intended to destroy their cities and maim and murder as many victims as they can in an attempt to wipe Israel from the face of the map and/or to destroy its economy and tourism industry.
While the leaders of the United States swear they have Israel covered, that they have its back, they send mixed messages with the world watching as the U.S. constantly retreats from promises it has made finding one or another eloquent excuse. Obama is a very able speaker, but sometimes his words and his actions do not converge. Obama encouraged the Arab Spring with his speech in Cairo, but then did little to encourage democracy there. His actions did not speak louder than his words. Rewording a quote, he seems to speak loudly but carries a small stick, unlike Theodore Roosevelt. For failures, he blames everyone else. He has blamed George Bush’s invasion of Iraq for the rise of Isis when it was his failed Middle Eastern policies and early withdrawals from countries that needed our support that caused it to spread. He has drawn red lines which behave like a moveable feast, repositioning themselves or even disappearing as needed. Humiliating Israel and its leaders for misdemeanors while ignoring the Palestinian felonies should have decent Americans up in arms. Muslims are demanding an end to Israel. These are the same people who took down the Towers, the same who demand, as well, death to America. One has to wonder if Obama’s administration is more interested in his legacy than in preserving world peace and America’s superiority and honor. He insists that the Americans have no stomach for war, but do they have a stomach for the ultimate chaos that will ensue when the world spirals out of control, when nuclear weapons proliferate?
As each page turns, the reader is given a glimpse of what went on behind the scenes during various important negotiations and conversations, during times when there were differences of opinion, during times that the Obama administration tried to dictate Israeli politics, even as it criticized Israel’s attempt to influence that of America. Obama often stroked one side of the Israeli cheek as he slapped the other in an embarrassing public display. An interesting comment was made by Oren at the end of his book. He stated that, ironically, Arab enemies have grown closer to their Israeli enemy in their common fear of the American President. Too often, he says one thing and does another, he does not support his allies, he betrays his friends and reneges on promises, he exacts retribution for perceived slights; as the adult in the room, he has very thin skin. Because of his past performance, can he be trusted? He tends to speak out of both sides of his mouth, using double speak to avoid taking a stand, and when a stand is taken, he often does not defend his own position and is slow or unwilling to act in a timely fashion. His goal does not always appear to be to protect our allies or Israel, as all other Presidents have done, instead he seems to want to preserve the global alliances and diminish the importance of America as a superpower in the world. He wants the U.S. to be reduced to just another member of the UN, another country at the negotiating table, but a country without its former power.
If the current situation continues, Jews may soon have to come to grips with their new disdained world status, made worse by Obama’s politics, made worse by his threats of same, and perhaps by his effort to make it a self-fulfilling prophecy, and by their own behavior, by not acting in their own self-interest. There is an increase in the jaded views of Jews themselves; they have forgotten the words “never again” and could be setting the stage for another genocide. They appear to be worshiping at the feet of the God of Pollyanna, while they ignore the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, fooling themselves into believing they are only “Americans” as they once thought they were only “Germans”. But they were then and are now, simply Jews. Do they not see that this administration has begun to mirror the behavior of the UN, which has always been anti Israel and pro-Palestinian, ignoring the terrorist attacks, ignoring the fact that they started the wars, and that their lies were often inaccurate portrayals of the truth, yet their side was always accepted as gospel and publicized while Israel, although innocent, was condemned?
One must, in the end, ask why Obama’s administration has deliberately shown such disrespect to the leader of Israel. Do American Jews want Netanyahu to be blackmailed by Obama? Bibi lost a brother in the fight for Israel, the country that welcomes all Jews to one degree or another. Former Ambassador Oren also gave up a family member and suffered the injury of another, in the support of Israel. His wife’s sister died in a bus bombing and his son was wounded during his tour of duty. So how can any outsiders, especially those who have not made any superlative sacrifices, even presume to decide what is good for Israelis or what will benefit Israel, other than Israelis? This is the first administration to demand that Israel return to pre 1967 borders, not only an impossibility, but a non-negotiable item because it would endanger the security of Israel. The demand was made deliberately, to put Israel between a rock and a hard place, to embarrass the Netanyahu government and to influence the Israeli elections, the very objection he voiced when Netanyahu addressed our Congress when he was running for reelection. Obama’s efforts backfired, but it doesn’t diminish the interference or damage done by the demand. After reading this book, if nothing else, the reader should begin to wonder whether or not the United States is serious about having not only Israel’s back, but any ally’s back.
Oren has placed the reader’s eye and ear to the door of meetings that were not made public. He was prescient in his deductions but his warnings concerning Obama’s foreign policy went unheeded allowing Obama to single-mindedly continue to pursue his agenda. The reader will have to decide this for themselves, but there is ample information in this book to make them question the policies of the current government when it comes to dealing with all of its allies. Its many mistakes and unfulfilled promises have gone unreported or under reported by a liberal media that is engineering the presentation of news and information in order to support Obama. Honestly speaking, when a President implies that all those who disagree with him are stupid, how many do you believe will be courageous enough to stand up and disagree? Yet, what if it is the current administration’s policies that are stupid or faulty and the results wind up being deadly for Israel in the short term and Jews everywhere, in the long term? Read the book think seriously about why Obama is relinquishing our power by giving credence and rights, regarding Israel, to a UN that has been unfairly judging it for years. Is this administration going to say that giving the UN greater power and the Palestinians recognition is also the best deal that they can get, and it is better than no deal, as they have been saying about the deal with Iran? When it is once again too late because America has dragged its feet when coming to the table and/or its senses, will that excuse still be acceptable?
The flower children of the 60’s, preoccupied with sex and drugs, carrying flowers and smoking peace pipes, in the end only accomplished the dumbing down of our current culture. They are the professors and J Street followers of today, they are the mentors who are teaching our children. Naively, they believe that being pro-Palestinian is equal to being pro-peace when, in actuality, if their agenda succeeds, it probably signals the end of Israel as a Jewish state. All over college campuses evidence of anti-Israel sentiment and efforts to boycott Israel are rampant and increasing, largely due to their misguided efforts. They are Jews fighting Jews, and the world loves that circus. Political correctness is alive and well too, maligning those who disagree with their efforts and shutting down any dialogue by labeling it racism or making some other disparaging remark effectively shutting down the very free speech college used to foster, the very atmosphere where ideas used to germinate and grow.
A criticism of the book has been that it is self-serving, if it is, what was Obama’s reason for writing his many books, or Hillary’s for that matter? Regardless of where the reader stands on an issue, what cannot be denied is the double standard used when it comes to dealing with Israel when compared to other Middle Eastern nations or even African nations that frequently commit genocide. Sadly, Obama’s behavior has encouraged, intended or not, an atmosphere which has proliferated anti-Semitism, boycotts of Israel and chaos all around the Middle East and the world. To deny those facts is to deny reality. The book should be read and analyzed by every thinking Jew as well as every thinking American, because knowledge is the best weapon. When Americans finally have a stomach for war or for a show of strength, will it be too late?
Read
December 29, 2020It helped me to understand the pro Israel stance that has always been a mystery to me and lead me down a deep dive into the Israel/Palestine relations
No rating, interesting read.
No rating, interesting read.
November 13, 2015
Michael Oren's book needs some serious fact checking, which is shameful based on his record as a historian. He strays so far from the truth at so many points that it is downright mind boggling. For example, he discusses the 2010 forest fire in the Carmel Forest near Haifa. I am a Haifa resident, I was here during the fire, I know people who died in the fire, and Michael Oren strays so far from the facts on this event that it casts doubt on his book as a whole.
He calls it terrorism, ignoring the fact that a teenager admitted to starting the fire by accident with a shisha coal, and that the Israeli Police themselves closed the case on this. He claims that Israel quickly ran out of firefighting supplies due to being a small country, ignoring the report of the State Comptroller that places the blame for Israel's dismal firefighting ability on mismanagement and corruption of the Interior Minister, Eli Yishai, who diverted firefighting funds to yeshivas. He claims that the fire was put out by Israel alone before the planes arrived, but the fire wasn't put out until after several sorties by foreign aircraft, among them a leased 747 supertanker--which made a huge difference when it arrived. I watched these planes fly by with my own eyes, dumping water on the still burning woods.
The state comptroller's report laid personal responsibility for this mess on the Interior Minister and the Prime Minister, which Oren ignores to save his boss. This part of the book I can fact check for myself. I lived it. If he's this far off here, what else is he lying about?
He calls it terrorism, ignoring the fact that a teenager admitted to starting the fire by accident with a shisha coal, and that the Israeli Police themselves closed the case on this. He claims that Israel quickly ran out of firefighting supplies due to being a small country, ignoring the report of the State Comptroller that places the blame for Israel's dismal firefighting ability on mismanagement and corruption of the Interior Minister, Eli Yishai, who diverted firefighting funds to yeshivas. He claims that the fire was put out by Israel alone before the planes arrived, but the fire wasn't put out until after several sorties by foreign aircraft, among them a leased 747 supertanker--which made a huge difference when it arrived. I watched these planes fly by with my own eyes, dumping water on the still burning woods.
The state comptroller's report laid personal responsibility for this mess on the Interior Minister and the Prime Minister, which Oren ignores to save his boss. This part of the book I can fact check for myself. I lived it. If he's this far off here, what else is he lying about?
January 19, 2016
Pleasurably readable and tremendously insightful book by the Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., who held the position for most of the Obama administration. Oren - American born, raised, and educated; accomplished historian and writer; and "Peace for Galilee" (82 war) IDF paratroop veteran - provides descriptions, analysis and assessment of those events and personalities involved in the U.S.-Israeli relationship during historical times...but not in a typically Washingtonian insider's way. His comments on both Obama and Netanyahu and all their lieutenants are pure gold. This was a fun book to read.
July 2, 2015
Winston Churchill said once “You can always count on Americans to do the right thing - after they've tried everything else.” Reading the book by Michael Oren makes me think that as far as the current administration is concerned, the latter is still true, but former is most likely the wishful thinking.
For me the clear sign of the great book when I feel two contradictory wishes: to get to the last page as soon as possible and to experience the joy of reading the book forever. Outstanding job by former Israeli ambassador to the United States.
For me the clear sign of the great book when I feel two contradictory wishes: to get to the last page as soon as possible and to experience the joy of reading the book forever. Outstanding job by former Israeli ambassador to the United States.
July 15, 2015
The very definition of American-Israeli alliance
Michael Oren grabs your attention and gently and inexorably guides you through the minefield of Israeli and American political relations while introducing the major players, the historic settings and explaining motives and strategy. A fascinating insight from a man who grew up Jewish in New Jersey, raised a family and served in the IDF in Israel, then came to the US as ambassador. A true ally who shows just what that means.
Michael Oren grabs your attention and gently and inexorably guides you through the minefield of Israeli and American political relations while introducing the major players, the historic settings and explaining motives and strategy. A fascinating insight from a man who grew up Jewish in New Jersey, raised a family and served in the IDF in Israel, then came to the US as ambassador. A true ally who shows just what that means.
May 31, 2019
EDIT: Link to Interview: https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-...
ROFL Recent Interview with The New Yorker's Isaac Chotiner:
Oren: It is definitely our right. I think it is our incontrovertible right as Jews to live anywhere in our ancestral homeland.
Chotiner: Really?
Oren: No question. No question about it. Anywhere. And a member of the Sioux nation has a right to live on Sioux-nation territory. These are our tribal lands. The cradle of our civilization.
Chotiner: Just to be clear: You were born in New York, correct?
Oren: I was.
Chotiner: So you think that you, as a Jewish person born in New York, have a right to be anywhere in Israel—
Oren: Absolutely.
Chotiner: Plus the West Bank, plus Gaza.
Oren: Absolutely. Not Gaza. We can debate whether Gaza is part of the land of Israel.
Chotiner: O.K., Israel plus the West Bank.
Oren: Even if you wanted to include Gaza, I’d say absolutely, yeah. The question is what is smart. What’s possible.
Chotiner: Who gave you the right to live anywhere you want in the West Bank? That’s what I am trying to understand.
Oren: Absolutely.
Chotiner: Where did you get that right?
Oren: It’s my heritage for three thousand years. It’s the same exact right I have from where I am talking to you. I am talking to you from Jaffa. I live in Jaffa. The same right I have to live in Jaffa I have in [the settlement] Beit El or Efrat, or in Hebron. Exact same right. Take away one right, the other right makes no sense. By the way, P.S., most of the lands of pre-1967 Israel are not even in the Bible. Haifa is not in the Bible; Tel Aviv is not in the Bible.
Chotiner: O.K., I just want to understand this because I don’t want to misunderstand it. You are saying there are Palestinians living in various areas of the West Bank right now—
Oren: There are, indeed.
Chotiner: —which may or may not at some point become a state. But you are saying that, wherever they are living, they have less right to be there than you as a Jew born in New York.
Oren: I didn’t say that. Don’t impute words to me I didn’t say.
Chotiner: I’m sorry, I thought you just said that.
Oren: No, I did not say that in any way. Listen, I don’t think I want to continue this interview. I don’t think this is a constructive interview. You can do with it—I would like to request you withdraw it. I don’t think you are actually interested in anything I have to say. And that’s been my experience with The New Yorker all the time. You guys are just into delegitimization. You are not really interested. Why don’t we call it quits right here, and I will pull this interview? I am relying on you to do that, as a journalist.
He displayed the same attitude in his book, wherein he recounted cutting off American college students and shaming them if they ever compared Israel to Nazis, or if they ask whether Israel is an apartheid state (I would've done the same as Oren in response to the former).
It's cool to read a book by both a diplomat and an academic historian. And Oren's writing is engaging. He grew up loving both America and Israel, and it was his dream to be Israel's ambassador to the U.S. He offered historical reasons for Americans' strong bond with Israel. I've committed myself to read a serious pro-Israel book.
Nonetheless, the disinformation he provided is quite unsettling. Among the Israeli reviewers on GR, one said that he lied about what occurred during the forest fires in Israel, fabricating facts to protect his boss. I too, have noticed inaccuracies in his book.
He was upset with a 60 minutes segment in which Bob Simon (a Jew) documented the plight of Palestinian Christians being barred from worshiping Jerusalem. He feared that this would jeopardize the Evangelical support on which Israel desperately depends. He claimed the 60 Minutes "But, in the end, the episode would run and feature a single Israeli responder--me." When I looked up the episode on Youtube, I found out it was sheer hogwash. They also interviewed Ari Shavit after Oren.
Anyway, more from his book:
A veteran now of hundreds of interviews, many of them hostile, I was shocked by Simon's venom. For more than one and a half hours--my longest grilling ever--he accused Israel of forcing Christians to flee the Holy Land. I fought back by recalling that in Israel, alone in the Middle East, the Christian population had not diminished but actually grown by 1,000 percent...And why, if Israel's policies since 1967 were so suffocating, had the West Bank's Muslim population tripled?
After interviewing Oren, Simon interviewed Palestinian Christians, who scoffed at the idea that Muslim extremism was the reason they're fleeing the Holy Land. It was Israel building a wall that prevented them from worshipping in Jerusalem.
Elsewhere, he protests too much. Speaking of Israel's granting permission to women to pray at the Western Wall, he says:
But that story never made the mainstream American media. The headlines, rather, called attention to the alleged erosion of human rights in Israel, its oppression of Palestinians, and misuse of military force. And with alarmingly few exceptions, those stories were authored by Jews.
This is true; just about everybody from the media or government giving him a hard time in this book were Jewish. He usually mentions their Jewishness, but there were so many that he couldn't list them all. Some of them had obvious Jewish names (like Jim Steinberg), but the others I checked on Wikipedia. Oren's complaints aside, the suffering of Palestinians has been thoroughly whitewashed from the American media.
He depicts the Obama administration has being obsessed with trying to get Israel to stop building settlements in the West Bank. He constantly complains about the deteriorating in US-Israeli relations. Yet he mentions only in passing Obama's signing of a $38 billion aid package to Israel.
He suspects that Obama's desire to make amends with the Muslim world grew out of a desire to make amends with his Muslim father and Muslim stepfather. Obama's father was actually an atheist.
He also said that Obama was wrong to say that Iron dome didn't do anything for Israel's defense. The leading missiles expert at MIT, Theodore Skocpol, said that it order for it to work it has to hit a rocket head-on, and it only hit 5% of the time.
Very interesting, if whiny book!
ROFL Recent Interview with The New Yorker's Isaac Chotiner:
Oren: It is definitely our right. I think it is our incontrovertible right as Jews to live anywhere in our ancestral homeland.
Chotiner: Really?
Oren: No question. No question about it. Anywhere. And a member of the Sioux nation has a right to live on Sioux-nation territory. These are our tribal lands. The cradle of our civilization.
Chotiner: Just to be clear: You were born in New York, correct?
Oren: I was.
Chotiner: So you think that you, as a Jewish person born in New York, have a right to be anywhere in Israel—
Oren: Absolutely.
Chotiner: Plus the West Bank, plus Gaza.
Oren: Absolutely. Not Gaza. We can debate whether Gaza is part of the land of Israel.
Chotiner: O.K., Israel plus the West Bank.
Oren: Even if you wanted to include Gaza, I’d say absolutely, yeah. The question is what is smart. What’s possible.
Chotiner: Who gave you the right to live anywhere you want in the West Bank? That’s what I am trying to understand.
Oren: Absolutely.
Chotiner: Where did you get that right?
Oren: It’s my heritage for three thousand years. It’s the same exact right I have from where I am talking to you. I am talking to you from Jaffa. I live in Jaffa. The same right I have to live in Jaffa I have in [the settlement] Beit El or Efrat, or in Hebron. Exact same right. Take away one right, the other right makes no sense. By the way, P.S., most of the lands of pre-1967 Israel are not even in the Bible. Haifa is not in the Bible; Tel Aviv is not in the Bible.
Chotiner: O.K., I just want to understand this because I don’t want to misunderstand it. You are saying there are Palestinians living in various areas of the West Bank right now—
Oren: There are, indeed.
Chotiner: —which may or may not at some point become a state. But you are saying that, wherever they are living, they have less right to be there than you as a Jew born in New York.
Oren: I didn’t say that. Don’t impute words to me I didn’t say.
Chotiner: I’m sorry, I thought you just said that.
Oren: No, I did not say that in any way. Listen, I don’t think I want to continue this interview. I don’t think this is a constructive interview. You can do with it—I would like to request you withdraw it. I don’t think you are actually interested in anything I have to say. And that’s been my experience with The New Yorker all the time. You guys are just into delegitimization. You are not really interested. Why don’t we call it quits right here, and I will pull this interview? I am relying on you to do that, as a journalist.
He displayed the same attitude in his book, wherein he recounted cutting off American college students and shaming them if they ever compared Israel to Nazis, or if they ask whether Israel is an apartheid state (I would've done the same as Oren in response to the former).
It's cool to read a book by both a diplomat and an academic historian. And Oren's writing is engaging. He grew up loving both America and Israel, and it was his dream to be Israel's ambassador to the U.S. He offered historical reasons for Americans' strong bond with Israel. I've committed myself to read a serious pro-Israel book.
Nonetheless, the disinformation he provided is quite unsettling. Among the Israeli reviewers on GR, one said that he lied about what occurred during the forest fires in Israel, fabricating facts to protect his boss. I too, have noticed inaccuracies in his book.
He was upset with a 60 minutes segment in which Bob Simon (a Jew) documented the plight of Palestinian Christians being barred from worshiping Jerusalem. He feared that this would jeopardize the Evangelical support on which Israel desperately depends. He claimed the 60 Minutes "But, in the end, the episode would run and feature a single Israeli responder--me." When I looked up the episode on Youtube, I found out it was sheer hogwash. They also interviewed Ari Shavit after Oren.
Anyway, more from his book:
A veteran now of hundreds of interviews, many of them hostile, I was shocked by Simon's venom. For more than one and a half hours--my longest grilling ever--he accused Israel of forcing Christians to flee the Holy Land. I fought back by recalling that in Israel, alone in the Middle East, the Christian population had not diminished but actually grown by 1,000 percent...And why, if Israel's policies since 1967 were so suffocating, had the West Bank's Muslim population tripled?
After interviewing Oren, Simon interviewed Palestinian Christians, who scoffed at the idea that Muslim extremism was the reason they're fleeing the Holy Land. It was Israel building a wall that prevented them from worshipping in Jerusalem.
Elsewhere, he protests too much. Speaking of Israel's granting permission to women to pray at the Western Wall, he says:
But that story never made the mainstream American media. The headlines, rather, called attention to the alleged erosion of human rights in Israel, its oppression of Palestinians, and misuse of military force. And with alarmingly few exceptions, those stories were authored by Jews.
This is true; just about everybody from the media or government giving him a hard time in this book were Jewish. He usually mentions their Jewishness, but there were so many that he couldn't list them all. Some of them had obvious Jewish names (like Jim Steinberg), but the others I checked on Wikipedia. Oren's complaints aside, the suffering of Palestinians has been thoroughly whitewashed from the American media.
He depicts the Obama administration has being obsessed with trying to get Israel to stop building settlements in the West Bank. He constantly complains about the deteriorating in US-Israeli relations. Yet he mentions only in passing Obama's signing of a $38 billion aid package to Israel.
He suspects that Obama's desire to make amends with the Muslim world grew out of a desire to make amends with his Muslim father and Muslim stepfather. Obama's father was actually an atheist.
He also said that Obama was wrong to say that Iron dome didn't do anything for Israel's defense. The leading missiles expert at MIT, Theodore Skocpol, said that it order for it to work it has to hit a rocket head-on, and it only hit 5% of the time.
Very interesting, if whiny book!
December 8, 2023
I absolutely loved this book. It doesn't matter what your politics are; it's well written, incredibly insightful, and frankly just very juicy. It's like a gossip magazine for people who are interested in diplomacy. Moreover, Michael Oren has lived and is living an incredible life. He directly witnessed so many historical events, so regardless of how he views them, it was very very cool to be in his head. I only wish that this memoir kept going, because I would love his insights on diplomacy during the Trump and Biden administrations.
This book would be great to pair with Lessons from the Edge by Marie Yovanovitch. She was a career diplomat who rose to the rank of American ambassador to her family's native country of Ukraine, whereas Oren was an American historian who became his adopted country's ambassador to America. Comparing and contrasting their career paths was interesting for me.
This book would be great to pair with Lessons from the Edge by Marie Yovanovitch. She was a career diplomat who rose to the rank of American ambassador to her family's native country of Ukraine, whereas Oren was an American historian who became his adopted country's ambassador to America. Comparing and contrasting their career paths was interesting for me.
March 25, 2017
Appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, historian Dr. Michael Oren served as Israel's ambassador to the United States of America during most of Barack H. Obama's presidency. In his memoirs entitled "Ally: My Journey Across the American-Israeli Divide", Dr. Oren recalls the series of diplomatic roller-coaster ups and downs he had to endure as a top diplomat. The book keeps a mainly historical perspective of political events, but is also peppered with personal jabs and embarrassing revelations that make it so much more fun to read.
July 13, 2019
A great book about Israel and US relationship among the days of Obama in the White House, beautifully written by a very good writer, a rare treat among autobiographical books of modern history. By the way, every politician takes notice: the best ghost writer you can hire is yourself!
February 19, 2018
I was looking forward to reading this book but was disappointed. A few interesting observations, a few new pieces of information. Mostly, though, a lot of words written in a boring style.
June 25, 2024
It is a decade since Oren was the Israeli ambassador to the United States. In this pertinent memoir of his four-year occupancy of that position, we learn the possible origin of the terrible dilemma that is affecting the US/Israel relationship today. It is not a pretty picture.
When I read the news today, much of Oren's experiences enlighten what is being reported by some and ignored by others. His reportage is entertaining from my cynical point of view.
When I read the news today, much of Oren's experiences enlighten what is being reported by some and ignored by others. His reportage is entertaining from my cynical point of view.
July 26, 2024
the wild Amazone
Ally is an important read for those seeking to understand the complexities of the American-Israeli alliance. Unlike his previous two books, which were written from the perspective of an historian and became New York Times bestsellers, former Israeli ambassador Michael Oren’s latest book is based on his own personal experiences, perceptions and interactions with President Obama and the administration.”—The Huffington Post
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“An irreplaceable trove of insight into what will one day be seen as a momentous historical turn . . . an insider’s account of the dramatic change of America’s behind-the-scenes policy toward the Iranian regime . . . Without ever slipping into hyperbole, the book’s measured narrative seems to confirm a lot of what the administration’s critics have been accusing it of: enabling the Iranian regime rather than really trying to stop it, while putting a vice grip on the increasingly alarmed Israelis.
The Forward
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A revealing new memoir . . . a carefully recalled, detailed and riveting first-hand account of how the Washington-Jerusalem ties have unraveled—undone by mistrust, mistakes, and missed opportunities . . . The cumulative effect is profound—a steady drumbeat of behind-the-scenes examples of diplomatic dissonance.... Adding to the impact is the fact that Oren is neither polemicist nor political partisan.
The Jewish Week
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I don’t know that I’ve ever read a book quite as eye-opening as Michael Oren’s Ally, the bestselling historian’s stunning new memoir of his four years as Israel’s ambassador to the United States. For what Oren has written is an account of serving as a diplomat during a Cold War—the Cold War the Obama administration launched against Israel upon coming to office.... Ally makes it nerve-jangingly clear just how difficult a job it has been for anyone to serve as a guardian of the special relationship between Israel and the United States.
Commentary
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Oren’s new memoir—an unprecedented case of a former public servant so quickly writing up sometimes intimate revelations on acutely sensitive core issues—does not describe an alliance. . . . Oren’s style is not excitable or melodramatic. In fact, he writes in a generally understated tone, with the measured sense of perspective you’d expect from a bestselling historian. So when he notes, as he does near the very end of the book, that last summer’s Israel-Hamas war left ‘aspects of the US-Israeli alliance in tatters,’ you take him seriously, and you worry.
The Times of Israel
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Essential reading for anyone that cares about the Middle East and the special relationship between America and Israel. . . . Oren is a respected scholar. Accuracy is his coin, and he has long been considered a fair and centrist voice in a conversation with few of them. Perhaps that’s why the White House and its supporters are so worried—and why they’ve inadvertently driven the book to the top of the charts.
NY1
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An amazing read. It is well-written—Oren is a historian—yet the book reads akin to a long-form daily newspaper, mixing politics, diplomacy, and current events. There is tremendous insight into the America-Israel relationship, and this is a must-read for anyone concerned about the State of Israel. . . . It’s a scary—yet seemingly realistic—observation from one of Israel’s highest profile representatives of the past few years.
The Algemeiner
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Ally effectively assaults the Obama hyperbole that ‘I am the closest thing to a Jew that has ever sat in this office.’ . . . Precisely because the meticulous Oren is fair and understated, his indictment is devastating. That’s why the Obama Administration has reacted defensively and harshly to the book.
FrontPage Magazine
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Kirkus Reviews
The former Israeli ambassador to the United States balances his personal story with his ambassadorial history.
American-born Israeli historian Oren (Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East: 1776 to the Present, 2007, etc.), who is currently a member of the Knesset, is forthright in his memoir of service as ambassador from 2009 to 2013, years of some discord between the two proud allies.
A former paratrooper, his performance is on a tight rope fixed by his love at one end for the nation where he was born and, at the other, the beloved spiritual land of his forefathers.
Beyond the speeches and state dinners, crisis management was a constant duty, as terrorism never abated (in 1996, Oren’s sister-in-law was killed by a Hamas bomber). He represented Israel during the ill-fated Arab Spring, and Turkey, once friendly, turned hostile.
Visiting Vice President Joe Biden was twice offended, and Oren was blindsided by unsanctioned announcements of increased settlements.
There was turmoil in Egypt and, internationally, calls for boycotts, divestments, and sanctions against Israel. Amid burgeoning anti-Semitism, there arose an existential threat with Iran’s steady march toward nuclear weaponry—not to mention an often hostile press.
Oren has seen shifts toward abandonment of the working paradigms of the historic alliance, and his characterizations of various key legislators, government functionaries, and ill-informed pundits are deft and pointed.
The author is candid in his admiration of his former boss, Benjamin Netanyahu. Less warm is his assessment of the American president, whom the former ambassador found sometimes inspiring but too often cerebral, remote, and deficient in understanding the political machinations of the Middle East.
Throughout, the author proves a genuine, ardent advocate for the well-being of his beleaguered homeland and its ongoing alliance with the land of his birth.
Even before its publication, Oren’s book has been attacked, based on culls of provocative pieces. Readers would do well to attend to the entire text of this fluent, important political memoir.
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Despite the candour, Oren has in fact shown remarkable restraint. The book is far deeper than many will care to believe.
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Enjoyed it thoroughly
Gives a good insight into the Israel-USA-Palestine relationship. Unquestionably it is primarily from the Israeli point of view, but doesn't try to be unduly biased. Worth reading. An interesting person wrote this book.
Harold B. Pregler
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Honest and courageous. Essential reading.
In an extremely well written book Michael Oren has provided an in depth and remarkably honest analysis of ongoing tensions between the Obama administration and Israel.
Replete with references, it is my humble opinion that Michael Oren has merely written what everyone who follows the Middle East knows. The study illustrating how President Obama came into office seeking to distance himself and his administration from Israel.
The author demonstrating how Obama and his administration have not missed an opportunity to ambush the Israelis and to tilt the diplomatic playing field in the direction of their foes.
Risking personal isolation and censure, Michael Oren courageously demonstrates how Obama’s hostility to Israel has deepened the conviction on the part of the Palestinians that they needn’t compromise to make peace.
Whether you agree with Michael Oren or not, this book is a compelling and essential read as it provides an often ignored and firsthand context to the diplomatic arena at the forefront of so many contentious issues in the Middle East, especially those relative to the security of the Jewish state of Israel. Highly recommended.
I would also highly recommend Michael Oren's Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East.
M. D Roberts
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Most interesting and well told
I am neither American nor Israeli, but having read Michael Oren's two fiction and having liked them enormously - and having watched him being interviewed on the Israeli news site I24 News, I ordered this book when it was still on pre-order.
Mr Oren has, in my view, written an honest memoir of his years as Israeli Ambassador to Washington. What has been just names before I had read the book, are now real people - some nicer than I had thought they were, others not nice as I had thought they were. And - I now know that President Obama never eats the dessert at official lunches or dinners!
Mr Oren also writes movingly of the desire he had since childhood to make iliya and then making it.
I have just one regret about the book and this is that Mr Oren almost never tell us about the role the European nations - France for example where I live and the United Kingdom of which I am a national, and then of course also Germany because of the Shoah - played in peace talks or in conflicts and wars like the War of Independence, the 6-day War and the Yom Kippur War. He also must have had contact with the ambassador of these three countries as well as the other European nations.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who does not understand what the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is about, just as I recommend the book to those who are playing in this conflict, because one never knows it all.
Marilyn Z. Tomlins
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March 2, 2017
As a Christian, the subject matter was immediately enthralling. I didn't expect it to go the extra mile past that. The details of the memoir are substantial, fast-paced, and heart-pounding. The "this is real" factor is what gets your heart pumping because, essentially, it tracks the tumultuous tumble of US-Israeli relations the past decade or so. All of Oren's worst fears slowly come true.
You learn facts, which I had to research afterward to make sure they were true. The Syrian chemical arsenal removal was proposed by an Israeli minister to Russia, not by the White House. The White House had threatened military action and, when the genocides continued, failed to follow through.
Oren delivers a final word on the state of the Alliance after the book's initial publication. I won't spoil it, but I'm surprised he didn't change the book title while he was at it.
(I think I spoiled it.)
You learn facts, which I had to research afterward to make sure they were true. The Syrian chemical arsenal removal was proposed by an Israeli minister to Russia, not by the White House. The White House had threatened military action and, when the genocides continued, failed to follow through.
Oren delivers a final word on the state of the Alliance after the book's initial publication. I won't spoil it, but I'm surprised he didn't change the book title while he was at it.
(I think I spoiled it.)
November 7, 2016
This volume has the heft and historical perspective one normally only finds in accounts written decades after the events. This is no surprise to those familiar with the grand scale and enlightening perspective of Oren's historical works (Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East, Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East: 1776 to the Present). A rare glimpse into the inner workings of the diplomatic relationship between Israel and the US, the former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. lifts the veil of confused and misleading daily news, giving startling, and not always pleasant, clarity to any friend or foe of the U.S. Israel alliance.
My subjective take away is that president Obama, while sympathetic to Israel and reliable as an ally in times of war or extreme crisis, steadily chipped away at Israel's diplomatic and strategic position in the world in the pursuit of other goals (rapprochement with Iran, decreasing U.S. involvement in the region), coming to see Israel, and Netanyahu in particular, as obstacles to these narrow policy goals rather than strategic allies. A read through this book should invigorate Israel's enemies on the progressive, anti-Israel left in the U.S. and 'renew their faith' in president Obama for 'standing up to Netanyahu,' but can only be read with smoldering rage at his myopic antipathy to our elected Prime Minister by supporters of that alliance and especially American-Israelis such as myself. Indeed, a significant portion of the President's supposed, 'pro-Israel' credentials during his presidency, are shown here to have been acts taken by the legislature against his wishes, for which Obama then took credit in front of pro-Israel crowds.
This account gives even more credence to the position that current events cannot be well understood as they occur, and certainly not by following the constant, daily news cycle. Only with the perspective of time and the revelation of the hidden machinations which actually decide policy can we, the little people of the world, get some understanding of events. My sincerest thanks to MK Michael Oren for opening this window of historical perspective into a period which reaches almost to the present.
My subjective take away is that president Obama, while sympathetic to Israel and reliable as an ally in times of war or extreme crisis, steadily chipped away at Israel's diplomatic and strategic position in the world in the pursuit of other goals (rapprochement with Iran, decreasing U.S. involvement in the region), coming to see Israel, and Netanyahu in particular, as obstacles to these narrow policy goals rather than strategic allies. A read through this book should invigorate Israel's enemies on the progressive, anti-Israel left in the U.S. and 'renew their faith' in president Obama for 'standing up to Netanyahu,' but can only be read with smoldering rage at his myopic antipathy to our elected Prime Minister by supporters of that alliance and especially American-Israelis such as myself. Indeed, a significant portion of the President's supposed, 'pro-Israel' credentials during his presidency, are shown here to have been acts taken by the legislature against his wishes, for which Obama then took credit in front of pro-Israel crowds.
This account gives even more credence to the position that current events cannot be well understood as they occur, and certainly not by following the constant, daily news cycle. Only with the perspective of time and the revelation of the hidden machinations which actually decide policy can we, the little people of the world, get some understanding of events. My sincerest thanks to MK Michael Oren for opening this window of historical perspective into a period which reaches almost to the present.
January 29, 2016
This book is an unabashed piece of Hasbara. This is like listening to my son argue about something because he thinks he is right and it does not matter what the reality is. This book does not do much in terms of explaining why US needs Israel as an ally but is a one-dimensional explanation of Israel's needs. The book reads more like a Michael Oren biography rather than what the book title suggests. You come away from the book thinking that the sole purpose of the book is to attack President Obama's policies because they are not favorable to Israel. Of course the author seems to legitimize his views by repeatedly claiming his deep love for both America and Israel. The book is very clear on where his allegiances lie. For someone who claims to have fought for Israel in Lebanon the mention of the IDF sanctioned Sabra/Shatila massacres are conspicuously absent which was surprising. In spite of these glaring omissions and the feeling of a agenda driven text, I trudged through the book hoping to come out with a better understanding of the Israeli viewpoint on some of the contentious issues but did not find anything new. For those that have grown in a Zionist bubble they may connect with the book because it is a comfortable affirmation of the familiar justifications and criticisms. There is no hint of an understanding beyond the Zionist needs in spite of the author's claim of historical research. It looks he was looking for something in his research and found it. The fact that this was a best seller seems to indicate a resonance with those with a pro-Zionist viewpoint. I was disappointed. But it helps add some color to my understanding of the Zionist viewpoints and arguments.
February 20, 2016
The complexities of the Middle East are overwhelming:
While walking around Sag Harbor, a couple of weeks ago, I walked into a local bookstore and a book titled “ALLY” caught my attention. I discovered that this book was a memoir of a Jewish gentleman who was born in New Jersey and gave up his citizenship to be Israel’s ambassador to the United States.
Wow, did that capture my attention. I can’t imagine a family-man with a promising career and two children giving up his citizenship and moving the family to Israel. He didn’t have any family or friends living there. It was all about the adventure of supporting Israel’s goal of creating a Zionist state of community.
This book has really opened my eyes, and the complexities of their challenges are enormous. We live in a global community today and the challenges of our neighboring countries affect us all.
There were many items and facts in this book that supersized me. (e.g., Prime Minister of Israel, Netanyahu, did his undergraduate and graduate work at MIT and also worked with the Boston Consulting Group here in the States). In addition, there were other politicians who worked and lived in the United States and then decided to live and work in Israel.
Let me just say, there’s no amount of money in the world that would encourage me to take Netanyahu’s place. The challenge he is facing is beyond my comprehension.
Considering the elections coming up, it must have been kismet that I found this particular book.
While walking around Sag Harbor, a couple of weeks ago, I walked into a local bookstore and a book titled “ALLY” caught my attention. I discovered that this book was a memoir of a Jewish gentleman who was born in New Jersey and gave up his citizenship to be Israel’s ambassador to the United States.
Wow, did that capture my attention. I can’t imagine a family-man with a promising career and two children giving up his citizenship and moving the family to Israel. He didn’t have any family or friends living there. It was all about the adventure of supporting Israel’s goal of creating a Zionist state of community.
This book has really opened my eyes, and the complexities of their challenges are enormous. We live in a global community today and the challenges of our neighboring countries affect us all.
There were many items and facts in this book that supersized me. (e.g., Prime Minister of Israel, Netanyahu, did his undergraduate and graduate work at MIT and also worked with the Boston Consulting Group here in the States). In addition, there were other politicians who worked and lived in the United States and then decided to live and work in Israel.
Let me just say, there’s no amount of money in the world that would encourage me to take Netanyahu’s place. The challenge he is facing is beyond my comprehension.
Considering the elections coming up, it must have been kismet that I found this particular book.
July 17, 2015
I have enjoyed Oren's other books, although as historical works, there were times I felt there was too much detail and it could be a bit dry. Ally is completely different. No longer the historian, Oren is a central figure writing in first person evaluating (from his position as Israeli Ambassador to the US) what he perceives as a deliberate fracture to the U.S.-Israel relationship by the Obama administration. I would imagine that evaluations of this book will divide upon partisan lines: those approving of Obama and his foreign policy will look to make this personal and denigrate Oren. Those who believe Obama has been a bad friend to Israel will welcome this book. (Full disclosure - I am in the latter camp, although I do my best to read with any bias aside - to the extent that is possible.) The book is factual, fast moving, and mostly candid (I did feel like Oren held back and was searching for "pro-Israel" examples to limit the criticism of him being one-sided). I'd encourage any Israel supporter to read it with an open mind.
January 1, 2016
Fantastic Journey
Michael Oren is nothing if not "diplomatic" in his faith that the Obama administration is looking out for Israeli interests and know what the hell they're doing. I don't. Post Bataclan, post San Bernardino it's evident that the barbarians are at the gate. I suppose that to be an ambassador for the State of Israel, perpetual optimism is requisite. His book reinforces what most Americans know at this late date, It's feckless amateurism ruling Obama's mindset. Regardless of voiced support for Israel, his actions specifically with the Iranian negotiations spits in the eyes of Israelis and Americans alike. The book really does give a ground view of the situation and is an excellent read.
Michael Oren is nothing if not "diplomatic" in his faith that the Obama administration is looking out for Israeli interests and know what the hell they're doing. I don't. Post Bataclan, post San Bernardino it's evident that the barbarians are at the gate. I suppose that to be an ambassador for the State of Israel, perpetual optimism is requisite. His book reinforces what most Americans know at this late date, It's feckless amateurism ruling Obama's mindset. Regardless of voiced support for Israel, his actions specifically with the Iranian negotiations spits in the eyes of Israelis and Americans alike. The book really does give a ground view of the situation and is an excellent read.
March 2, 2019
Going to go ahead and be straight up: I’m black and Jewish, pro-Palestine. The Ambassador ground my gears about 60% of the time, with some of what he said being what I would consider arguable. I’m not sure how to describe the quite rosy-colored glasses he has for Israel; I was happy to see that at least he acknowledges the way the country’s government mishandles Palestinian relations.
As a person who works in politics and has aspirations to transition into international affairs, I appreciated his details about what his life looked like as an ambassador.
As a person who works in politics and has aspirations to transition into international affairs, I appreciated his details about what his life looked like as an ambassador.
August 11, 2015
I could not finish the book. The topic is interesting, but Oren does not do a great job of writing concisely about the details of each element of the US-Israel relationship, and he adds too much of his own life in the book to make it more of an autobiography than a political or historical analysis.
July 6, 2016
This is a comprehensive and well written book about Oren's time as the Israeli Ambassador to the US. Israel truly faces many obstacles and this book highlights the ongoing challenges in the Middle East. It also highlights how ineffective the US has been in trying to broker a peace agreement. Continually reverting to the Oslo Accord will not move this initiative forward.
July 24, 2015
Oren is a great writer. At times, perhaps sentimental, but I really enjoyed reading his book and am going to start on his other book! This is a timely book, especially for those who have been wondering what has been going on between Israel and the US.
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