Unsettled: The Problem of Loving Israel

by Marc Aronson

Offers a comprehensive examination of this tumultuous country from its origins to the events of the modern day with answers to questions regarding its status as both a religious and democratic state, its moral obligations on a global stage, and the type of existence it is fighting to have in the future.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Middle East, Teen

192 pages, Hardcover

First published October 21, 2008

About the author

Aronson has won many awards for his books for young readers and has a doctorate in American history. His lectures cover educational topics such as mysteries and controversies in American history, teenagers and their reading, the literary passions of boys, and always leave audiences asking for more.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/marcar...

Reviews

[orangerful · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trying to educate myself but, as usual, the more you know, the less sense anything makes. The only obvious this is that it is all a mess.

[Tony Wohlfarth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book expecting to gain more insights into the conflict in the Middle East. Alas, I was sadly mistaken. The fact it is dated (2008) is the first of many problems with Aronson's analysis. I have a longer list:
- it is (largely) an American perspective i.e. we do not need Americans to explain desegregation?
- it ignores Oslo! For a historian, this is glaring omission. For an understanding of ME politics, it is inexcusable;
- it does not (really, IMO) deal with the burgeoning issue of Israeli settlements;
- it does not address the underlying issues with the current generation of Israeli political leadership. Netanyahu has been around since 1993 so this shortcoming is in itself problematic.
I am left in the dark trying in vain to understand contemporary ME events. Aronson has no
insights here either.

[Milton Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was rather American in perspective, I feel.

[Lil Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting views of an area never at peace.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, there's no such thing as an objective book that has all the answers on this topic, so it's easy to criticize. But I will anyway.

I file this under "what a liberal American Jew should think about Israel" which makes it a helpful perspective for this peripherally Jewish American who never really gave much thought to Israel. Haven for Jews, plus. Oppresses own minority, minus. Like America, it could do better at living up to its lofty ideals. No arguments here.

But the tone was pretty insufferable. The author is SO well-meaning yet just comes across as hyper preachy and anti-religious. He leans heavily on parallels with American history, some of which hit their mark (the use of torture in the war on terror in both countries), most of which don't (slavery in the US and the treatment of Palestinians in Israel), and are almost always pointless, distracting, and weirdly competitive.

He mentions Birthright by name and concludes that the most helpful thing young American Jews can do is to model for Israelis our fabled American tolerance. Please.

Also, what is the audience for this book? It's marketed as YA, but it seems to alternate between college level history and references to Harry Potter.

I kind of wish I'd skipped to the end and found the helpful reading list earlier.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marc Aronson, author of Race: A History Beyond Black and White, brings an unabashedly personal perspective to Unsettled, an accessible and thought-provoking history of the state of Israel. Though not Israeli himself, Aronson has strong family ties to the region. This sort-of-insider and sort-of-outsider status gives him a good vantage point from which to interrogate the ideologies and actions that echo through Israel's history. Though the story that Aronson tells is more-or-less historically linear, the book's chapter titles take the form of tough. provocative questions -- such as "Can Israel Occupy Conquered Lands and Be True To Its Ideals?" and "How can Israel be a Strong State, A Jewish Homeland, and Truly Democratic?" -- that drive the telling forward. Of course these questions cannot be answered definitively by anyone, but through his book Aronson delivers an even-handed and full yet remarkably clear exploration, grounded in reverence and respect for the ideals of Israel's beleaguered people.

[Amber Lovett Dhamija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aronson, Marc. Unsettled: The Problem of Loving Israel. 2008. 183 pp. $18.99. Atheneum. 978-1416912613. Ages 13 & up. Marc Aronson presents a well-researched and deeply personal history of Israel. The narrative arc follows the history of Israel’s founding from before WWII to the present, and Aronson includes historical information as well as personal photographs and stories of family members who have lived in Israel. The story is crafted around difficult questions such as, “Can Israel Occupy Conquered Lands and Be True To Its Ideals?” Rather than attempt to answer these questions or defend Israeli or Palestinian actions, Aronson encourages readers to ponder these questions for themselves. The history is broad, not deep, and the personal anecdotes and parallels Aronson draws to U.S. history and culture will help students relate to the complex issues discussed. For students interested in Israel or the Middle East, this book offers an engaging though by no means comprehensive introduction to the tensions surrounding the nation of Israel. Highly recommended.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Marc Aronson takes a look at the history of Israel and what it means to be Jewish in Israel. This is not a straight-forward historical book, but a personal soul-searching by the author. He does a lot of back and forth between the ideal Israel and the actual Israel. He also compares Israel to America and American Jews to Israeli Jews. Even though he does touch on some controversial topics in this book, it is still more of a personal journey about why Aronson does not live in Israel and what he wishes it was. It wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be and was a little difficult to read. Aronson never really comes to any conclusions, just back and forth on the topics he discusses.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review here: http://teenreads.com/reviews/97814169...

The bad punctuation in the first paragraph was edited in. :-(

[Amanda]

starred kirkus

[Vi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am currently putting together a reading list fr the Middle East. I understand the point of the book, but it felt extremely wishy washy.