Wrestling with Zionism: Jewish Voices of Dissent

by Daphna Levit

A CHRONOLOGY OF VOICES, FROM THE BIRTH OF ZIONISM UNTIL TODAY

THEODOR HERZL, AHAD HA’AM, MARTIN BUBER, ALBERT EINSTEIN, HANNAH ARENDT, YESHAYAHU LEIBOWITZ, NOAM CHOMSKY, TANYA REINHART, ZEEV STERNHELL, URI AVNERY, TIKVA-HONIG PARNASS, SHLOMO SAND, TOM SEGEV, SIMHA FLAPAN, BARUCH KIMMERLING, BENNY MORRIS, AVI SHLAIM, ILAN PAPPE, GIDEON LEVY, AMIRA HASS, AND MICHEL SFARD

Portrayals of Israel in mainstream Western media as the “homeland of the Jews” and “the only democracy in the Middle East” are commonplace. Since the realities behind them are rarely shown, these truisms have become habitual assumptions underlying news coverage, public policy, and ordinary conversation. At the same time, while criticism of a government’s policies is considered an essential right and safeguard of democracy, criticism of Israeli policy is persistently attacked as anti-Zionist—or even anti-Semitic—by a majority of Israelis and by those outside the country who claim to be Israel’s friends. The views of independent Israelis and Jews who examine, challenge, or oppose extreme Israeli governments and policies are rarely heard. This book attempts to recover a history of dissent. In Wrestling with Jewish Voices of Dissent, Daphna Levit amplifies the voices of twenty-one Jewish and Israeli thinkers—scholars, theologians, journalists, lawyers, activists—who have grappled with the evolution of Zionism since its inception on political, religious, cultural, ethical, or philosophical grounds. Beginning in the late-nineteenth century, well before the founding of the State of Israel, and surveying pioneering figures up until the present, she introduces, examines, and brings together a range of contrasting viewpoints into a single historical conversation. As well, with these portraits she honors a tradition of courageous intellectual inquiry and activism, rooted in Jewish ethical imperatives. Drawing on her own lifetime of activism and research, Levit has assembled a foundational text, enabling us to consider the relationship of modern political Zionism and Judaism today, in revealing historical light.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Jewish, History

288 pages, Paperback

Published April 27, 2020

Reviews

[Emmkay · Rating 2 out of 5]

An introduction to Jewish writers who have dissented or offered a differing viewpoint either from within or outside Zionism. It was educational in that I am now oriented to and have heard of some of these writers, and could search out more information or their own writings (or in the case of Albert Einstein and Hannah Arendt, I now know they had concerns with Zionism - had not been familiar with their perspectives on this before). But it took me a long time to finish as I found it distractingly poorly put together. Each chapter introduced two to four writers, provides a brief biographical introduction, and then hops through their work, with some excerpts and commentary - it lacked depth and felt dry. Since many of the writers expressed concern around the same events or topics, such as the 1967 war, it was also repetitive. And it has been a long time since I’ve read a book this badly copy edited, from several commas between subjects and predicates, to an editor’s full note to draft left in the text, to a date that made no sense at all. 2.5.

[Nora Murad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wrestling with Zionism is an excellent overview of the history of Jewish non-zionist and anti-zionist thought and action. Highlighting the major theorists in each historical period, the book demonstrates that zionism was always a contested concept in Jewish discourse. As such, the book contributes to the efforts of justice-minded activists to break the default association of Jews with the State of Israel and challenges the efforts of zionists to equate anti-zionism with antisemitism.

[Debra Offenhartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a lifelong lover of Israel, right or wrong, this book opened my eyes and broke my heart. It made me stop, remember and reconsider. A great tool for unraveling the history of Judaism and of Zionism. Helpful stories to read as I grapple with new definitions and ways to be both . After all, as Hillel wrote,"IF not for myself then who? If not now, when? "This book aids me in my challenging quest to find ways to support the existance of two historic people in a land shared and loved by both....

[Jolie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great intro to some further reading, but REALLY could have done with a copy editor! There was a whole editor’s comment printed in the book in the middle of a sentence, but otherwise needed-edits were only mildly distracting. I appreciate this book existing, and look forward to reading more of the works referenced in it.

[Rachel Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book highly readable, really informative, and very pertinent. It was fascinating to read about Einstein, Buber, Arendt, and others' deep concerns and foresight about exactly what I (as a Jewish American) find deeply troubling about the State of Israel today. I would have given the book five stars, but it was a bit too polemical and sometimes didn't cite sources where I thought it should have. It also really needed better copyediting, which is not the fault of the author but was really distracting (I do professional copyediting, so my standards are high... but among other things, there's literally a long editor's note that they failed to remove from the text before publication, which is just sloppy).

[Paula Kirman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be a collection of essays about Zionism by the Jewish voices themselves, but rather, it is an examination of the lives of people like Arendt and Chomsky in light of their political views.

[Jason Motz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably worth a five, but for some annoying typesetting errors in the latter half of the book. That quibble aside, this is a powerful, compact, and insightful look at the uses and abuses of Zionism. Galvanizing stuff. Tuck in!

[Charlie Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst the content educational, the book is poorly put together and difficult to digest.