The Jewish State: The Struggle for Israel's Soul

by Yoram Hazony

In what may be the most controversial book on Zionism and Israel published in the last twenty years, Yoram Hazony graphically portrays the cultural and political revolt against Israel's status as the Jewish state. Examining ideological trends in academia, literature, media, law, the armed forces, and the foreign policy establishment, Hazony contends that Israelis are preparing themselves for the final break with the Jewish past and the Jewish future. In a dramatic new reading of Israeli history, Hazony uncovers the story of how Martin Buber, Gershom Scholem, Hannah Arendt, and other German-Jewish intellectuals bitterly fought against the establishment of Israel, and later used the Hebrew University as a base for deposing David Ben-Gurion and discrediting Labor Zionism. The Jewish State is a must-read for anyone concerned with Israel's present and future.

Genres: Israel, History, Jewish, Nonfiction

464 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2000

About the author

Yoram Hazony is an Israeli philosopher, Bible scholar, and political theorist. He is president of the Herzl Institute in Jerusalem and serves as the chairman of the Edmund Burke Foundation. His books include The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture, The Virtue of Nationalism, and Conservatism: A Rediscovery.

Reviews

[Andrew Pessin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a stunningly excellent book; the best book I've ever read on Israel by far. Beautifully, clearly written, thoughoutly researched, exhaustive, but a smooth pleasure to read. It covers the history of Jewish Zionist and Jewish Anti-Zionist thought, presenting the material not merely in a balanced way but utterly fair and neutral throughout, despite what I glean is the author's own strong Zionist views. (I kept waiting for the pro-Zionist conclusion and analysis, but it never came; the book was so fairly written that if you lean anti-Zionist, you'll get lots of ammunition for your view.) A must-read for anyone interested in the issues.

[Gideon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb eye opener on the history of Zionism

Hazony covers the intellectual details of the modern origins of Zionism. It is Herzl and later Ben-Gurion against Martin Buber and his intellectual descendants. Despite the at times depressing presentation, it is fascinating, and difficult to put down; it also ends on an optimistic note. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to understand the ideas in Israel.

[Shelley Neese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hazony applies his vast mind to defending the Jewish nation and defining its struggle. This book is a gift to every Zionist.

[Chris McDonald]

Deep and disturbing

[Andrew Blitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

There should be public readings of this book to every Jewish community in the world

[JoséMaría BlancoWhite · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yoram Hazony knows how to tell a story. He is not the arrogant intellectual who speaks from his ivory tower. He introduces himself so we know his family background and his personal stand of the Jewish question. The introduction is worth the whole book. There he pithily summarizes the book, points to Israel's troubles, gives names, origins and main developments. Sets the main characters on the scene, and we follow them through the years of Israel's modern making. It's the zionists vs the anti-zionists; the intellectuals (who nevertheless benefit from, and are accomplices of the Israel state they so much decry) vs the common people who want to live free, as Jews. It's a tale that has become widespread over the Western world: the fight to win the minds and hearts of the people on the mass media´s turf. The tactics are detestably simple, but nonetheless they work, in the name of peace and justice the Israelis (Jewish and non-Jewish) are to give themselves up to their Arab neighbors, short of leaving the country or committing suicide directly.

The book is comprehensive in its scope, and I wished it would be a little shorter in some developments that detract from the main story, but it definitely makes its point by not leaving any thread missing. Forceful and convincing.

Martin Buber epitomizes the intellectual anti-zionist from the ivory tower (the Chomsky/hypocrite of the Israeli state). On the other side stand (or stood) the Founders of modern Israel, and above all Ben-Gurion. With the Founders, of course, are the people, fewer every year because, bottom line: common-sense is the least common of the senses when challenged by the deafening noise of the professors and their billionaire friends (e.g. Gore & Soros) and the media. It's sad to the point of upsetting to see how Buber and his clique wouldn't even have the refugees from the Holocaust in Israel when they were stranded in European camps, while the university professors/jet set where safely partying in Tel Aviv.

A last point I want to mention is that the very survival of Israel through all these years is nothing but a miracle, and you don't have to be a theist to see it. Surrounded by enemies within and without, reduced to a tiny territory, a speck in the back of the threatening Arab undemocratic Empire, Israel lives, and flourishes.

[Jean Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone wondering how the various Zionist and anti-Zionist views of current Israelis came about this book tells the story in detail. It is a captivating story by an author who brings life to all the historic figures - from Hertzl on. I only wish he had given some suggestions as to how to bridge the gap now for the sake of the future of the country.