The History Book Club discussion
MIDDLE EAST
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ISRAEL
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by Avi Shlaim (no photo)Synopsis:
In 1897, under order of First Zionist Congress president Theodor Herzl, two Austrian rabbis traveled to Palestine to explore the possibility of locating a Jewish state there.
"The bride is beautiful," the rabbis cabled Herzl, "but she is married to another man." That "other man" was the Palestinian Arab nation, long established in the region as a political entity.
Undeterred, Herzl pressed on with his program of emigration, ignoring Palestine's existing occupants and creating in the process what came to be known as the "Arab question."
In this far-ranging history, Avi Shlaim analyzes that question in remarkable detail, tracing the shifting policies of Israel toward the Palestinians and the Arab world at large.
Herzl, he writes, followed a policy that consciously sought to enlist the great powers--principally Britain and later the United States--while dismissing indigenous claims to sovereignty; after all, Herzl argued, "the Arab problem paled in significance compared with the Jewish problem because the Arabs had vast spaces outside Palestine, whereas for the Jews, who were being persecuted in Europe, Palestine constituted the only possible haven."
This policy later changed to a stance of confrontation against the admittedly hostile surrounding Arab powers, especially Syria, Jordan, and Egypt; this militant stance was a source of controversy in the international community, and it also divided Israelis into hawk and dove factions.
The intransigence of those hawks, Shlaim shows, served to alienate Israel and made it possible for the Palestine Liberation Organization and other Arab nationalist groups to enlist the support of the great powers that Herzl had long before courted.
Both sides, in turn, had eventually to face the "historic compromise" that led to the present peace in the Middle East--a peace that, the author suggests, may not endure. --Gregory McNamee
Noted attorney Alan Dershowitz does an excellent job of explaining the right to exist of Israel. It is not an unbiased book but it is a damn good one.The Case for Israel
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Alan M. DershowitzSynopsis
The Case for Israel is an ardent defense of Israel's rights, supported by indisputable evidence. Presents a passionate look at what Israel's accusers and detractors are saying about this war-torn country.Dershowitz accuses those who attack Israel of international bigotry and backs up his argument with hard facts.Widely respected as a civil libertarian, legal educator, and defense attorney extraordinaire, Alan Dershowitz has also been a passionate though not uncritical supporter of Israel.
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The Balfour DeclarationIn 1917, British Foreign Secretary Aurthur, Lord Balfour created the Balfour Declaration which first recognized a "national home" for Jews.
The Balfour Declaration (dated 2 November 1917) was a letter from the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour to Baron Rothschild (Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild), a leader of the British Jewish community, for transmission to the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland.
" His Majesty's government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country."
The text of the letter was published in the press one week later, on 9 November 1917. The "Balfour Declaration" was later incorporated into the Sèvres peace treaty with Turkey and the Mandate for Palestine. The original document is kept at the British Library.
Howard M. Sachar(no photo)This is a large, relatively "formal" history of modern Israel. By "formal" I mean that it is not overly "popular" in the continuum from "popular" to "scholarly" history.
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An increasing number of Iranian Jews are leaving Iran to go and live in Israel. Rory McCarthy meets some of these immigrants and speaks to one of the organisations helping them to make the journey.
Audio by Rory McCarthy, photographs by Gali Tibbon, additional photographs by AFP/Getty Images
http://www.guardian.co.uk/slideshow/p...
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Thomas L. FriedmanSynopsis:
Winner of the 1989 National Book Award for nonfiction, this extraordinary bestseller is still the most incisive, thought-provoking book ever written about the Middle East.
Thomas L. Friedman, twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting, and now the Foreign Affairs columnist on the op-ed page of the New York Times, drew on his ten years in the Middle East to write a book that The Wall Street Journal called "a sparkling intellectual guidebook... an engrossing journey not to be missed."
Now with a new chapter that brings the ever-changing history of the conflict in the Middle East up to date, this seminal historical work reaffirms both its timeliness and its timelessness.
"If you're only going to read one book on the Middle East, this is it." -- Seymour Hersh. "From Beirut To Jerusalem is the most intelligent and comprehensive account one is likely to read." -- New York Times Book Review.
National Book Award for Nonfiction (1989)
ASJA Outstanding Book Award (1990)
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I found this article:
When presidents have traveled to Israel
July 27, 2012
Here is an excerpt:
No Republican president has visited Israel in their first term. President George W. Bush didn’t visit Israel until the eighth year of his presidency. The only two U.S. presidents to make an official state visit to Israel during their first term were Presidents Carter and Clinton.
President Ronald Reagan never visited Israel during his presidency.
In prioritizing the alliance between the two countries, President Obama has also met nine times with Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to closely coordinate on a wide range of issues.
President Obama has also visited Israel twice, including once as a candidate in 2008—just like Mitt Romney is doing now. While in Israel, President Obama visited Sderot to see the impact of repeated rocket attacks out of Gaza and went to Yad Vashem, where he participated in a wreath laying ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance.
Here is the remainder of the article:
http://www.barackobama.com/truth-team...
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THE FOLLOWING ARE QUOTES ABOUT ISRAEL FROM EVERY U.S. PRESIDENT SINCE 1948:
Harry Truman
“I had faith in Israel before it was established, I have faith in it now. I believe it has a glorious future before it—not just another sovereign nation, but as an embodiment of the great ideals of our civilization."
Dwight Eisenhower
“Our forces saved the remnant of the Jewish people of Europe for a new life and a new hope in the reborn land of Israel. Along with all men of good will, I salute the young state and wish it well.”
John Kennedy
“For Israel was not created in order to disappear - Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and the home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom; and no area of the world has ever had an overabundance of democracy and freedom.”
Lyndon Johnson
“America and Israel have a common love of human freedom and they have a common faith in a democratic way of life.”
Richard Nixon
“Americans admire a people who can scratch a desert and produce a garden. The Israelis have shown qualities that Americans identify with: guts, patriotism, idealism, a passion for freedom. I have seen it. I know. I believe that.”
Gerald Ford
“My commitment to the security and future of Israel is based upon basic morality as well as enlightened self-interest. Our role in supporting Israel honors our own heritage.”
Jimmy Carter
“We have a special relationship with Israel. It's absolutely crucial that no one in our country or around the world ever doubt that our number one commitment in the Middle East is to protect the right of Israel to exist, to exist permanently, and to exist in peace. It's a special relationship. "
Ronald Reagan
“In Israel, free men and women are every day demonstrating the power of courage and faith. Back in 1948 when Israel was founded, pundits claimed the new country could never survive. Today, no one questions that. Israel is a land of stability and democracy in a region of tyranny and unrest.”
George H.W. Bush
"For more than 40 years, the United States and Israel have enjoyed a friendship built on mutual respect and commitment to democratic principles. Our continuing search for peace in the Middle East begins with a recognition that ties uniting our two countries can never be broken."
Bill Clinton
“American and Israel share a special bond. Our relationship is unique among all nations. Like America, Israel is a strong democracy, a symbol of freedom, and an oasis of liberty, a home to the oppressed and persecuted."
George W. Bush
"For more than a generation, the United States and Israel have been steadfast allies. Our nations are bound by our shared values and a strong commitment to freedom. These ties that have made us natural allies will never be broken. Israel and the United States share a common history: We are both nations born of struggle and sacrifice. We are both founded by immigrants escaping religious persecution in other lands. Through the labors and strides of generations, we have both built vibrant democracies, founded in the rule of law and market economies. And we are both countries established with certain basic beliefs: that God watches over the affairs of men and values every human life."
Barack Obama
“The American people and the Israeli peoples share a faith in the future and believe that democracies can shape their own destinies and that opportunities should be available to all. Throughout its own extraordinary history, Israel has given life to that promise.” (October 21, 2009)
"America's commitment to Israel's security is unshakeable, and our friendship with Israel is deep and enduring. And so we believe that any lasting peace must acknowledge the very real security concerns that Israel faces every single day ... The Jewish people have forged a successful state in their historic homeland. Israel deserves recognition. It deserves normal relations with its neighbors." (September 21, 2011)
“America’s Founding Fathers understood this truth, just as Israel’s founding generation did. President Truman put it well, describing his decision to formally recognize Israel only minutes after it declared independence. He said, "I had faith in Israel before it was established. I believe it has a glorious future before it -- as not just another sovereign nation, but as an embodiment of the great ideals of our civilization. For over six decades, the American people have kept that faith. Yes, we are bound to Israel because of the interests that we share -- in security for our communities, prosperity for our people, the new frontiers of science that can light the world. But ultimately it is our common ideals that provide the true foundation for our relationship. That is why America’s commitment to Israel has endured under Democratic and Republican Presidents, and congressional leaders of both parties. In the United States, our support for Israel is bipartisan, and that is how it should stay.” (March 4, 2012)
Source: http://www.adl.org/israel-internation...
Anti-Defamation League
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Golda Meir was the only Israeli Prime Minister to have previously been a U.S. citizen;
An estimated 80,000 Americans living in Israel voted in the 2012 U.S. presidential election;
There is only one current Knesset member who was born in the U.S. – Dov Lipman of Yesh Atid, who renounced his American citizenship prior to his Knesset swearing in;
It is estimated that there are at least half a million Israeli citizens residing in the U.S.;
Israel votes 90 percent of the time with the U.S. at the United Nations;
There are at least 100 American companies with operations in Israel;
Israel currently has the third most companies traded on the U.S. NASDAQ stock exchange;
There are more than 50 twin U.S. and Israeli towns and cities;
Israel receives approximately $3 billion in U.S. aid annually;
The U.S. is Israel's largest single trading partner;
The top five U.S. exports to Israel are: diamonds, machinery, agricultural products, aircraft, and optic and medical instruments;
The top five U.S. imports from Israel are: diamonds, pharmaceutical products, machinery, optic and medical instruments, and agricultural products;
More than half a million Americans vacation in Israel every year. Some notable U.S. citizens who have visited in recent years include:
Bill Gates – He visited in 2005 to explore Israel’s flourish high-tech sector;
Madonna – She performed in Israel in 2012;
Quentin Tarantino – He visited in 2009 to promote his film Inglorious Bastards;
Red Hot Chili Peppers – They performed in Israel in 2012;
The Simpsons – They visited Israel in 2010 along with some friends;
Warren Buffett – He visited in 2006 to purchase the Israeli company Iscar
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This includes the country of Israel, its leaders, government, etc. and of course its history and news. As well as books about or concerning any aspect of life in Israel or its cultural history.
Please feel free to add books: either non fiction or historical fiction that deal with these topical areas.
If you would like to add any novels that are set in Israel or involve Israeli settings, you may but only if you clearly point out that these are works of fiction. This group is primarily a non fiction and historical fiction group.
We prohibit self promotion and spam.
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by Charles GlassSynopsis:
Charles Glass, an award-winning commentator on the Middle East, resumes a journey through the Levant that was violently interrupted on 1987 when he was kidnapped by Shiite gunmen. The voyage, from Aqaba on the Red Sea to Alexandretta in southern Turkey, begins again in September 2001, haunted by the 9/11 attacks on America and the ensuing invasion of Iraq.
Along the route, Glass visits the Israeli settlements and Arab towns on whose land the settlements were constructed, speaks to Israeli conscripts and Palestinian demonstrators, to priests, rabbis and mullahs, politicians and assassins, the tortured and their torturers. He also revisits the scene of his captivity, confronting the men who kidnapped him over two decades ago.
One thing people forget about Israel is how small it is. It is almost exactly the size of New Jersey, and its population is less than that of NYCity (it used to be the same population as Brooklyn, but is now somewhat higher).
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by Alexander William KinglakeOne of Winston Churchill's favorites
Synopsis:
A solitary Western traveler in the Middle East in 1834, this is an extraordinary work of travel writing that is more about the author's internal journey than it is about monuments and museums, one that replicates the personal experience of travel and how it changes who we are. Kinglake's intimate, conversational style and his sense of humor and irony lend Eothen-the title means "from the early dawn" or "from the East"-an air that still feels as fresh and original in the 21st century as it must have when it was first published in 1844.
This delightful travelogue of a young Englishman's journey through the middle east, in 1835 has become a permanent classic. The authors personal observations of the characters he encounters, including Pashas, interpreters, camel merchants, slave-traders, magicians, Bedouins, governors, soldiers, Jews, monks, pilgrims, and even a famous expatriate stateswoman turned astrologist, are all amusing and give great insight into the Arab character.
Kinglake braved the plague, and numerous other ills in order to undertake these travels when transportation in the area was still quite difficult and dangerous, so many of his adventures are hair-raising as well as humorous.
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Noam ChomskySynopsis:
Contents
Foreword by Edward W. Said
Preface to the Updated Edition
1. Fanning the Flames
2. The Origins of the "Special Relationship"
3. Rejectionism and Accommodation
4. Isreal and Palestine: Historical Backgrounds
5. Peace for Galilee
6. Aftermath
7. The Road to Armageddon
8. The Palestinian Uprising
9. "Limited War" in Lebanon
10. Washington's "Peace Process"
Index
An Excerpt from Fateful Triangle, Updated Edition
For some time, I've been compelled to arrange speaking engagements long in advance. Sometimes a title is requested for a talk scheduled several years ahead. There is, I've found, one title that always works: "The current crisis in the Middle East." One can't predict exactly what the crisis will be far down the road, but that there will be one is a fairly safe prediction.
That will continue to be the case as long as basic problems of the region are not addressed.
Furthermore, the crises will be serious in what President Eisenhower called "the most strategically important area in the world." In the early post-War years, the United States in effect extended the Monroe Doctrine to the Middle East, barring any interference apart from Britain, assumed to be a loyal dependency and quickly punished when it occasionally got out of hand (as in 1956). The strategic importance of the region lies primarily in its immense petroleum reserves and the global power accorded by control over them; and, crucially, from the huge profits that flow to the Anglo-American rulers, which have been of critical importance for their economies. It has been necessary to ensure that this enormous wealth flowsprimarily to the West, not to the people of the region. That is one fundamental problem that will continue to cause unrest and disorder. Another is the Israel-Arab conflict with its many ramifications, which have been closely related to the major U.S. strategic goal of dominating the region's resources and wealth.
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James FollettSynopsis:
1967-1969. Based on the true story of how Israel's Mossad agents stole three tonnes of Mirage fighter drawings following General de Gaulle's disastrous ban on the supply of these aircraft that were vital to Israel's defence.
Bentley......your post reminded me of this fine book.The Mossad first came to the attention of the world when they kidnapped Adolph Eichmann from South America and brought him to Israel to stand trial as a war criminal. This book describes that incident and some of the other missions of one of the world's most secret of secret service agencies.
Mossad: The Greaest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service
by Michael Bar-ZoharSynopsis
The Mossad is widely recognized today as the best intelligence service in the world. It is also the most enigmatic, shrouded in secrecy. Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service unveils the defining and most dangerous operations that have shaped Israel and the world at large from the agency's more than sixty-year history, among them: the capture of Adolf Eichmann, the eradication of Black September, the destruction of the Syrian nuclear facility, and the elimination of key Iranian nuclear scientists.
Through intensive research and exclusive interviews with Israeli leaders and Mossad agents, authors Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal re-create these missions in riveting detail, vividly bringing to life the heroic operatives who risked everything in the face of unimaginable danger. In the words of Shimon Peres, president of Israel, this gripping, white-knuckle read "tells what should have been known and isn't--that Israel's hidden force is as formidable as its recognized physical strength.
The Flag of IsraelThe flag of Israel is based on the design of the tallit, the prayer shawl worn by Jewish men (and by some women in Reform and Conservative congregations) during certain services. The tallit is worn during all morning services. In addition, it is worn on the eve of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The tallit is also worn when reading the Torah during Shabbat (Sabbath) afternoon services and by the person leading evening services. (Jews pray three times a day: the morning service is called shacharit; the afternoon service is called minchah; and the evening service is called ma'ariv or aravit.) There are two basic traditions regarding who wears the tallit. According to one tradition, any Jewish adult should wear the tallit (at the appropriate times). A Jewish adult is one who is thirteen years of age and older (a Bar Mitzvah, or "Son of the Commandments.") According to another tradition, only married Jews wear the tallit. In addition to the exterior tallit, there is also a tallit katan ("small tallit"), which pious Jews wear all day under their clothes.
Because the tallit is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Jewish people, it was chosen to be the basis of the flag. (Indeed, in coming up with a design for the flag, the early Zionists came to the realization that the Jewish People had had a flag all along - the tallit - and there was thus no need to design a flag from scratch.) In the center of the flag is the Magen David, or "Shield of [King] David," better known in English as the "Star of David" or "Jewish Star," another recognizable Jewish symbol.
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Nice information, Jill. A couple notes: "Bar mitzvah" translated exactly, is "son of the commandment" or "son of the good deed" (a mitzvah is both). The plural would be "bar mitzvot" (son of the commandments) or "bnei mitzvah" (sons of the commandment). In some traditions there is now a female equivalent "bat mitzvah" for girls, where "bat" is "daughter". (Bar is actually Aramaic, not Hebrew). And, while "bar" and "bat" can be used to mean exactly what we mean by "son" and "daughter" (e.g. Simon bar Kochba led the revolt against the Roman empire; he was Simon, son of Kochba) in the phrase "bar mitzvah" they mean more like "subject to". That is, someone who is bar mitzvah (or bat mitzvah) is, per Jewish law, responsible for obeying the commandments of God. He (or she) is an adult and is responsible for his (or her) own behavior.
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Fascinating thread. For those wanting a somewhat light read from Israel, I'd highly recommend mysteries by the Israeli author Batya Gur, featuring Israeli policeman Michael Ohayon. Each book introduces the reader to a particular "world" within Israel, from a television station to a psychiatric institute to a kibbutz. Ms. Gur's tragic early death limited her series to six well-written books:
Batya Gur
An enlightening biography of one of Israel's great heroes.Moshe Dayan
by Martin van CreveldSynopsis
Martin van Creveld, author of the critically acclaimed Men, Women, and War, turns his attention to one of the most significant figures of the 20th century. With his distinctive eye patch, Israeli military commander Moshe Dayan looked every part the fearsome warrior, yet he was far more. This unflinching biography paints a complete portrait of Dayan the military man and statesman. Starting with his early days in the Haganah, a group of underground Jewish fighters, the biography follows Dyan’s career as a highly decorated star pilot; as the leader of the Israeli forces during the 1967 Six Day War and the October 1973 war; and as a master diplomat who played an instrumental role in negotiating the historic treaty with Anwar Sadat’s Egypt.
One of the the most influential and controversial men in Israel, from his days as a military leader in the Israel War of Independence to his service as Prime Minister.Ariel Sharon
by Nir Hefez (no photo)Synopsis
Warrior, statesman, peacemaker–few world leaders have had as dramatic and pivotal a life story as Ariel Sharon. And as this riveting new biography shows, perhaps no modern leader’s life has been as tightly woven into the history of his nation.
Born in 1928 and raised in spartan circumstances on a kibbutz, Ariel Sharon was taught by his parents to take principled stands and then to plow ahead, to “always go see what lies over the next hill.” And for decades to come, Sharon would do just that, forging a life of strength, resilience, and sometimes, according to his detractors, reckless and embittered action, indifferent to the violence it unleashed on his enemies.
Based on unprecedented access to many of the key players in Sharon’s life, hundreds of interviews, and thousands of pages of documents, Ariel Sharon presents a leader who was first and foremost a military man. Sharon fought in Israel’s War of Independence (in which he was left for dead on the battlefield); assembled Israel’s first special forces brigade, the wild Unit 101; and led the Lebanon War, the most controversial campaign in Israel’s history. As a general, he directed military campaigns that are still studied in military academies across the world.
Yet Sharon was also a political animal. This book explores his fraught relationships with prime ministers David Ben-Gurion and Yitzhak Rabin, as well as with legendary minister of defense Moshe Dayan; Sharon’s removal as defense minister after the massacre in the Palestinian refugee camps in Sabra and Shatila; his thirty-year championing of the settlement movement in Gaza and the West Bank; his visit to the Temple Mount in 2000, which lit the fuse for the second Intifada; and his startling decision as prime minister to initiate “disengagement,” uprooting settlers, destroying settlements, and dividing his country.
Sharon’s personal life has been equally tumultuous and dramatic, as this book grippingly recounts–his first wife, Margalit, was killed in a car accident; his eldest son, Gur, wounded by an accidental rifle discharge, died in his arms. His second wife, Lily (Margalit’s younger sister), died of cancer, concluding one of the great love stories of Israeli public life. And ultimately came the stroke that felled Sharon, removing him from power at a time when the Israeli people needed his leadership most.
Often mired in controversy and scandal, Sharon was a man of inscrutable character, and his epochal life and elusive personality are both vividly portrayed in this book. Sharon was fueled by a rare combination of qualities: courage, love of power, unbridled tenacity, pragmatism, and, above all, a creed that never changed–complete and uncondtional security for Jews.
Noted photo-journalist Aaron Levin captures in text and pictures the beginnings of Israel and contains interviews from the common soldier, the civilians, and former Prime Ministers.Testament: At The Creation of the State of Israel
by Aaron Levin (no photo)Synopsis
Look at the faces. Listen to the words. These are people who helped form the state of Israel. Shalom Masswari speaks nonchalantly of self-induced starvation, undertaken to make himself small enough to be smuggled out of prison in a suitcase. Zelig Gonen stands beside the bicycle he used to traffic a basket of Molotov cocktails across an Arab war zone. Eliahu Shavit crouches above the Jerusalem sewer holes he once crawled through as a saboteur, planting bombs. Munio Brandwein gazes at the olive trees he planted where three friends lost their lives. In "Testament, " American photographer and journalist Aaron Levin heralds the men and women behind the founding of Israel on its 50th anniversary. Transcribed from interviews, sometimes translated from Hebrew, the essays that accompany each portrait in "Testament" tell of the extraordinary events that transformed everyday lives.
Along with the soldiers, civilians, and kibbutzniks who contributed to the independence movement, there are photos and first-person recollections of such prominent Israelis as former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, Nobel Peace Prize-winner Shimon Peres, and the former president of Israel and ambassador to the United Nations Chaim Herzog, now deceased
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In my view the following book offers a balanced view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East
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Sandy TolanSybopsis:
In 1967, Bashir Al-Khayri, a Palestinian twenty-five-year-old, journeyed to Israel, with the goal of seeing the beloved old stone house, with the lemon tree behind it, that he and his family had fled nineteen years earlier. To his surprise, when he found the house he was greeted by Dalia Ashkenazi Landau, a nineteen-year-old Israeli college student, whose family fled Europe for Israel following the Holocaust. On the stoop of their shared home, Dalia and Bashir began a rare friendship, forged in the aftermath of war and tested over the next thirty-five years in ways that neither could imagine on that summer day in 1967. Based on extensive research, and springing from his enormously resonant documentary that aired on NPR’s Fresh Air in 1998, Sandy Tolan brings the Israeli-Palestinian conflict down to its most human level, suggesting that even amid the bleakest political realities there exist stories of hope and reconciliation
Chrissie wrote: "In my view the following book offers a balanced view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East
[bookcover:The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a J..."
Thanks, Chrissie. It is often difficult to find a book that has no bias on that particular conflict. Good recommendation.
The Kibbutz: Awakening from Utopia
by Daniel Gavron (no photo)Synopsis
The Israeli kibbutz, the twentieth century s most interesting social experiment, is in the throes of change. Instrumental in establishing the State of Israel, defending its borders, creating its agriculture and industry, and setting its social norms, the kibbutz is the only commune in history to have played a central role in a nation s life. Over the years, however, Israel has developed from an idealistic pioneering community into a materialistic free market society. Consequently, the kibbutz has been marginalized and is undergoing a radical transformation. The egalitarian ethic expressed in the phrase, From each according to ability, to each according to need, is being replaced by the concept of reward for effort. Cooperative management is increasingly giving way to business administration. Kibbutz members, who were obligated to and dependent on their community, are now responsible for running their own lives and earning their own living. Through distinguished journalist Daniel Gavron s revealing portraits of ten kibbutzim we hear the voices both of the veterans who are witnessing the collapse of their dream and of the youngsters who have rejected the vision of their parents. The author also analyzes the economic collapse that triggered the changes and the failure of the unique kibbutz education system to perpetuate communal values. The opening and concluding chapters provide a compelling overview of the situation and look toward the future. Gavron, a former kibbutznik, brings a keen and sensitive eye to this first overview of the current revolution in the Israeli kibbutz. Jewish readers and all those interested in Israel will find this book a compelling portrait of a country trying to hold onto its past while facing its future.
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I read this book for my challenge.
by Emily TaitzThis is my review:
Very easy to read and understand the geography, history and economy of Israel. I never realized how rich the culture of that small state, my focus was always on relationship that Israel with its neighbours and the international community. In addition, I never realized the importance of the location of Israel. The author describes it as a bridge for regional and international traders. I recommend this book to anyone seeking knowledge on the people of Israel. It is a succinct account of what of the journey of the people. It is ideal for all ages and intellectual understanding, just bare in mind that the book was written in the 80's, so there are changes to the structure of Israel's structure.
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Jerusalem: The Biography
Simon Sebag MontefioreSynopsis:
This is a huge sprawling book about the history of the city of Jerusalem. Drawing from as much history as possible, coupled with the stories from various religious artifacts and documents, Montefiore covers an amazing amount of information in just a little over 500 pages. He did his best to maintain an air of neutrality, which is difficult for a city that is the home of two major religions coupled with a holy site for a third, that were often at odds with each other.
The prolog starts in the time of the Romans, when Rome occupied Jerusalem. Then he goes back in time to before David, discussing briefly the founding of the town, it's near literal abandonment, resettlement by the Canaanites, the introduction of Hebrews as described in the book of Genesis.
From that point, it's off to the races, where he covers various conquests by so many nations and peoples. He covers the conquests by Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, Greece (including Alexander the Great and his descendents), Cyrus, Darius, the Romans, the crusades, Saladin, Mongols, the Mamluks, Ottomans, Napolean, British, and the founding of Israel, finally ending around 2010.
He covers the three major Abrahamic religions and how Jerusalem plays into it. He describes how each were oppressed and oppressed each other, and at times, oppressed themselves. There are instances where Christian monks attacked each other, beating each other with crosses and other relics, just because one side was Orthodox, the other Catholic. Similar things happened to Muslim on Muslim violence, and Jewish vs Jewish, at times, more than just beatings.
Because Jerusalem was conquered and re-built so many times, it's quite interesting as he describes how long-forgotten artifacts from some empire turned up, be it from archaeological digs, construction, or in one case, a boy going down the Siloam Tunnel and found an inscription dating back to Hezekiah, and what happened to that inscription.
In the epilog, he wrote, and I quote: "If this book has any mission, I passionately hope that it might encourage each side to recognize and respect the ancient heritage of the Other...". I learned a tremendous amount. Highly recommended.
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Israeli Knesset Plans Session in AuschwitzTEL AVIV — Israel Ernst's face contorted as he leaned forward in his chair and recalled the taunts of the German guards: "You will all be turned into meatballs."
"Hell was on Earth," Ernst, 86, said as he recalled his imprisonment in Auschwitz, the Nazi concentration camp in Poland in which 1 million Jews were murdered, along with tens of thousands of Polish dissidents, Romas and others.
The creation of Israel was in part a response to the genocide, and Israelis want to make sure such a mass murder can never happen again.
In a historic move, the Israeli legislature, or Knesset, announced Friday that it will hold a special session in Auschwitz on Jan. 27, the 69th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The Knesset has never before convened outside Israel. A majority of its members will take part, including Arab-Israeli members.
Yuli-Yoel Edelstein, speaker of the Israeli Knesset, said the timing of the event is crucial, coming as it does on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
"The state of anti-Semitism is very troubling," he said. "I know that every year the numbers are rising. This is the tendency — they are stable or rising."
In the Arab nations of the Middle East, Israel is consistently vilified on state-run television and in mosque sermons, and schoolbooks often portray Jews in insulting ways, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute, which tracks Arab media.
Even in Europe, where the Holocaust happened, an anti-Semitism survey conducted on behalf of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights in nine countries found that 26% of Jews have suffered from anti-Semitic harassment at least once in the past year.
It found that 34% experienced such harassment in the past five years; 5% reported that their property was intentionally vandalized because they are Jewish, and about 7% were physically hurt or threatened.
As a result, 40% to 50% of Jews in France, Belgium and Hungary said they were considering emigrating as they no longer felt safe, according to Ynet news.
Iran's leaders, who are pursuing a nuclear program that the United States suspects is aimed at making an atomic bomb, have threatened to eliminate Israel. Hamas, a terrorist group on Israel's border in Gaza, has threatened to wipe Israel off the map. Hezbollah, a terrorist group in Lebanon, has also called for Israel's elimination.
About 30 Holocaust survivors die every day in Israel, and there is a sense of urgency in the Israeli government to remind the world that the annihilation of Jews must never happen again.
"We're coming to stand with (the survivors) and to support them," said Jonny Daniels, founder of From The Depths, which aims to preserve the memory of the Holocaust.
Daniels said the event will not be political but a commemoration and reminder of what happened. In attendance will be members of the U.S. Congress and politicians and dignitaries from Germany, Sweden and Australia.
Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel plans to return to Auschwitz for the first time in nearly a decade for the event.
"There is a potential of really having an honest discussion about how we make sure nothing of the kind happens again in the modern world," Edelstein said.
During World War II, Auschwitz became a main site for the Nazis' "final solution," an attempt to exterminate the Jewish race. Transport trains from European countries invaded by the Nazis delivered Jews to the camp to be gassed to death in specially rigged shower rooms. Others starved or were worked to death, their bodies cremated in ovens.
Ernst spent four and a half years at Auschwitz and a labor camp in Friedland, Germany. For most of his life, he refused to speak about it with his children.
"I thought that they would never believe me," he said. "I didn't want to cause them unnecessary heartbreak."
Ernst lives on a peaceful, tree-lined street in north Tel Aviv with his wife, Bracha, 77, one of the 200,000 Holocaust survivors who made their way to Israel after the war.
He said he feels obligated to describe his story in detail. He talked of the stench of the corpses piled up daily at the camp, the wooden barracks and bunks and his determination to keep trying to live another day.
Ernst said he finds the threat of anti-Semitism "terrifying," but he does not see a similar threat today that prevailed 70 years ago.
"Now it's a completely different story," he said. "Jews in Germany and in Europe had no protection. If they were intimidated, if they were threatened, they could not defend themselves. We are not helpless like we once were."
He said his grandchildren have gone to Auschwitz on school trips. As for him: "I cannot go back."
I certainly wish Truman would have taken Marshall's advice and never created that country.
Helping to create Israel is one of the many great things Truman
Helping to create Israel is one of the many great things Truman
Ariel Sharon, one of Israel's greatest and controversial leaders has died after being in a coma for eight year following a massive stroke.
Ariel Sharon (Hebrew: About this sound אריאל שרון, Arabic: أرئيل شارون, Ariʼēl Sharōn, also known by his diminutive Arik, אַריק, born Ariel Scheinermann, אריאל שיינרמן; 26 February 1928 – 11 January 2014) was an Israeli statesman and general, who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Israel until he was incapacitated by a stroke.
Sharon was a commander in the Israeli Army from its inception in 1948. As a paratrooper and then an officer, he participated prominently in the 1948 War of Independence, becoming a platoon commander in the Alexandroni Brigade and taking part in many battles, including Operation Ben Nun Alef. He was an instrumental figure in the creation of Unit 101, and the Retribution operations, as well as in the 1956 Suez Crisis, the Six-Day War of 1967, the War of Attrition, and the Yom-Kippur War of 1973. As Minister of Defense, he directed the 1982 Lebanon War.
During his military career, he was considered the greatest field commander in Israel's history, and one of the country's greatest ever military strategists. After his assault of the Sinai in the Six-Day War and his encirclement of the Egyptian Third Army in the Yom Kippur War, the Israeli public nicknamed him "The King of Israel" and "The Lion of God".
After retiring from the army, Sharon joined the Likud party, and served in a number of ministerial posts in Likud-led governments in 1977–92 and 1996–99. He became the leader of the Likud in 2000, and served as Israel's Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006. In 1983 the Kahan Commission, established by the Israeli Government, found that as Minister of Defense during the 1982 Lebanon War Sharon bore "personal responsibility" for the massacre by Lebanese militias of Palestinian civilians in the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila, for his having disregarded the prospect of acts of bloodshed by the Phalangists against the population of the refugee camps, and not having prevented their entry. The Kahan Commission recommended Sharon's removal as Defense Minister, and Sharon did resign after initially refusing to do so. In the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Sharon championed construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. However, as Prime Minister, in 2004–05 Sharon orchestrated Israel's unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip. Facing stiff opposition to this policy within the Likud, in November 2005 he left Likud to form a new Kadima party. He had been expected to win the next election and was widely interpreted as planning on "clearing Israel out of most of the West Bank", in a series of unilateral withdrawals. However, Sharon suffered a stroke on 4 January 2006 and was left in a permanent vegetative state until his death eight years later.
He passed away on 11th January 2014, two weeks after his condition took a dramatic turn for the worst. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariel_Sh...)
One of the most surprising and bold anti-terrorist strikes in history. It has become a part of Israeli history for all time.Israel's Lightning Strike - The Raid on Entebbe
by Simon Dunstan (no photo)Synopsis:
The Israeli Special Forces' operation at Entebbe goes down in history as one of the most audacious counter-terrorist assaults ever conducted. On June 27, 1976, four terrorists (two of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and two of the German Baader-Meinhof terrorist group) highjacked a passenger jet and forced a landing in Entebbe, Uganda. Here they were met by reinforcements, and transferred all the Jewish and Israeli prisoners to the terminal building, with the exception of a few hostage releases. As Idi Amin's assistance to the terrorists became increasingly clear, the Israeli government began preparations for a military assault. The element of surprise was crucial; never before had such a large-scale raid at such a long distance been successfully undertaken. This is the incredible story of how the Israeli Special Forces defied radar for over 2,000 miles, masqueraded as a tyrant in a Mercedes and captured uniforms, and defeated an army in brutal combat, culminating in a triumph of sheer audacity and nerve. A compelling book chronicling an incredible moment in history.
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by Bruce Hoffman (no photo)Synopsis:
The Jewish terrorist campaign and especially some of its most notorious operations - including the assassination in 1944 of a British cabinet minister in Cairo, the 1946 bombings of Jerusalem's King David Hotel and the British embassy in Rome, - remain controversial to this day. It is by now a familiar story.
The struggle for the existence of the Jewish homeland seems never ending. Thanks for that good book recommendation, Jerome.
The History Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
The Definitive Israel-Palestine Reader (other topics)Enemies and Neighbors: Arabs and Jews in Palestine and Israel, 1917-2017 (other topics)
Stone Men: The Palestinians Who Built Israel (other topics)
My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel (other topics)
Lords of the Land: The War for Israel's Settlements in the Occupied Territories, 1967-2007 (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Ian Black (other topics)Andrew Ross (other topics)
Ari Shavit (other topics)
Idith Zertal (other topics)
Neill Lochery (other topics)
More...
Since we are doing the Middle Eastern challenge; setting up one thread per Middle Eastern country is a good idea.
About Israel:
Israel (pron.: /ˈɪzriːəl/ or /ˈɪzreɪəl/), officially the State of Israel (Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, Medīnat Yisrā'el, IPA: [mediˈnat jisʁaˈʔel]
Isrāʼīl, IPA: [dawlat ʔisraːˈʔiːl]), is a parliamentary democracy in the Middle East, on the south-eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea.
It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan and the West Bank in the east, Egypt and the Gaza Strip on the southwest, and the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea to the south, and it contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area.
In its Basic Laws Israel defines itself as a Jewish and Democratic State; it is the world's only Jewish-majority state.
On 29 November 1947, the United Nations General Assembly recommended the adoption and implementation of the partition plan of Mandatory Palestine. On 14 May 1948 David Ben-Gurion, the Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization and president of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, declared "the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz Israel, to be known as the State of Israel," a state independent upon the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine, 15 May 1948.
Neighboring Arab states invaded the next day in support of the Palestinian Arabs. Israel has since fought several wars with neighboring Arab states, in the course of which it has occupied the West Bank, Sinai Peninsula (between 1967 and 1982), Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights.
Portions of these territories, including East Jerusalem, have been annexed by Israel, but the border with the neighboring West Bank has not yet been permanently defined; [neutrality is disputed).
Israel has signed peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, but efforts to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict have so far not resulted in peace.
Israel's financial center is Tel Aviv, while Jerusalem is the country's most populous city and its capital (although not recognized internationally as such).
The population of Israel, as defined by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, was estimated in 2013 to be 7,993,100 people, of whom 6,022,800 are Jewish. Arabs form the country's second-largest ethnic group with 1,651,600 people (including Druze and Bedouins).
The great majority of Israeli Arabs are settled-Muslims, with smaller but significant numbers of semi-settled Negev Bedouins and Arab Christians. Other minorities include various ethnic and ethno-religious denominations such as Druze, Circassians, African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem, Samaritans, Maronites, Armenians and others.
Israel is a representative democracy with a parliamentary system, proportional representation and universal suffrage.
The Prime Minister serves as head of government and the Knesset serves as Israel's unicameral legislative body. Israel has one of the highest life expectancies in the world.
It is a developed country, an OECD member, and its economy, based on the nominal gross domestic product, was the 40th-largest in the world in 2011.
Israel has the highest standard of living in the Middle East, and the third highest in Asia.
Source: Wikipedia
Remainder of article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel
Its Flag
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Its Emblem
The Emblem of the State of Israel (Hebrew: סמל מדינת ישראל) shows a menorah surrounded by an olive branch on each side, and the writing "ישראל" (Hebrew for Israel) below it. Most commonly light blue and white, the coat of arms does appear in different colour combinations depending on the use. The olive branches represent peace.
See more about the Emblem on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emblem_o...
Its Location
Territory held by Israel before and after the 1967 Six Day War. The Sinai Peninsula was returned to Egypt in 1982.
Capital and Largest city
Jerusalem
31°47′N 35°13′E
Jerusalem skyline viewed from Givat ha'Arba, Mamilla, the Old City and the Dome of the Rock, a souq in the Old City, the Knesset, the Western Wall, the Tower of David and the Old City walls
More on Jerusalem from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem
Government: Parliamentary Democracy
- President Shimon Peres
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
- Speaker of the KnessetYuli-Yoel Edelstein
- President of the Supreme Court Asher Grunis
Legislature Knesset
Independence from Mandatory Palestine
- Declaration 14 May 1948
Wikipedia Article on Mandatory Palestine:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandator...
Israeli Declaration of Independence
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_...
Trip Advisor - Travel Slideshow:
http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/slides...
Israel's Galilee Section
http://www.bbc.com/travel/slideshow/2...
Youtube Video on The Beauty of Israel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfbdgK...
This is a thread to begin discussing all things Israel.
This includes the country of Israel, its leaders, government, etc. and of course its history and news. As well as books about or concerning any aspect of life in Israel or its cultural history.
Please feel free to add books: either non fiction or historical fiction that deal with these topical areas.
If you would like to add any novels that are set in Israel or involve Israeli settings, you may but only if you clearly point out that these are works of fiction. This group is primarily a non fiction and historical fiction group.
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