Review by Choice Review
The most telling line in Gordis's book comes in the introduction, where he explains that his goal is to "tell the story in a way that [he] believe[s] the facts support." Though the author has written an easy-to-read overview of the rise of Zionism and Israeli history, it is mainly a one-sided story. Gordis (Shalem College, Jerusalem) largely rejects the works of the "New Historians"--Israeli historians who have challenged and complicated classic narratives of Israel's history--particularly when it comes to the topic of Palestinians. He is quick to blame Arabs for acts of violence over the decades but seeks to justify or write off Israeli actions, often without citation. For instance, when writing about the Second Intifada, he notes a French TV crew filmed the killing of a 12-year-old boy in Gaza as his father tried to protect him. Gordis writes that Israeli insistence that the Israel Defense Forces were not responsible was "later shown to be correct" but provides no sources or evidence (p. 379). The book is a good source for understanding a particular viewpoint of Israeli history but should not be used in isolation. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries. --Denise E. Jenison, Kent State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Gordis, an esteemed academic columnist for the Jerusalem Post, begins his history of Israel with the origins of Zionism in Europe and follows the founding of the Jewish state in 1948 and its development up to the present. He clearly intends to counter the Israeli new historians, many of whom are skeptical of the founding myths of Israel, and some of whom regard the creation of Israel as a sort of original sin from which many current problems spring. Gordis is an unapologetic Zionist who strongly asserts that Israel represents a rebirth for the Jewish people and their hopes and dreams over two millennia. Yet he is no crude propagandist. He doesn't shy away from recounting the failings of Israeli democracy, and he bluntly takes on Israeli icons, including Ben Gurion, Dayan, and Sharon. While he acknowledges the ongoing discrimination against Israeli Arabs and their second class status, he still proclaims the building of the state, economy, and culture of Israel as a remarkable achievement. This will serve as a fine introduction to this tiny but vitally important nation.--Freeman, Jay Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
American Israeli author (The Promise of -Israel) and scholar (senior vice president, Koret Distinguished Fellow, Shalem Coll., Jerusalem) Gordis derives a relatively brief history of Israel and Zionism from hundreds of previously published histories, biographies, memoirs, and journalistic works. The author mines sources, which include interviews with contemporary Israelis, for details of the major events of Jewish history from 2000 BCE to the present day in an effort to inform readers how the modern State of Israel came into being and how the country developed its political stances. While new books about Israel and its history are published each year, most seem directed to readers who have an ongoing interest in Middle East affairs or who have aligned themselves with one faction or another. Gordis largely succeeds in introducing Israel to those recently taking an interest, offering footnotes and glossaries to define or explain important people, places, and institutions. VERDICT An excellent introduction for anyone with a new or ongoing interest in Israel. A comprehensive bibliography serves as a guide to further reading.-Joel Neuberg, Santa Rosa Junior Coll. Lib., CA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A thematic one-volume survey of Israel delineating the evolution of late-19th-century Zionism through the tumultuous defense of the nascent state to todays rise of the religious right.Fair-handed in dealing with the Palestinian question though definitely written with an Israeli bias, this solid work by Israeli author Gordis (Senior Vice President/Shalem Coll; Menachem Begin: The Battle for Israel's Soul, 201, etc.) thankfully keeps concision in mind, but the author does not sacrifice veracity. By asking big questionse.g., what was behind this grand human storyhe gets at the broad contours of the founding of the state of Israel. Gordis begins with the importance of the writings of Moses Hess, Leon Pinsker, and Theodor Herzl in articulating the need for a Jewish homeland to combat perennial anti-Semitism. The dream entailed the pursuit of a secular political plansparked, in part, by the Russian pogrom at Kishinev in 1903financed by well-connected Jews of the Diaspora, sanctioned by the Balfour Declaration, and followed by the entirely legal purchase of land in Palestine, which aroused the concern of both the Ottomans and the local Arabs. Gordis crafts an elegant, personal narrative, and he ably captures the existential crisis during the Nazi era with the tragic stories of three different refugee ships full of Jews fleeing Europe. From the challenges of early statehood, including its cast of colorful characters like David Ben-Gurion, and combating rivalrous Arab neighbors with the buildup of a massive military, Israel became an international player. Yet the 1967 Six Day War brought euphoria as well as the long-term burden of the occupation of Palestinian territories, which would alter the founding vision irreparably. Gordis gives a good bit of space to the marginalized Mizrahi revolution of the 1970s, culminating in Menachem Begins Likud victory of 1977. Moreover, the author concludes that the ideology of classic Zionism was beginning to crack, allowing the more religious Jews to find their place. A readable, concise history that effectively captures the sense of grand ideas in Israels identity. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
