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Summary: AN IMPORTANT GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING TODAY'S ISRAEL
Review: Anyone who believes that all Israelis believe that there should be a Jewish State needs to read Hazony's THE JEWISH STATE. Hazony clearly and convincingly demonstrates that Israel's intellectual elite has opposed the concept of a Jewish State from the begining. This book is an eye opener as it documents the power and the arguments of the post-zionists. This is especially relevant now that one of their leaders Shimon Peres is likely to become Israel's next President.I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the intellectual struggle that is as important to the State as relations with its arab neighbors. Hazony's unimpeachable scholarship and his fluid writing style makes it an enjoyable must read.
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Summary: Terrific, But...
Review: First of all, I must say that this is a terrific book. It is amazing in the way it shows how and why Israel will unfortunately not exist in the near future. However, it does have a few problems, one of which I feel is cardinal. The first few chapters, in which Hazony presents his thesis, regarding the level of infiltration of "post-zionism" into modern Israeli society, namely its mainstream left (whether they admit it or not), are not intended for anyone who is not on the same side, politically, as Hazony himself. And therefore will not understand, what exactly Hazony's opinion on the matter, and why he sees this as "wrong" (if they will come to that conclusion). Another minor problem is the way is idolizes Labor Zionism, particularly Herzl and Ben-Gurion. The way he presents them is a bit biased. Overall this book is amazing, and a must to read for everyone who wants to really know more about Israel, and maybe to try and to something, if it's not too late.
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Summary: Not simply for intellectuals
Review: First some background about me! I was 11 yrs. old in 1939 and grew up with an interest in world history at a time when history was being made. I admit to inheriting a lot of misconceptions and incomplete information on the subject of the Middle East, Palestine, Israel, the Balfour Declaration and the Jews. I took this book with me as holiday reading material and had to persevere to get through the Introduction and Part One which is essential reading to benefit from the whole volume. Coming to the second part which deals with the History of the Jewish State I simply could not put it down! In a way I wish that Mr.Hazony had included more explanatory detail and that the Notes, contained at the end of the book, had been printed as footnotes, for it is important to read them along with the text. However, this book has defintely prompted me to pursue a new phase of an old interest and I shall certainly be searching the catalogue of my local library for further reading. And isn't that what a good book, well researched and well written should do for an active and enquiring mind?
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Summary: He takes on the anti- Israeli intellectual elite
Review: In this work Yoram Hazony takes on the anti- Israeli, Israeli intellectual elite. He traces the roots of their anti- Zionism to the group of people clustered around Martin Buber at Hebrew University.
He also writes a history of a certain part of the Zionist movement.
The best part of the book is the first one hundred pages in which the exposee of the anti- Israeli intellectuals is made.
As for the thesis it puts too many eggs in just one basket when there are many other baskets around.
Hazony is to be credited for writing courageously about one of the greatest survival problems Israel faces, the ' betrayal by certain elite intellectuals' of the state they live in, are defended by and supported by.
Rating: 
Summary: Strong writing, weak thesis
Review: Mr. Hazony is a great writer. As a concise history of Zionism, this book is fantastic reading. However his thesis is unconvincing. Every time Hazony quotes Martin Buber to expose his hostility towards Jewish Statehood, Buber's words ring with near-prophetic wisdom and intelligence--the opposite of Hazony's intention, one would imagine. Hazony's paints the struggle between the early Jewish Zionists and Jewish anti-Zionists to be in large part a petty war of egos. It takes 5 chapters before Hazony goes into the anti-Zionists feelings about the Arabs of Palestine in any depth. The Anti-Zionists central argument--that changing the demographics of Ottoman Palestine against the wishes of the Arab population is inherently immoral--becomes a footnote to Hazony's story. Needless to say, it's this factor which has poisoned relations between the peoples of the Middle East to this day. Hazony's main thesis is that the Jewish anti-Zionist legacy never died, but remained vibrant, protected within the ivory tower of Jerusalem's Hebrew University, influencing politics insidiously by poisoning Israel's cultural life. Poisoning or influencing for the better? --you decide. Hazony provides the history. My own belief is that 3 generations of war, countless deaths, and an immoral occupation of the West Bank and Gaza are sufficient factors to have created an Israeli ideology of Post-Zionism. You don't need a conspiracy theory about Hebrew University brainwashing everybody to account for that.
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Summary: Terrific, But...
Review: The book is a must-read for any one who see himself as a true zionist. It describes the way anti- and post- zionism has evolved in the last 100 years - partly from zionism itself. It combines almost up-to-date description of frightening post-zionism in the Israeli society, with a very interesting view of the history of Zionism. Apart from the very important content - the book is also written very well.
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Summary: Best answer to Post-Zionism
Review: The book is a must-read for any one who see himself as a true zionist. It describes the way anti- and post- zionism has evolved in the last 100 years - partly from zionism itself. It combines almost up-to-date description of frightening post-zionism in the Israeli society, with a very interesting view of the history of Zionism. Apart from the very important content - the book is also written very well.
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Summary: A criticism of "post-Zionism"
Review: This book interprets Zionist history as a sort of political battle between what I'll call the Right and the Left. Let me explain what I mean by Right and Left and then tell you where Hazony is in this spectrum.
People on the Right want to, as a priority, help themselves and their close allies. That's what they know they can be good at. When this plan works, they become more productive and the whole society benefits. But there is a risk (that the Right is willing to take), namely that they'll help themselves so much at the expense of others that society as a whole will not benefit. And from there, it is a short step to harming society enough so that they are brought down with it.
People on the Left want to, as a priority, help all of society. That's what they know they can be fair at. When this plan works, the people they help generally reciprocate, and everyone benefits. But there is a risk (that the Left is willing to take), namely that the rest of society may benefit a little, but only by taking advantage of the Left and its allies. And from there, it is a short step to having thugs, not the rest of society, become the ones who truly take advantage of the Left's support, so society as a whole is harmed.
I'm on the Left and Hazony is on the Right. I'm first and foremost a citizen of the world. He's first and foremost a Jewish Israeli. And in this book, Hazony makes some interesting points about those in Israel who have gone too far off course on the Left. But I was always concerned that Hazony was about to go off course to the Right.
Hazony's targets are those who feel that Zionism is no longer needed (as well as those who feel it was never a good idea). I have no problem with that. Hazony describes the Biltmore Conference in May of 1942 at which the delegates voted overwhelmingly (478 to 4) for a Jewish state. There's no doubt that a Jewish state was needed then (both for Jews and for human society as a whole). And there is no reason to believe that it isn't just as necessary today, if only to protect the Jews of Israel. In addition, why aren't those asking for an end to Zionism asking for an end to French nationalism, German nationalism, and an end to all other nationalities?
Hazony discusses Herzl in detail. And he shows how the British wound up adopting the infamous White Paper in May of 1939 that certainly made a Jewish state a necessity, whether one was established or not.
The author shows how Ben-Gurion really tried very hard to establish a Jewish state. And how some on the Left, especially Buber, went overboard and tried to avoid doing anything that might require the use of force.
However, I think Anita Shapira is right to say that Hazony's Ben-Gurion comes across as monolithic, and that Hazony does not discuss the times when Ben-Gurion emphasized that Zionism is simply part of human rights, and that Israelis were to be free people within the family of nations. Clearly, these types of statements, making Israel a state for everyone, sound much better to me than they do to Hazony. I think Hazony ought to have presented a more nuanced and more accurate picture of Ben-Gurion. He should have told us that Ben-Gurion for many years regarded modern Zionism as unconnected to ancient Jewish history. On the other hand, Hazony is correct that once Israel became a state, Ben-Gurion began to talk more about ancient Israel. And this is actually not a big issue for me: we all know that many Israelis take ancient Jewish history very seriously and many do not.
In my opinion, Hazony exaggerates the importance and extent of antizionism in Israel, both historically and at present. Yes, there are a number of people in Israeli academia who present a revisionist and inaccurate view of history. And that is a serious matter. But most Israelis have no trouble telling the difference between the human rights in Israel and lack of human rights, especially for Jews, in neighboring Arab nations.
I think Hazony is not asking the reader to accept Zionism uncritically. And he's certainly not asking Israelis to be greedy or unjust. Far from it. He's asking all of us to reject antizionist lies. And he's asking Israeli Jews to demand their rights as human beings rather than allow themselves to be pressured into adopting the political positions of their Arab neighbors.
The issue of whether Israel is a Jewish state or not is similar to the issue of whether France is a French state or not. Until we're ready to get the French to abandon their flag and national anthem, I see no reason to ask if the Israelis ought to abandon theirs. And that's why I think this book is worth reading.
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Summary: Essential Reading
Review: This book takes you through the evolution of Zionism over the last 100+ years. It is essential reading for anyone wanting to learn about the unending problems of the land of Palestine.
Hazony is an excellent writer. The book begins as a slow, lumbering read, hard to get into, but you must get through the Introduction and first few Chapters. Then the book begins to roll and you will find yourself unable to put it down. The only complaint I have of this book is that mine is the paperback edition and the print font is too small. Spend a few extra dollars and get the hardback if you are over 40 and need reading glasses.
Yoram Hazony writes and expresses so clearly what has been on so many of our minds when we see Israel today. The anti-Jewish influence shows up on Israeli TV, in Israeli schoolbooks, Meretz party, and such anti-Zionist newspapers as Ha'aretz. Hazony tells us who these people are and what their background is.
The book describes in great detail, the workings of Herzl, Ben-Gurion and Buber. The inner workings of modern Israeli government are carefully dissected. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the intellectual struggle that is as important to the State as relations with its Arab neighbors. Hazony's unimpeachable scholarship and his fluid writing style makes it an enjoyable must read.
Monty Rainey
www.juntosociety.com
Rating:
Summary: 5 stars says it all!
Review: What can I say? 5 stars says it all! This book takes you inside the inner workings of Israel's political roots. It redefines Zionism and smashes wide spread myths. If you want to get a good perspective on Israel from an intellectual, look no further. It goes without saying that this book is not for everyone. Only the scholarly individual looking for a scholarly book! Enjoy!
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