etters Building Peace hank you very much for the the state. Everyone (each perhaps from T Institute for Social Thought’s his own vantage point) pushed for this premiere issue of Azure: Ideas for eventuality and identified with the the Jewish Nation. I expect this agonizing war that had to be fought. journal will be highly valued in the Those signing the declaration of in- years ahead as Israel seeks to build dependence were politicians from the peace both with its neighbors and left and from the right; secular, reli- among Israel’s own Jewish population. gious and centrist. There was not a The new and fresh ideas your journal single writer or intellectual, to the best offers are a welcome addition to the of my knowledge, who did not iden- discussions surrounding the future of tify with the war. Israel. The phenomenon of a left wing I look forward to reading more is- dragging the country in the direction sues of this new journal. of anti-Zionism started only after the Six Day War. Even Uri Avneri in his Martin Indyk Fields of Philistia describes the war and U.S. Ambassador himself as a loyal fighter. Tel Aviv S. Yizhar, in his Days of Ziklag, The Ruins of Hiz’ah and The Prisoner of War, does not come out against the Sufficient Grief war or the occupation, but rather against displays of stupidity, immoral- I would like to offer a number of com- ity and depraved brutality during the ments regarding Yoram Hazony’s ar- war—but all the while identifying ticle, “The End of Zionism?” (Azure 1, with its goal. This is exactly like Natan Summer 1996) In 1948, the year of Alterman writing one of his rousing Israel’s War of Independence, Israel “columns” about the events at Kfar enjoyed a nearly wall-to-wall consen- Kasem, while at the same time believ- sus, across all ideological camps in the ing in the Greater Land of Israel to country, in favor of establishment of the end of his days. spring 5757 / 1997 • 7 Amos Oz is another story. His gen- Already Out of Control eration is fairly removed from the 1948 war. In My Michael, which was Thank you for sending me the first is- cited in the article, one may discern sue of Azure. My appreciation is ex- the seeds of identification with the Pal- ceeded by my recognition of the fine estinians (in a nostalgic way), but in job you have done. I really was in for most of Oz’s writings and stories there a pleasant surprise, quite satisfied over is no mention of these issues. Even in your courage to publish—in these the novel Black Box, which is among dark days—a new intellectual journal. his later works, there is no identifica- I was even more pleased to witness the tion with the Palestinians (though high standard. Judging by your abil- there is a grotesque portrayal of activ- ity to sustain The Shalem Center and ists from the Greater Land of Israel to continue distributing background movement). In any event, the trend materials that are critical for an un- towards identification with the Pal- derstanding of current events, I believe estinians, which gathered momentum that you will go a long way with and culminated in the Oslo agree- Azure. Both the name and the con- ment, began fairly late—in my opin- tent are deserving of heartfelt con- ion not before the Yom Kippur War. gratulations. I merely wish to say that the grief Our era is already out of control, we are now facing is sufficient in it- due both to the mess we inherited self, and there is no need to hasten its from the Labor-Meretz government— arrival, as was done in the article. It stuck like a bone in the throat of the should be emphasized that the phe- new administration, which is unable nomenon of anti-Zionism is much to either swallow it or spit it out—and more of a “journalistic” phenomenon to the diversity of political forces that than a literary one. It appears in heavy Netanyahu has gathered into his gov- doses in newspapers, articles, op-eds, ernment. Thus, Azure is especially poetry, syndicated columns and the- important today. ater. Serious authors know how to dis- I will not deny that you caused me tinguish between their literary cre- great satisfaction by printing Ofir ations and any political articles they Haivry’s “Act and Comprehend” write, or speeches they deliver in the (Azure 1, Summer 1996), a paean to public square. Even Meir Shalev’s ar- his scholarship and seriousness; the ticles in the press are totally different same goes for Yoram Hazony’s exposé from his prose. on the gang of anti-Zionists who go by the name of “Post-Zionism.” Hanan Sever Kibbutz Yiftah Tzvi Shiloah Herzliya 8 • Azure Checking the Tzitzit that Post-Zionism has become the “dominant cultural force in the coun- I was pleased to see Azure added to try.” Is this really so? Where on the the tzitzit [fringed garment]; even if spectrum do we locate the Torah- the talit [prayer shawl] is not all t’chelet based research institutes, the hesder [azure], the addition is still important yeshivas, and the yeshiva army prepa- and timely. I hope the project will con- ratory academies? What about the tinue on indefinitely and without in- haredi and non-Jewish sectors, who do terruption. Three cheers for the trans- not see themselves at all as part of the lation of the letter from Martin Luther Zionist camp—nor of its successor? It King (Azure 1, Summer 1996). It seems to me that we should seriously contains several key insights that have consider whether all of this is really a high degree of relevance to our own true, or whether it emanates from bi- reality. Please allow me several short ased parties that have succeeded in comments on the content of the ar- making it part and parcel of Israel’s ticles: public discourse. 1. In his preface, the editor empha- 4. Also in regard to the “cultural sizes [in the Hebrew edition] that war” discussed by the editor, I am not “Azure was born for lack of choice.” convinced that the great divide is re- I am bewildered by this undervalua- ally between those who totally negate tion. Azure’s importance and proper Judaism and those who champion it. place are assured even without the It would appear that the noise of the existence of a fundamental and multi- detractors is much louder than their sectoral crisis. A forum for clarifica- actual relative weight in Israeli culture tion, and a focused one at that, is and among its consumers. always beneficial. Meir Gross 2. In his preface, the editor men- Beit El tions the “majority of Israel’s elite.” This is a concept that has not been adequately examined. Who exactly is this “elite”? Theater-goers? Yeshiva students? Academics? We are not au- Failing Substitutes tomatically obligated to adopt the defi- nitions that a certain cultural group I congratulate you on your article “The in Israel is attempting to inculcate. End of Zionism?” which I thought was 3. Similarly, Yoram Hazony writes the most perceptive (if equally trou- in his article, “The End of Zionism?” spring 5757 / 1997 • 9 bling) analysis of the situation in Is- while wishing enormous success to rael I have read in years. The Shalem Center. An honest in- I have just completed a book on the tellectual approach to the needs, American Jewish community, whose problems and aspirations of the Jew- conclusions are at least somewhat par- ish people and the State of Israel rep- allel to your own regarding Israel. I resents a very important contribution suggest that the adoption of substitutes to their future and well-being. for Judaism—new forms of what is I am sure that by reading the con- now known as “Jewishness” and con- tents of Azure, I will gain a better sisting of liberal politics, “Jewish cul- understanding of Israel and its ture,” ethnicity, Holocaust studies, people. So allow me to repeat my etc.—is clearly failing to keep Jews most sincere thanks to you and your Jewish; and conclude that a commu- institution, and to express my hopes nity built around anything but the old- that the effort you have initiated be time religion will not survive in this effective and long-lasting. country. But the American Jewish Manuel E. Lopez Trigo community is entirely dedicated to the Ambassador from Costa Rica liberal attitude toward religion, namely Jerusalem that it is a dangerous, divisive, reac- tionary force that must be mar- ginalized lest Jews lose their chance for integration and social advancement. Congratulations on your superb Philosophers and Principles piece. Regarding Ofir Haivry’s article, “Act Elliott Abrams and Comprehend”: Senior Fellow In view of the discussion of Thales, Hudson Institute I would like to add that there are Jew- Washington, D.C. ish parallels and possible influences on his views. It was long fashionable to minimize this influence, despite the identification of Thales, “the first Honest Intellect Greek philosopher,” as a Phoenician by Herodotus. This Aryanist or anti- Upon receiving a copy of Azure: Ideas Semitic prejudice has given way in for the Jewish Nation, I want to ex- some recent studies to the recogni- press my most sincere thanks to you tion that both Thales and another 10 • Azure early philosopher, Pythagoras, were Hazony’s article, “The End of Zion- Phoenicians. ism?” It is nothing less than a confir- In regard to the mention of Cyrus mation and true reflection of my own as a “non-Jewish king” who is yet feelings and convictions concerning called mashiah, it might interest you present conditions in Israel.