MY PROMISED LAND : THE TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY OF ISRAEL PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Ari Shavit | 512 pages | 09 Jun 2015 | RANDOM HOUSE | 9780385521710 | English | United States My Promised Land : The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel PDF Book Do the two really converge? Shavit describes his great-grandfather as having recognised in the 19th century that the Jews needed a homeland not just to save their physical selves from the horror which would engulf Europe, but from the modernity that would destroy the Jewish people. It is an important book. It is more than just a history lesson about Israel; it is an attempt to articulate its identity. What made this book different from all of the other books I've read about this subject so far is that unlike most other authors Shavit focuses on the micro rather than the macro. Through revealing stories of significant events and of ordinary individuals—pioneers, immigrants, entrepreneurs, scientists, army generals, peaceniks, settlers, and Palestinians—Israeli journalist Ari Shavit illuminates many of the pivotal moments of the Zionist century that led Israel to where it is today. More filters. They lead him to head this unique Anglo-Jewish delegation traveling to the shores of the Holy Land. They had to be creative, practical, and find sources of income to support these new ideas in agriculture which led to more development in other areas of setting up a life style. He is not optimistic. I watch him as he looks from the deck. He was blue-eyed, commanding, and loyal to the crown. View all 9 comments. Is my deep sense of anxiety well founded? He goes over the Atomic bomb in Dimona, and is concerned about atomic proliferation in the Middle East, especially Iran. Options comment tweet share email print. A fascinating look at 21st century Israel. Discuss its implications for current discussions of nuclear proliferation. Given those numbers, Israel doesn't appear to have much going for it. Hardcover List Price: What about salinization of the soil, or the impact of so much more garbage on the landscape. He is even handed, self-critical, and transparent about the reasons for each action and their consequences. Promising a utopian vision no less messianic than that of the settlers, it conflated an end to occupation with peace, ignoring Palestinian aspirations and Arab political culture. To this day Israel is not aware of the pain it inflicted when it crushed the culture and identity of the Oriental Jews it absorbed. My Promised Land : The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel Writer The book reflects the author's sense of mission and purpose, and it testif Ari Shavit has written this landmark work with passion, courage, and vision. His aim and that of his London circle is to colonize Palestine. There was hope for quiet, but there will be no quiet here. Ari Shavit. This is the book that has the capacity to reinvent and reshape the long-overdue conversation about how Israel's complex past ought to shape its still- uncertain future. However, his behavior did affect my reading of this book. Instead it provides a window into the thinking of the largest section of the Israeli electorate, the amorphous, conflicted centre which, after the failure of Oslo, the Second Intifada and the problems that followed the withdrawal from Gaza, has drifted towards the right, without wholly identifying with it. In the summer of , during many hours spent with his advisers, Ben Gurion honed the view that had begun to crystallize for him in Close Search. Despite discussing various ways to deal with the legacy of , he returns time and again to Kiyosaki , Paperback 4. Intentionally or otherwise, our work thus lent credibility to the Palestinian historical narrative about the war for Palestine. Highly recommended for those with an interest in the topic. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. When he turned twenty-nine, the first Jew entered the House of Lords. Updated review: Just took off two stars after reading this article. How did it come to be? It is more than just a history lesson about Israel; it is an attempt to articulate its identity. Fifty years later, this same malaise will hit even the powerful and prosperous American Jewish community. Shavit has often predicted an Iranian nuclear bomb or a military strike against Iran, making himself seem like a mouthpiece for Netanyahu. My Promised Land is like a letter, sent through time and space, to Jewish brethren round the world. Ari Shavit has made a storied career of explaining Israel to Israelis; now he shares his mind-blowing, trustworthy insights with the rest of us. The Idea of Israel is not a history book but a close study of the role of Zionist ideology in the making of modern Israel and of the continuing relevance of this ideology today in politics, the education system, the media, the cinema and Ashkenazi-Sephardi relations. The book is often punctuated with personal memories, but it is not a memoir. The demography tells a clear story: In the second half of the twentieth century, which Herbert Bentwich will not live to see, the Anglo-Jewish community will shrink by a third. There was a need for revolution. I learned some new things about Israel and Israelis, and the analysis was well-researched, written beautifully, and incredibly fair. It used calls for peace as a cudgel against settlers and the right. It 'seems' it's only a matter of time until Israel will no longer be 'A Promised Land'. But as I study him from a distance—more than a century of distance—I cannot deny the similarities between us. I have no doubt that this is an accurate assessment of the opinions of Herzl and Bentwich, but I'm still left to wonder: Why is that identity so important that it is worth dying over? More than two hundred were killed. In Russia they are persecuted. NOOK Book. My Promised Land Ari Shavit. I still think it's a great book, but there's no way I'm giving five stars to a work that includes intellectually dishonest reporting. For me, that's a lesson learned. And can Israel survive? Arabs flourished alongside Jews; injustices to the locals were offset by the progress Zionism brought. In short, the book analyzes internal struggles of Israel, from settlements to racism to both Arabs and non-Ashke I'll be honest. Two-thirds of European Jewry will be wiped out. I'll simply say he comes close, close enough for me to give the book five stars. Learn how to enable JavaScript on your browser. They are relieved to find such architecture and such a household and such fine food in this backwater. There was no time, and there was no peace of mind, and therefore there was no human sensitivity. I am far from being an expert but after reading this fantastic non-fiction book, I am much more well-informed. Shavit does not address the causes or the fighting itself, but focuses on the results. However, I'm more familiar with Zionism and Israel than the average American, but I try to avoid listening to the politics. We share a city, a state, a homeland. From this premise it follows that the state of Israel is not legitimate even in its original borders, much less so within its post borders. My Promised Land : The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel Reviews In his thirties he was already a successful solicitor living in St. On the contrary. It is also a stunning overview of the rise of the modern state of Israel within the context of 20th century Jewish history. By the time Arab armies invaded in May , around a thousand had died on each side and some , Palestinians had fled or been expelled. A self-made man, Herbert Bentwich is rigid and pedantic. And these people will be revengeful like no other … this society … will have to face the prospects of both internal and external war. I have no idea who the author is. Only human. If the occupation ends, Palestinian citizens of Israel will still want to change the Jewish character of the state. Eventually the sword itself will rust. Many European Jews migrated to Palestine during the first half of the 20th century. Culminating with an analysis of the issues and threats that Israel is currently facing, My Promised Land uses the defining events of the past to shed new light on the present. Readers also enjoyed. What made this book different from all of the other books I've read about this subject so far is that unlike most other authors Shavit focuses on the micro rather than the macro. In , Palestine is not yet British, but it is on the British horizon. Reality Shock, ; The fundamental question, which he discusses in the beginning, is why is Jewish identity so important? For much of the early 20th century Jews and Arabs lived together in Palestine peaceably, but in violence erupted, and it has never abated. Using recently released documents we debunked many of the myths that had come to surround the birth of the state of Israel and the war. The expulsions and massacres of Arab villagers—in Lydda and Deir Yassin, for example—must not be ignored. A solution to the problems of both groups, he believed, could be found by resurrecting the Land of Israel in Palestine. They transformed the image of Jew from victim to brawny, self-assured man of the hour. When it comes to Israel, people are polarized. He pretty much ignores the Biblical promise of the land to the people of Israel.