My Promised Land
The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel
(Sprache: Englisch)
Presents an examination of Israel through the stories of everyday citizens that traces the events that led the country to its current state of conflict, illuminating the importance of lesser-known historical events.
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Presents an examination of Israel through the stories of everyday citizens that traces the events that led the country to its current state of conflict, illuminating the importance of lesser-known historical events.
Klappentext zu „My Promised Land “
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW AND ECONOMIST BEST BOOK OF THE YEARA deeply reported, deeply personal history of Zionism and Israel that does something few books even attempt: It balances the strength and weakness, the idealism and the brutality, the hope and the horror, that has always been at Zionism s heart. Ezra Klein, The New York Times
Winner of the Natan Book Award, the National Jewish Book Award, and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
Ari Shavit s riveting work, now updated with new material, draws on historical documents, interviews, and private diaries and letters, as well as his own family s story, to create a narrative larger than the sum of its parts: both personal and of profound historical dimension. As he examines the complexities and contradictions of the Israeli condition, Shavit asks difficult but important questions: Why did Israel come to be? How did it come to be? Can it survive?
Culminating with an analysis of the issues and threats that Israel is facing, My Promised Land uses the defining events of the past to shed new light on the present. Shavit s analysis of Israeli history provides a landmark portrait of a small, vibrant country living on the edge, whose identity and presence play a crucial role in today s global political landscape.
Lese-Probe zu „My Promised Land “
ONEAt First Sight, 1897
On the night of April 15, 1897, a small, elegant steamer is en route from Egypt s Port Said to Jaffa. Thirty passengers are on board, twenty-one of them Zionist pilgrims who have come from London via Paris, Marseille, and Alexandria. Leading the pilgrims is the Rt. Honorable Herbert Bentwich, my great-grandfather.
Bentwich is an unusual Zionist. At the end of the nineteenth century, most Zionists are Eastern European; Bentwich is a British subject. Most Zionists are poor; he is a gentleman of independent means. Most Zionists are secular, whereas he is a believer. For most Zionists of this time, Zionism is the only choice, but my great-grandfather chooses Zionism of his own free will. In the early 1890s, Herbert Bentwich makes up his mind that the Jews must settle again in their ancient homeland, Judea.
This pilgrimage is unusual, too. It is the first such journey of upper-middle-class British Jews to the Land of Israel. This is why the founder of political Zionism, Theodor Herzl, attributes such importance to these twenty-one travelers. He expects Bentwich and his colleagues to write a comprehensive report about the Land. Herzl is especially interested in the inhabitants of Palestine and the prospects for colonizing it. He expects the report to be presented at the end of the summer to the first Zionist Congress that is to be held in Basel. But my great-grandfather is somewhat less ambitious. His Zionism, which preceded Herzl s, is essentially romantic. Yet he, too, was carried away by the English translation of Herzl s prophetic manifesto Der Judenstaat, or The State of the Jews. He personally invited Herzl to appear at his prestigious London club, and he was bowled over by the charisma of the visionary leader. Like Herzl, he believes that Jews must return to Palestine. But as the flat-bottomed steamer Oxus carves the black water of the Mediterranean, Bentwich is still an innocent. My great-grandfather does not wish to take a
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country and to establish a state; he wishes to face God.
I remain on deck for a moment. I want to understand why the Oxus is making its way across the sea. Who exactly is this ancestor of mine, and why has he come here?
As the twentieth century is about to begin there are more than 11 million Jews in the world, of whom nearly 7 million live in Eastern Europe, 2 million live in Central and Western Europe, and 1.5 million live in North America. Asian, North African, and Middle Eastern Jewry total less than one million.
Only in North America and Western Europe are Jews emancipated. In Russia they are persecuted. In Poland they are discriminated against. In Islamic countries they are a protected people living as second-class citizens. Even in the United States, France, and Britain, emancipation is merely a legality. Anti-Semitism is on the rise. In 1897, Christendom is not yet at peace with its ultimate other. Many find it difficult to address Jews as free, proud, and equal.
In the eastern parts of Europe, Jewish distress is acute. A new breed of ethnic-based anti-Semitism is superseding the old religious-based anti-Semitism. Waves of pogroms befall Jewish towns and townships in Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Romania, and Poland. Most shtetl Jews realize that there is no future for the shtetl. Hundreds of thousands sail to Ellis Island. The Jewish Diaspora experiences once again the cataclysmic phenomenon of mass migration.
Worse than the past is what the future holds. In the next half century, a third of all Jews will be murdered. Two-thirds of European Jewry will be wiped out. The worst catastrophe in the history of the Jewish people is about to occur. So as the Oxus approaches the shores of the Holy Land, the need to give Palestine to the Jews feels almost palpable. If the Jews won t disembark here, they will have no future. This emerging coastline may be their only salvation.
The
I remain on deck for a moment. I want to understand why the Oxus is making its way across the sea. Who exactly is this ancestor of mine, and why has he come here?
As the twentieth century is about to begin there are more than 11 million Jews in the world, of whom nearly 7 million live in Eastern Europe, 2 million live in Central and Western Europe, and 1.5 million live in North America. Asian, North African, and Middle Eastern Jewry total less than one million.
Only in North America and Western Europe are Jews emancipated. In Russia they are persecuted. In Poland they are discriminated against. In Islamic countries they are a protected people living as second-class citizens. Even in the United States, France, and Britain, emancipation is merely a legality. Anti-Semitism is on the rise. In 1897, Christendom is not yet at peace with its ultimate other. Many find it difficult to address Jews as free, proud, and equal.
In the eastern parts of Europe, Jewish distress is acute. A new breed of ethnic-based anti-Semitism is superseding the old religious-based anti-Semitism. Waves of pogroms befall Jewish towns and townships in Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Romania, and Poland. Most shtetl Jews realize that there is no future for the shtetl. Hundreds of thousands sail to Ellis Island. The Jewish Diaspora experiences once again the cataclysmic phenomenon of mass migration.
Worse than the past is what the future holds. In the next half century, a third of all Jews will be murdered. Two-thirds of European Jewry will be wiped out. The worst catastrophe in the history of the Jewish people is about to occur. So as the Oxus approaches the shores of the Holy Land, the need to give Palestine to the Jews feels almost palpable. If the Jews won t disembark here, they will have no future. This emerging coastline may be their only salvation.
The
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Autoren-Porträt von Ari Shavit
Ari Shavit is a leading Israeli journalist, a columnist for Haaretz, and a commentator on Israeli public television.
Bibliographische Angaben
- Autor: Ari Shavit
- 2015, 512 Seiten, mit Abbildungen, Maße: 14,1 x 21,1 cm, Kartoniert (TB), Englisch
- Verlag: Penguin Random House
- ISBN-10: 0385521715
- ISBN-13: 9780385521710
- Erscheinungsdatum: 09.06.2015
Sprache:
Englisch
Pressezitat
This book will sweep you up in its narrative force and not let go of you until it is done. [Shavit s] accomplishment is so unlikely, so total . . . that it makes you believe anything is possible, even, God help us, peace in the Middle East. Simon Schama, Financial Times[A] must-read book . . . Shavit celebrates the Zionist man-made miracle from its start-ups to its gay bars while remaining affectionate, critical, realistic and morally anchored. . . . His book is a real contribution to changing the conversation about Israel and building a healthier relationship with it. Before their next ninety-minute phone call, both Barack and Bibi should read it. Thomas L. Friedman, The New York Times
[An] important and powerful book . . . [Shavit] has an undoctrinaire mind. He comes not to praise or to blame, though along the way he does both, with erudition and with eloquence; he comes instead to observe and to reflect. This is the least tendentious book about Israel I have ever read. It is a Zionist book unblinkered by Zionism. It is about the entirety of the Israeli experience. Shavit is immersed in all of the history of his country. While some of it offends him, none of it is alien to him. . . . The author of My Promised Land is a dreamer with an addiction to reality. He holds out for affirmation without illusion. Shavit s book is an extended test of his own capacity to maintain his principles in full view of the brutality that surrounds them. Leon Wieseltier, The New York Times Book Review
Spellbinding . . . In this divided, fought-over shard of land splintered from the Middle East barely seventy years ago, Mr. Shavit s prophetic voice carries lessons that all sides need to hear. The Economist
One of the most nuanced and challenging books written on Israel in years . . . [The] book s real power: On an issue so prone to polemic, Mr. Shavit offers candor.
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The Wall Street Journal
A tour de force. Jewish Journal
Reads like a love story and a thriller at once. Dwight Garner, The New York Times
[A] searingly honest, descriptively lush, painful and riveting story of the creation of Zionism in Israel and [Shavit s] own personal voyage. The Washington Post
Shavit is a master storyteller. [His] retelling of history jars us out of our familiar retrospections, reminds us (and we do need reminders) that there are historical reasons why Israel is a country on the edge. . . . Required reading for both the left and the right. The Jewish Week
The most extraordinary book that I ve read on [Israel] since Amos Elon s book called The Israelis, and that was published in the late sixties. David Remnick, on Charlie Rose
My Promised Land is an Israeli book like no other. Not since Amos Elon s The Israelis, Amos Oz s In the Land of Israel, and Thomas Friedman s From Beirut to Jerusalem has there been such a powerful and comprehensive book written about the Jewish State and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Ari Shavit is one of Israel s leading columnists and writers, and the story he tells describes with great empathy the Palestinian tragedy and the century-long struggle between Jews and Arabs over the Holy Land. While Shavit is being brutally honest regarding the Zionist enterprise, he is also insightful, sensitive, and attentive to the dramatic life-stories of his fascinating heroes and heroines. The result is a unique nonfiction book that has the qualities of fine literature. It brings to life epic history without being a conventional history book. It deepens contemporary political understanding without being a one-sided political polemic. It is painful and provocative, yet colorful, emotional, life-loving, and inspiring. My Promised Land is the ultimate personal odyssey of a humanist exploring the startling biography of his tormented homeland, which is at the very center of global interest. Ehud Barak, former Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Israel
With deeply engaging personal narratives and morally nuanced portraits, Ari Shavit takes us way beneath the headlines to the very heart of Israel s dilemmas in his brilliant new work. His expertise as a reporter comes through in the interviews, while his lyricism brings the writing and the people to life. Shavit also challenges Israelis and Diaspora Jewry to be bold in imagining the next chapter for Israel, a challenge that will no doubt be informed by this important book. Rick Jacobs, president, Union for Reform Judaism
This is the epic history that Israel deserves beautifully written, dramatically rendered, full of moral complexity. 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. It is the best book on the subject to arrive in many years. Franklin Foer, editor, The New Republic
A beautiful, mesmerizing, morally serious, and vexing book. I ve been waiting most of my adult life for an Israeli to plumb the deepest mysteries of his country s existence and share his discoveries, and Ari Shavit does so brilliantly, writing simultaneously like a poet and a prophet. My Promised Land is a remarkable achievement. Jeffrey Goldberg, national correspondent, The Atlantic
Ari Shavit s My Promised Land is without question one of the most important books about Israel and Zionism that I have ever read. Both movingly inspiring and at times heartbreakingly painful, My Promised Land tells the story of the Jewish state as it has never been told before, capturing both the triumph and the torment of Israel s experience and soul. 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. Daniel Gordis, author of Saving Israel and Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College, Jerusalem
This book is vital reading for Americans who care about the future, not only of the United States but of the world. Jon Meacham, author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
A tour de force. Jewish Journal
Reads like a love story and a thriller at once. Dwight Garner, The New York Times
[A] searingly honest, descriptively lush, painful and riveting story of the creation of Zionism in Israel and [Shavit s] own personal voyage. The Washington Post
Shavit is a master storyteller. [His] retelling of history jars us out of our familiar retrospections, reminds us (and we do need reminders) that there are historical reasons why Israel is a country on the edge. . . . Required reading for both the left and the right. The Jewish Week
The most extraordinary book that I ve read on [Israel] since Amos Elon s book called The Israelis, and that was published in the late sixties. David Remnick, on Charlie Rose
My Promised Land is an Israeli book like no other. Not since Amos Elon s The Israelis, Amos Oz s In the Land of Israel, and Thomas Friedman s From Beirut to Jerusalem has there been such a powerful and comprehensive book written about the Jewish State and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Ari Shavit is one of Israel s leading columnists and writers, and the story he tells describes with great empathy the Palestinian tragedy and the century-long struggle between Jews and Arabs over the Holy Land. While Shavit is being brutally honest regarding the Zionist enterprise, he is also insightful, sensitive, and attentive to the dramatic life-stories of his fascinating heroes and heroines. The result is a unique nonfiction book that has the qualities of fine literature. It brings to life epic history without being a conventional history book. It deepens contemporary political understanding without being a one-sided political polemic. It is painful and provocative, yet colorful, emotional, life-loving, and inspiring. My Promised Land is the ultimate personal odyssey of a humanist exploring the startling biography of his tormented homeland, which is at the very center of global interest. Ehud Barak, former Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Israel
With deeply engaging personal narratives and morally nuanced portraits, Ari Shavit takes us way beneath the headlines to the very heart of Israel s dilemmas in his brilliant new work. His expertise as a reporter comes through in the interviews, while his lyricism brings the writing and the people to life. Shavit also challenges Israelis and Diaspora Jewry to be bold in imagining the next chapter for Israel, a challenge that will no doubt be informed by this important book. Rick Jacobs, president, Union for Reform Judaism
This is the epic history that Israel deserves beautifully written, dramatically rendered, full of moral complexity. 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. It is the best book on the subject to arrive in many years. Franklin Foer, editor, The New Republic
A beautiful, mesmerizing, morally serious, and vexing book. I ve been waiting most of my adult life for an Israeli to plumb the deepest mysteries of his country s existence and share his discoveries, and Ari Shavit does so brilliantly, writing simultaneously like a poet and a prophet. My Promised Land is a remarkable achievement. Jeffrey Goldberg, national correspondent, The Atlantic
Ari Shavit s My Promised Land is without question one of the most important books about Israel and Zionism that I have ever read. Both movingly inspiring and at times heartbreakingly painful, My Promised Land tells the story of the Jewish state as it has never been told before, capturing both the triumph and the torment of Israel s experience and soul. 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. Daniel Gordis, author of Saving Israel and Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College, Jerusalem
This book is vital reading for Americans who care about the future, not only of the United States but of the world. Jon Meacham, author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
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