A History Of Zionism: From The French Revolution To The Establishment Of The State Of Israel (2003) - Plot & Excerpts
A long and detailed walk through the development of political Zionism in its myriad forms, following the emergence of Herzl through the founding of the modern Jewish state of Israel. The book provides the reader with not just the marriage between the religious vision of Judaism with the emergent political landscape of emancipation that led to the idea of Jews becoming enablers of their own fate, but the deep wells of anti-Semitism that both created the need for a haven from the growing violence, and ultimately how the movement, both its leaders and masses, were unable to save the Jews of Europe from the flames of the Nazis. The limits of the movement's power and ability combined with the weak political position of Jews, and widespread poverty in Europe, is a repeated theme that shows just how high the climb was, facing off against not one, but multiple political powerhouses, including the imperial might of the Ottomans, British, Tzarist Russians, and the new political power centers in the US and USSR. While the concurrent story of the various internal push and shove of the movement's leaders and various factions and wings, was interesting, despite the details, seemed to be almost an aside to the actions and motivations of its leaders (first Herzl, then Weizman). Labor Zionism, Revisionism, the rise of American Jews, all seemed like a background story to the central theme of action and limits of the leaders.
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