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Highlights
- A major new history of the century-long debate over what a Jewish state should be Many Zionists who advocated for the creation of a Jewish state envisioned a nation like any other.
- About the Author: Michael Brenner is the Seymour and Lillian Abensohn Chair in Israel Studies and director of the Center for Israel Studies at American University and Professor of Jewish History and Culture at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich.
- 392 Pages
- History, Middle East
Description
Book Synopsis
A major new history of the century-long debate over what a Jewish state should be
Many Zionists who advocated for the creation of a Jewish state envisioned a nation like any other. Yet for Israel's founders, the nation that emerged against all odds in 1948 was anything but ordinary. Born from the ashes of genocide and a long history of suffering, Israel was conceived to be unique, a model society and the heart of a prosperous new Middle East. It is this paradox, says historian Michael Brenner--the Jewish people's wish for a homeland both normal and exceptional--that shapes Israel's ongoing struggle to define itself and secure a place among nations. In Search of Israel is a major new history of this struggle from the late nineteenth century to our time.From the Back Cover
"Michael Brenner is one of the leading authorities on the history of Zionism in the twentieth century, and this book is a must-read for everyone who is interested in the subject."--Walter Laqueur, author of A History of Zionism
"There are excellent histories of both Zionism and the state of Israel, but Michael Brenner has managed to combine the two subjects in a single volume that takes the reader from the original vision of Theodor Herzl to the present. This is an authoritative account of a complex and absorbing story."--Itamar Rabinovich, president of The Israel Institute and Israel's former ambassador to the United States
"Elegant and accessible, In Search of Israel is a beautifully crafted exploration of the tensions within the Zionist project between Israel's strivings for normality and its ongoing sense of exceptionalism. Michael Brenner treats a highly contentious subject with grace and tact."--Derek Penslar, Harvard University
"The story of the very different visions for a Jewish homeland, and how they played out in theory and practice, is extremely complex. Michael Brenner does an excellent job of making the various twists and turns of Israel's history intelligible, and he writes with considerable verve, irony, and even humor."--John Efron, University of California, Berkeley
Review Quotes
"Finalist for the 2018 National Jewish Book Award in History, Gerrard and Ella Berman Memorial Award"
About the Author
Michael Brenner is the Seymour and Lillian Abensohn Chair in Israel Studies and director of the Center for Israel Studies at American University and Professor of Jewish History and Culture at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. His many books include A Short History of the Jews (Princeton).