The Star and the Scepter - by Emmanuel Navon (Hardcover)

About the Book

The first all-encompassing book on Israel's foreign policy and the diplomatic history of the Jewish people, The Star and the Scepter retraces and explains the interactions of Jews with other nations from the ancient kingdoms of Israel to modernity.

Book Synopsis

The first all-encompassing book on Israel's foreign policy and the diplomatic history of the Jewish people, The Star and the Scepter retraces and explains the interactions of Jews with other nations from the ancient kingdoms of Israel to modernity.

Starting with the Hebrew Bible, Emmanuel Navon argues that one cannot grasp Israel's interactions with the world without understanding how Judaism's founding document has shaped the Jewish psyche. He sheds light on the people of Israel's foreign policy through the ages: the ancient kingdoms of Israel, Jewish diasporas in Europe from the Middle Ages to the emancipation, the emerging nineteenth-century Zionist movement, and Zionist diplomacy following World War I and surrounding World War II.

Navon elucidates Israel's foreign policy from the birth of the state in 1948 to our days: the dilemmas and choices at the beginning of the Cold War; Israel's attempts to establish periphery alliances; the Arab-Israeli conflict; Israel's relations with Europe, the United States, Russia, Asia, Africa, Latin America, the United Nations, and the Jewish diasporas; and how twenty-first-century energy geopolitics is transforming Israel's foreign relations today.

Navon's analysis is rooted in two central ideas, represented by the Star of David (faith) and the scepter (political power). First, he contends that the interactions of Jews with the world have always been best served by combining faith with pragmatism. Second, Navon shows how the state of Israel owes its diplomatic achievements to national assertiveness and hard power--not only military strength but economic prowess and technological innovation. Demonstrating that diplomacy is a balancing act between ideals and realpolitik, The Star and the Scepter draws aspirational and pragmatic lessons from Israel's exceptional diplomatic history.

Review Quotes

"The Star and the Scepter fills an important niche and is a recommended reference, particularly for those with a limited knowledge of the history and complexities of Israeli diplomacy."--Gerald M. Steinberg, Journal of the Middle East and Africa

"Navon deserves praise for his vast and in-depth coverage of a large number of dramatic historical events throughout Jewish and Israeli history. His book makes for enjoyable and thought-provoking reading."--Avi Millo, Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs-- (9/23/2021 12:00:00 AM)

"The presentation and analysis of Israel's foreign policy since the establishment of the state is straightforward and illuminating. The book's fourth section, 'Israel on the world scene', which covers relations with Europe, the United States, Russia, Asia, Africa, Latin America, the United Nations and the Diaspora, includes interesting insights into some areas which are rarely covered."--International Affairs

"The Star and the Scepter should be required reading for every veteran and cadet in Israel's Foreign Ministry, and will be of significant interest to informed and educated general readers concerned with the Jewish people's and the Jewish state's places in the world."--Brandon Marlon, Jerusalem Report-- (1/26/2021 12:00:00 AM)

"Navon . . . has done a first-rate job of laying out the basics of Israeli diplomacy, its sources, methods, objectives and achievements. One could not ask for a better single-volume introduction to the history of the Jewish state's foreign policy."--David Rodman, Fathom Journal

"A respected scholar of Israeli foreign policy. . . . Provides a sweeping portrayal of an ancient nation's diplomacy--a diplomacy that should be more carefully studied in universities, both in Israel and abroad."--Shmuel Sandler, Israel Affairs-- (5/6/2021 12:00:00 AM)

"A welcome, accessible and readable contribution to our understanding of Israel's history and the Jewish people's history. . . . Deft analysis and explanation of Israel's relations with Asian states, its diplomatic initiatives in Africa, Latin America and the Arab world, make this book impressive and timely."--Seth J. Frantzman, Jerusalem Post-- (4/22/2021 12:00:00 AM)

"Absorbing and informative."--Azriel Bermant, Foreign Policy-- (3/26/2021 12:00:00 AM)

"Ambitious and comprehensive. . . . not only timely but overdue. This well-written and readable book sets out to and succeeds in providing a needed update of Israeli foreign policy."--Jonathan Spyer, Middle East Quarterly

"Demonstrating that diplomacy is a balancing act between ideals and realpolitik, The Star and the Scepter draws aspirational and pragmatic lessons from Israel's exceptional diplomatic history."--Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security-- (11/17/2020 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Emmanuel Navon is an international relations expert who lectures at Tel-Aviv University, at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, and at Israel's military academy. He is a fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security and at the Kohelet Policy Forum and is a foreign affairs analyst for an Israel-based news TV channel. An expert on Israel's foreign policy, Navon has published dozens of articles and three books, including From Israel with Hope: Why and How Israel Will Continue to Thrive and The Victory of Zionism: Reclaiming the Narrative about Israel's Domestic, Regional, and International Challenges.