Israel at Sixty: An Oral History of a Nation Reborn

by Deborah Hart Strober

Overview

Based on extensive interviews, Israel at Sixty presents a balanced, comprehensive account of this complex and amazing land. It re-creates historic events from the actions of Israel's founding visionaries through the ravages of six wars with its Arab neighbors to its growing strength and international stature and efforts to make permanent peace with its adversaries. Complete with more than fifty previously unpublished photos, Israel at Sixty is a beautiful keepsake for anyone who loves, respects, and supports the Jewish state.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780470053140
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	02/01/2008
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.89(d)

About the Author

Deborah Hart Strober and Gerald S. Strober are the authors of Giuliani: Flawed or Flawless? The Oral Biography; His Holiness the Dalai Lama: The Oral Biography; and five other oral histories. They live in New York City.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments.

Chronology of the State of Israel.

The Interviewees.

Introduction.

The Ancient Land of Israel and the Modern Jewish State.

PART ONE: FROM THE RISE OF NAZISM TO POST-WAR EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH THE MODERN JEWISH STATE.

Chapter 1: Hitler’s Persecution of European Jewry and Finding Safe Havens.

Chapter 2: The Zionist Spirit of Sabras, the Ingathered Exiles and Diaspora Jews.

Chapter 3: Life and Politics in the Yishuv during the British Mandate.

Chapter 4: The Underground and the Battle to Oust the British.

PART TWO: PROCLAMATION OF THE JEWISH STATE AND ITS UP-BUILDING.

Chapter 5: May 14, 1948: Declarations of Independence and War.

Chapter 6: After the Celebration, War.

Chapter 7: Ingathering of the Exiles and Creating Political and Social Institutions.

Chapter 8: Identification in the Diaspora with the New Jewish State.

Chapter 9: Israel’s Political Leadership, Past and Present.

Chapter 10: Wars of Defense, Attrition, and Preemption.

Chapter 11: Redeeming Endangered Exiles.

PART THREE: SEISMIC CHANGES.

Chapter 12: May 1977: a Political and Demographic "Earthquake".

Chapter 13: Sadat in Jerusalem and the Camp David Accords.

Chapter 14: Fighting Terrorism: Taking Controversial Actions to Ensure the Jewish State’s Survival.

Chapter 15: Oslo and the Resulting "Unthinkable" Handshake.

PART FOUR: NEW REALITIES.

Chapter 16: The Beginning of Palestinian Self-Rule.

Chapter 17: The Death or Incapacity of Potential Peace-Makers.

Chapter 18: A Leadership Crisis and New Political Facts on the Ground.

PART FIVE: CAN ISRAEL SURVIVE?

Chapter 19: Is Peace with Israel’s Enemies Really Possible?

Chapter 20: Challenges to Israel in the First Decade of the Twentieth Century.

Chapter 21: Looking to the Future.

Index.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"A singular achievement that captures Israel’s past, present and future with compelling words and vivid photographs…More than a handsome volume, the Strobers have made an extraordinary contribution to understanding today’s Middle East" Rabbi A. James Rudin, Senior Interreligious Advisor, The American Jewish Committee

"Deborah and Gerald Strober have done it once again. Israel at Sixty is a fine oral history about a brilliant and noble moment in Jewish history --- and human history." Ben Wattenberg, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

Editorial Reviews

There are many ways to tell Israel's story, and most will raise the ire of someone. Here the Strobers (Giuliani: Flawed and Flawless) aim to corral these conflicting viewpoints to tell the nation's history; to a very limited extent, this goal is achieved. Various opinions are expressed about the British during the Mandate period (1920-1947) and a number of interpretations are given on the Oslo peace process (early 1990s), but this portrait of Israel's history needs filling in. Rather than starting with the 19th century Zionist movement that led to the country's founding, the authors open the book with a chapter on the Holocaust. Other significant facts of Israeli history are equally overlooked. Though Israel's Labor Party ruled steadily for nearly a quarter of the country's 60-year history, there is scant discussion of Labor-led politics. In spite of the Strobers' ambition to show the diversity of Israeli experiences, Jews with roots in Arab lands-who make up roughly half the Israeli-Jewish population-receive marginal coverage. This volume is less the history of an actual nation and more an incomplete collection of some stories Israelis have to tell. (Feb.)

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