Sign in with Facebook
Patty's Reviews > The Unmaking of Israel
The Unmaking of Israel
by
by
Patty's review
bookshelves: tragedy, israel, jewish-arab-relations, judaism, social-commentary, societal-issues, 2018, essays, non-fiction, politics
Feb 09, 2018
bookshelves: tragedy, israel, jewish-arab-relations, judaism, social-commentary, societal-issues, 2018, essays, non-fiction, politics
”I write from an Israel with a divided soul. It is not only defined by its contradictions; it is at risk of being torn apart by them. It is a country with uncertain borders and a government that ignores its own laws.
Some one reminded me recently that, in May, Israel will be celebrating its 70th birthday. As he said, imagine what the United States was like in 1846. Our country was young once, too. Although this argument is interesting, ultimately, I believe that it takes us down the wrong path. Yes, Israel is young, but it has many examples to learn from. One would hope that the Israeli people and government could study what other countries have done well and poorly. Gorenberg is worried that Israel is not learning from other democracies or even from its own experiences.
Gorenberg’s book looks at Israeli policies. He believes that the country is making some serious errors – ones that might lead to destruction. He examines the historical behaviors that brought Israel into existence and wonders if those same policies are going to ultimately hurt the country.
This is the second book I have read with these concerns. The first one I picked up was My Promised Land by Ari Shavit (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...). That book I found on my own and this one was assigned for the classes that took me to Israel in January. Unfortunately, reading two books concerned about the success of Israel so close together means they are muddied together in my mind.
Israel, like most countries, is filled with inconsistencies. As an American, I can’t throw stones at Israel’s glass house. We still have issues with racism, sexism and violence. However, we are not located in the Middle East. Our country is not surrounded by countries that are our sworn enemies. I would like to see Israel learn from some of our mistakes. I would, just like Gorenberg, like to see Israel overcome its issues and succeed.
If you are interested in Israel and the politics of the Middle East, this book will give you some information to chew on. Gorenberg writes well. He cares about his subject and will make you care also.
Some one reminded me recently that, in May, Israel will be celebrating its 70th birthday. As he said, imagine what the United States was like in 1846. Our country was young once, too. Although this argument is interesting, ultimately, I believe that it takes us down the wrong path. Yes, Israel is young, but it has many examples to learn from. One would hope that the Israeli people and government could study what other countries have done well and poorly. Gorenberg is worried that Israel is not learning from other democracies or even from its own experiences.
Gorenberg’s book looks at Israeli policies. He believes that the country is making some serious errors – ones that might lead to destruction. He examines the historical behaviors that brought Israel into existence and wonders if those same policies are going to ultimately hurt the country.
This is the second book I have read with these concerns. The first one I picked up was My Promised Land by Ari Shavit (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...). That book I found on my own and this one was assigned for the classes that took me to Israel in January. Unfortunately, reading two books concerned about the success of Israel so close together means they are muddied together in my mind.
Israel, like most countries, is filled with inconsistencies. As an American, I can’t throw stones at Israel’s glass house. We still have issues with racism, sexism and violence. However, we are not located in the Middle East. Our country is not surrounded by countries that are our sworn enemies. I would like to see Israel learn from some of our mistakes. I would, just like Gorenberg, like to see Israel overcome its issues and succeed.
If you are interested in Israel and the politics of the Middle East, this book will give you some information to chew on. Gorenberg writes well. He cares about his subject and will make you care also.
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
The Unmaking of Israel.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
January 9, 2018
–
Started Reading
January 10, 2018
–
Finished Reading
February 9, 2018
– Shelved
