Customer Reviews

America and the founding of Israel: An investigation of the morality of America's role

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

The topic of Israel and the Palestinians is so sensitive that I was expecting the kind of emotional polemic that's often found when the subject comes up in conversation. I was glad to find that Mulhall is not out to rage against injustice, but to examine history carefully, making a case that injustice was done based on the evidence of actions and statements made by the principals during the period leading up to statehood for Israel. The book is well written, with a chronological account in detail followed by a concise summary of the moral issues that are pertinent and how what has been examined relates to them. In short, the author keeps his head cool and the reader benefits, learning how America, trying to do right for one people, supported doing wrong to another people.

John Mulhall's book is an excellent historical review of history as we may not have known it. With excellent documentation and quotes from people who had major influence in the events that have shaped our present-day situation, we are presented with American politics that have long escaped attention and public scrutiny. Sometimes the chronology is difficult to follow, probably because of the sheer volume of information he presents. The bibliography is excellent and tempts further readings into our so misunderstood dealings in the Middle East.

John Mulhall has done an excellent job investigating the moral issues involved in the establishment of Israel and America's role in it. Very informative. Good book for anyone wishing to understand the Israel/Palestine issue better.

I thought the book was very enlightening. Some of the documented atrocities committed by zionist terror groups in the months before President Truman recognized the state of Israel, stagger the imagination. One such group lead by a former Israeli prime minister was particularly brutal. If only a fraction of this book is to be believed, then it's no wonder the Palestinians have never been able to give up their struggle.

mulhall's book provides both an excellent summary of the history of events through the founding of israel as well as a painfully accurate, detailed, thoughtful analysis of the moral issues involved in the american positions and the founding of the state of israel in the manner in which it was formed. this is an outstanding book that i highly recommend! i'd give it many more than 5 stars and i believe that it would be a worthwhile read ...

John Mulhall writes about the sensitive issues surrounding America and the founding of the state of Israel is a straight from the shoulder way. Chapter 1: is the Bible a deed of ownership to Palestine? Conservatives say that the Bible does give Palestine to the 12 Tribes of Israel. Biblical reductionists question the historicity of the Bible and so the claim of conservatives. But... what is really important is international law and here the Bible can not give rights.

Chapter 2 considers the moral hereditary right of Jews to Palestine. Mulhull says that there have been Jews in Canaan for the last 3200 years. But with only a couple of notable exceptions (in 352 AD and 555 AD), there has been no attempt to establish a Jewish state in Palestine. And prior to the establishment of the state of Israel, there were more Arabs than Jews in Palestine.

Mulhall writes straight from the shoulder. In chapter 3, he writes about the right to immigrate. Theodore Herzl urged Jews to immigrate to a land of their own. But in the early 20th century, some Palestinian Arabs figured out the Zionists intent of statehood. Mulhall is not presenting an agenda of his own. Rather he writes to present the issues involved in this debate.