From Booklist
The list of contributors includes their affiliation and the articles they wrote. Nearly all of the articles are signed. A helpful glossary defines many Hebrew words used in the text. Cross-references (noted by an asterisk) and see references only partially compensate for the lack of an index. Since many of the articles are lengthy, the lack of an index is a hindrance.
The foreword notes that the new edition was prepared in Israel with the participation of many scholars from abroad, and 30 percent of the material is new. The length of the alphabetically arranged entries ranges from a paragraph to 8 pages on Agriculture and 13 pages on Zionism, History of. The clear illustrations consist of black-and-white photographs, statistical charts, and maps (wars and partitions, flora and vegetation).
The articles are readable and, for the most part, current. They include entries for people, locations, topics, movements, and groups. Users will learn about Zionism in Chile and Ireland, Palestinian Jewish parachutists in Europe during World War II, Israel's relations with many foreign countries, ethnic groups in contemporary Israel, and the various waves of immigration. There are entries on many institutions in contemporary Israel: architecture, banking, education, libraries, music, police, and theater. Biographical entries note the location where the person was born (and died), but only the birth and death years are listed. Moshe Arens was not in the earlier edition but is in the current work as defense minister in 1992. Writer Yehuda Amichai, also not in the first edition, is now shown as being awarded the Israel Prize for literature in 1982. Winners of the Israel Prize for outstanding achievement in a variety of fields are listed through 1993. The academic position of writer Amos Oz in 1993 is noted. The entry on Yassir Arafat contains 1991 information, but the article on the Palestine Liberation Organization does not include the Oslo Peace Agreement in 1993. The article Arabs in Israel describes the beginning of the Palestinian uprising but is current only through August 1988.
An eight-page topical bibliography lists a 1969 guidebook to the country, and the most recent books on the Arab-Israeli conflict are 1987. More recent publications in both areas should have been included. Not listed as a reference source is the Israel Yearbook and Almanac, which has been available for many years. A 34-page table of Israel localities lists the name, affiliation, region, founding year, governing council, 1988 population, basis of founding, and settlement.
This new edition continues to fulfill its purpose as a comprehensive reference source on the history of Zionism and Israel and on contemporary Israel. Academic libraries, medium- to large-size public libraries, and others where there is interest in modern Israel and Zionism will find the work helpful.
