The Hope Fulfilled: The Rise of Modern Israel (Praeger Series on Jewish and Israeli Studies) [Paperback]

Leslie Stein (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 027597815X | ISBN-13: 978-0275978150 | Publication Date: March 30, 2003

Blending an analysis of general political, diplomatic, and military trends with a description of how Zionist pioneers coped with ongoing social developments and challenges, Stein recounts the events that would ultimately lead to the formation of the State of Israel in May 1948. The study begins with the wave of Russian pogroms that erupted in 1882 and stimulated an interest in Jewish migration to Palestine. Stein proceeds to the experiences of the first batch of settlers as they established farms, fostered the rejuvenation of Hebrew, and coped with the local Arab population. He examines how Theodore Herzl's worldwide modern Zionist movement gathered momentum and led to a further increase in Jewish settlement in Palestine. This book covers key events such as the pioneering efforts to establish collective farms, the inauguration of Jewish defense organizations, the Balfour Declaration, and the formation of the British Mandate. Stein focuses on the gradual but persistent consolidation of the Jewish community as a self-contained body, looking closely at important institutions such as the Trade Union Federation, as well as the development of political parties. Later chapters chronicle the growing strife with the Arab population and the disintegration of the British Mandate, which would eventually culminate in the declaration of a Jewish state.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Stein has written a concise and readable book outlining the formation of Israel. Most of the material is drawn from secondary sources in Hebrew and English, but the author crafts an interesting, straightforward account of the Zionist movement from the 1880s to 1948. Stein provides a solid outline of the key people and principal events, making the book a good beginning for readers who want information about Zionism and all of its facets....more neutral than many of the polemical histories of the period and is a constructive addition to the literature on the formation of Israel. Recommended. General and undergraduate collections.”–Choice

“[F]or those who wish a good, solid, overview of the Jewish nationalist resurgence in Israel, this book is valuable for students and general readers alike.”–Middle East Studies Association Bulletin

“Leslie Stein's book, The Rise of Modern Israel, is an excellent and balanced summary of a subject of enormous difficulty. Almost everyone who has written about the creation of Israel amidst repetitive clashes and wars with the Palestinians has been very much a partisan. This summary statement by Leslie Stein is as fair as one can be. For anyone who wants to understand the beginnings of Israel, this new book is a trustworthy introduction.”–Arthur Hertzberg New York University

“This is a concise and reliable history of the establishment of the state of Israel from the beginnings in the 19th century to the War of Independence based on wide reading of all the relevant literature, both the classic works and the more recent studies. It is matter of fact, refreshingly free of academic jargon and current fashions such as post-Zionism.”–Walter Laquer Center for Strategic and International Studies

“Eminently readable, this book presents a balanced, sensible, and accurate rendition of the major events leading up to the formation of the State of Israel. It would appeal to the knowledgeable and non-informed reader alike.”–Anita Shapira Tel Aviv University

“I do not think there is any other serious history of this period that is so well written and which makes such good use of the best up-to-date scholarship.”–Alan Dowty University of Notre Dame

“This well-written book provides a comprehensive and lucid account of the rise of modern Israel”–Avigdor Leby Brandeis University

Book Description

Stein recounts the events that would ultimately lead to the formation of the State of Israel in May 1948.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Praeger Paperback (March 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 027597815X
• ISBN-13: 978-0275978150
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #870,373 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars origins of Israel, October 31, 2006

By 

Frank Bunyard (Elk Grove, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Hope Fulfilled: The Rise of Modern Israel (Praeger Series on Jewish and Israeli Studies) (Paperback)

Leslie Stein, a Senior Research Fellow at Macquarie University in Sydney Australia, has given us a highly readable work of impeccable scholarship. Noting that most studies of Israel focus on post-1948 developments, Stein has filled the need for a study of the creation of Israel from its modern origins up to the achieving of Statehood in 1948.

Reading this book is somewhat like reading a mystery where you already know the ending but have never read the plot. The first and middle chapters are a fascinating background, and then the inevitable conclusion unfolds in the last two chapters with an onrush of climactic action. At many points the reader wonders how, given all the obstacles it faced, could Israel have emerged as a modern State? This is the drama that Leslie Stein relates.

One could argue that had it not been for Russian anti-Semitism there would have been no Zionist movement and no subsequent State of Israel. It was the Russian pogroms, oppression and massacres of mid-19th Century that drove Jews out as refugees, looking for a place to live in peace. And then there was the venality and corruption of the Turkish Ottoman officials who took bribes to allow Jews to become lawful residents in Palestine with permission to purchase land. Then later, more persecution in Poland and more refugees. And so on.

Throughout the 1800's, all across Europe, Eastern Europe and Russia there were a number of thinkers and writers who promoted establishing a Jewish homeland. But the Zionist movement was given its greatest inspiration by the Herculean efforts of one charismatic person, Theodor Herzl. He was an intellectual, a diplomat and tireless lobbyist for a Jewish homeland. He traveled non-stop to all the heads of State of every country that would receive him to press his agenda, and literally worked himself to death at age forty-four in 1904. Herzel's prophetic vision of the Jewish State was one founded on capitalism and democracy - not theocracy.

It is difficult to review this outstanding book without going into an over abundance of detail, so I will describe just three aspects of Israel's history that remain vivid in my mind:

First are the physical hardships that faced the early settlers in the 1800's. The land was unforgiving. For a "promised land" this was one of the most Godforsaken places on the planet. The photographs from the Zionist archives show the bleakness of the landscape. There are many vivid sketches and photos that accompany the text. For instance page 160 shows women wearing long dresses, outdoors on a hillside, pounding rocks for road construction. (The question comes to mind, why are there no Arab photos of women pounding rocks for road construction? Or more generally, why are there no Arab photos of anything?)

Second are the amazing accomplishments of this small band of devoted people under the most adverse and trying conditions. Through unrelenting physical and intellectual effort by the 1940's Israel had plants producing industrial machinery, automobile parts, textiles, agricultural equipment, medical and electrical instruments, chemical and pharmaceutical products, shipbuilding, a diamond polishing industry and an oil refinery. In many individual industries progress was phenomenal. (At this stage the Arabs had not yet learned how to crush rocks, but were throwing them.)

Third was the terrible treatment the Jews received at the hands of Great Britain in the run-up to and during WWII. The ideology of German fascism had permeated the Arab countries due to its appeal of anti-Semitism. There was active collaboration of the Arabs with the Nazis. Britain was afraid the Arab countries would enter the war on the side of the fascists and cut off access to Middle Eastern oil so they took an anti-Israel stance.

Britain did everything it could to prevent Jews from immigrating to Israel. At times there was open warfare by Britain against the Jews in Israel who were trying to smuggle in as many refugees as possible to save them from the death camps in Germany. Then, in February 1945 just as the war was drawing to a close, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Saudi-Arabia declared war on Germany so they could become eligible for UN membership. This was a dark period in the history of England.

Finally on May 14, 1948 Israel announced its Statehood and Declaration of Independence. President Truman of the U.S. immediately recognized Israel as an independent State. This action by Truman no doubt helped fortify the resolve of Israel, when on the following day it faced the invading armies of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Transjordan. Israel did not succumb to this invasion. It went on to gather millions of Jewish exiles over the years, and to become a modern, democratic, industrial state. But, as Stein concludes, "it has yet to enjoy the benefits of a peaceful existence that so many other countries take for granted."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine introduction to the topic of modern Zionism, February 7, 2006

By 

Jill Malter ([e-mail]) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hope Fulfilled: The Rise of Modern Israel (Praeger Series on Jewish and Israeli Studies) (Paperback)

This book is about the history of modern Zionism, from the late nineteenth century until the declaration of statehood in 1948. The first half of the book takes us through the First Aliyah (including some interesting material about the "Ugandan option"), the Second Aliyah, and World War One. I think that the significance of the misadventures of the Jewish community during World War One is sometimes overlooked by those who discuss the history of Israel, so this is an important section.

The rest of the book takes us through the 1930s, World War Two, and the postwar struggle for independence. This is a topic that has been discussed in a huge number of other books, many of them extremely political in nature. Stein simply is not able in this summary to deal with all the detailed issues here, but I think he does a good job of covering the major events. Some people have praised the balance the author has shown in this book, but Stein gets plenty of opportunities to let us know his opinions.

I like this book and I think it is an excellent introduction to the subject. For a summary, this book is surprisingly thorough, and I think Stein ought to be commended for writing it.