Listen World, Listen Jew [Paperback]

Meir Kahane (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1995

A lively retelling of Jewish history from earliest time, leading up to the rebirth of Israel. This book gives the reader an in-depth understanding of the Zionist idea.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rabbi Kahane was born in New York City in 1932. He studied at the Mir Yeshiva in Brooklyn, and was ordained in 1956. The same year, he completed New York Law School. He founded the Jewish Defense League in 1968, which spearheaded a campaign of Jewish activism which led to the emigration of tens of thousands of oppressed Jews from the Soviet Union. He went to live in Israel in 1971, and entered politics, becoming a Member of the Israeli Parliament from 1984 to 1988. His widely read columns appeared in the weekly 'Jewish Press' from 1961 to 1990.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

A certain resolution on Zionism has been passed at the United Nations. In reality, it is a resolution on Judaism. It is important that a reply be given. It is important that the world know precisely what Zionism is and what the Jewish people are.

It is important that the nations hear our proclamation: "Listen World; I am a Zionist, I am a Jew!"

And listen, too, Jew. Listen so that you will understand yourself who you are and what and why. For there is no escape from it even if one should be so foolish as to desire to flee the greatness and majesty of the Jewish destiny.

Listen so that you will be able to stand proud and tall and know what to reply with dignity and not hesitant defensiveness. So that you will know from where you came and to where you go, since without the former it is impossible to know the latter...

"Our feet are standing within thy gates O Jerusalem," and they will never leave. This is Zionism, and the United Gentiles call it "Racist" and debate how to take my city away from me. Foolish world; sooner will the sun fail to rise tomorrow. The Jews have come home to their Zion and have welded their city together with a fierce tightness that none...can sunder. A people which patiently bides its time for millenia will not easily--ever--give up its state and capital... (Listen World, Listen Jew by Rabbi Meir Kahane. Copyright(c) 1995 by The Institute for Publication of the Writings of Rabbi Meir Kahane.)

Product Details

• Paperback: 236 pages
• Publisher: Institute for Publication of the Writings of Rabbi Meir Kahane; Third Edition edition (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9657044006
• ISBN-13: 978-9657044001
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,716,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and brilliant in its prose - yet stark, November 30, 2000

By 

Tim Lieder "Founder of Dybbuk Press" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Listen World, Listen Jew (Paperback)

When Meir Kahane was assassinated, I only knew that he was one of the most vicious impediments to Israeli peace with the Arabs. I tended to see the conflict as a simple matter of Israel expanding its borders at the expense of the native population. I still can't say that I wholeheartedly agree with Kahane's solution but his motivations are beautiful.

In this book written with the style of a poet and the intensity of a machine gun, Kahane again and again asserts that he is a Jew and he is a Zionist and that the two are inseperable. Because he is religious, he can only see the state of Israel in a religious context and that is that G-d gave Jews the right to the state of Israel and the duty to settle the land, and anyone who would impede it is going against the will of G-d. He discusses what Judaism means in a religious context, why Judaism is needed in the world and why non-Torah-based versions of Judaism aren't Judaism. He bristles with indignation at Christians who want to sweep centuries of murder, pillage and mayhem under the rug and he mocks parents whose children have gone to become Jews for JC stating that that is the end result of assimilation.

When he gets to the history of the modern state of Israel, he uses the pre-state riots and the British oppression for maximum effect. He uses the quotes of "respected" politicians like King Faisel and Sadat to maximum effect as Faisel is accusing Jews of blood libel while Sadat is threatening to have another Holocaust.

What makes this book refreshing is the counterpoint to Arab propaganda. Over and over again, Palestineans declare that Israel is an illegal state, bring up the U.N. resolutions that were "violated" and throw words like state-sponsered terrorism, unchecked aggression and Holocaust around without understanding for the context. Meanwhile Jewish defenders of Israel have to talk about concessions, Palestinean rock throwers and pleas for calm. Meir Kahane is meeting the battle head-on. No returning of land won during a war taht was supposed to wipe Israel off the map is giong to make peace. As long as Palestineans want to remove Israel once and for all, Israel must respond in kind.

What makes this book troubling is the anger involved. It is propaganda and should be read as such. Kahane is silent about laws of gerus and settlement statutes that would make the Palestinean presence in Israel acceptable from a religious standpoint (although they wouldn't please Palestineans), he doesn't mention that the page of Kesuvoth that he cites is also used by the Satmir Rebbe as an argument AGAINST an Israeli state settled by secular Jews.

Regardless, no matter what you feel about Israel - whether you are Palestinean, embarrassed American Jew, Israel hater, Israel lover, Israeli - you owe it to yourself to read this book, if only to know what you are fighting against.

19 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jewish History Comes Alive, May 29, 2000

By 

Bert Mulberg (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Listen World, Listen Jew (Paperback)

If you want to know what Zionism is, this book is must reading. It did not start with Theodore Herzl in 1895. It started almost 2,000 years ago, when the Jews in the Land of Israel were defeated by the Romans and chased out of their land.

The story of the long Jewish exile, as 'guests' in other countries, is told here in an exciting manner. It all leads up to the return of the Jews to their own land in the late 19th century and early 20th century.

If you read this book, you will understand why the Jews returned to the Land of Israel.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book, June 14, 2002

By 

Cassio Sztokfisz (São Paulo, Brazil) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Listen World, Listen Jew (Paperback)

In this book, Rabbi Kahane's main goal is to show that zionism is inherent to judaism and to the jews. By comenting historical events of jewish persecutions, he afirms the necessity of the jews having a place(land of Israel) to dwell alone and self-government. The Rabbi urges the jews not to assimilate and also makes severe critics to the american jewish stablishment.It's a very meanfull book for the modern jew and for anyone who wants to understand real zionism.