Customer Reviews

To the Promised Land (Penguin Politics)

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

 

 

This book deserves 5 stars for bias and no stars for truth. It not only distorts the facts, it is a downright littany of unfair misrepresenations. For example, when the author quotes and then proceeds to legitimize Benito Mussolini's (of all balanced world leaders!) calling Vladimir Jabotinsky a "fascist," something must be inverted in his thinking. Jabotinisky was a talented journalist and deep thinker. The author, in a frighteningly messianic tone, describes Ben-Gurion, who, in truth, was a career politician, who ruthlessly erradicated his opponents to satisfy his insatiable hunger to become Israel's first Prime Minsiter. In addition to the many misspellings of foreign names and a haunting sense of unchecked facts, this book was a disappointment, to say the least.

Jabotinsky was a writer of deep thought and conviction. He saw, almost alone, that the Palestinians would not just "fold their tents and steal away into the night." His strategy of "the Iron Wall" is the one followed by zionist movement and the state of israel ever since the 1930's. He *was* however also an avowed admirer of fascism.

Goldberg may idealize Ben-Gurion-he discusses his personal relationship with the late Prime Minister in his introductory comments. But this is a solid intellectual history of zionism in all its aspects up to 1948.
It's concluding paragraph reads like a preamble to "post-zionism." I recommend this book along with Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi's ORIGINAL SINS.

This book deserves 5 stars for bias and no stars for truth. It not only distorts the facts, it is a downright litany of unfair misrepresentations. For example, when the author quotes and then proceeds to legitimize Benito Mussolini's (of all balanced world leaders!) calling Vladimir Jabotinsky a "fascist," something must be inverted in his thinking. Jabotinisky was a talented journalist and deep thinker. The author, in a frighteningly messianic tone, describes Ben-Gurion, who, in truth, was a career politician, who ruthlessly eradicated his opponents to become Israel's first Prime Minsiter. In addition to the many misspellings of foreign names and a haunting sense of unchecked facts, this book was a disappointment, to say the least.