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Saving Israel: How the Jewish People Can Win a War That May Never End

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My first thought as I was swept through page after page of this intense and chilling book was that it should be required reading for every Jew, every Israeli, every person who cares even the slightest about Middle Eastern politics. This book should be part of the compulsory curriculum for Jewish high school seniors both in America and in Israel. And it wouldn't hurt if a few key members of the State Department and Obama's foreign policy team read it as well. This book needs to be translated into Hebrew at the first possible moment because Israelis, more than anyone, need to confront the cold, hard truths that Daniel Gordis so eloquently lays out. Without apology, the author speaks of the reality that exists in Israel today in a way that few dare. The fact that he lives in Israel, is an insider, makes his premise all the more compelling. The suspicion that peace may be unattainable for many years to come, and the soul searching that is required of this lonely little democracy in order to confront that lack of peace, is much of what the book is about. The questions of what we are passing along to future generations, and the ability of these generations to be able to articulate why Israel deserves to exist, were the most thought-provoking chapters in the book. I think we are going to need to read and re-read this book over and over again in the coming years.

Very well written and incredibly insightful, Gordis makes a very compelling case for Israel as an ethnic democracy in need of a stronger sense of purpose. It is not a "mini America", but a homeland for the Jewish people. Unlike any other ethnic group, Israel has been consistently singled out as a convenient scapecoat for all the world's ills and held to a higher standard than any other country. At long last the Jewish people have a homeland, and it must be kept secure, guided by its own moral compass and the realities of Middle East politics and fanaticism. I trust his book will have wide positive impact, both within Israel and the world of principled diplomacy.

Saving Israel by Daniel Gordis is a profound book which should be read by anyone who is concerned about the future of Israel. The main thrust of his argument is that in order to survive and function as a 'Homeland for the Jewish people' Israel must strengthen its own sense of purpose as a Jewish State. In the face of constant criticism from the world community, many of whom question the country's right to exist, it is vital that Israelis and the Jewish Diaspora understand that their country cannot be exactly like any other; it is a unique country with unique accomplishments and problems. It cannot simply be a "mini America".

Daniel Gordis offers a cogent analysis of the stalemate of the peace process and takes issue with the widely held view of many Jews today that somehow the 'default' Jewish position is a passive, non-military one. He argues that "When peace is not achievable, when enemies still seek to destroy the Jewish state and thereby to destroy the Jewish people, there is, sadly, no choice but to wage war". He doesn't advocate war as a strategy, but if the alternative is national suicide, it is both correct and inevitable. This will no doubt grate with the growing conventional western wisdom that all wars are essentially bad things (which sadly equates both the aggressor and the victim on the same subjective scale without acknowledging that there is an objective 'right and wrong') but given the inability of the UN to act to protect the legitimate interests of Israel and its population and the downright hostility of various nations to the State of Israel it is clear that an existential threat still exists to its existence. If this is the case it is only common sense to acknowledge the problem and prepare to deal with it. If unpopularity is the price to pay, so be it.

Gordis advocates that the future of the country lies in a concerted effort to restore the primacy of Jewish content as a mainstay of the culture of the country and to restore faith in Israel's existence. He thinks and writes with great clarity about the problems that Israel faces today and offers a strong, coherent and insightful call to action.

Gordis has written his best yet. He has gone from naive advocate of land for "peace" policies to living through the Arab wars that resulted from those warped ideas to a cheerleader for zionist renewal in Israel and for Jews around the world. Gordis tackles perhaps the toughest reality check for Jews today, i.e. that the war for Israel's independence never ended and the Palestinians and most Arabs have not accepted the State of Israel. Yet he has an optimistic bent to his analysis, mostly because the existence of the Jewish people depends on Jews accepting such reality.

I have never felt compelled to write a review before. This shabbat I sat down to read this book. What a blessing it was that I had the opportunity to read it (I read it in two sittings). It was gripping.

Gordis captured the need for the those in Israel (religious and non) to realize, and wrestle with, their Israeli Jewishness and see it as core to Israel's survival. It is no less important for American Jewry to understand this as well for the survival of Israel and the Jewish People. His chapters on the issues surrounding the Israeli Arabs were also sensitive and rightly difficult but also important for Israeli and American Jews to confront.

As is typical of all of Daniel Gordis' works, it contains the lyrical beauty that is so unique to his writing. At the same time, he taps into the life condition of an Israeli that provides a vivid, touching perspective. Most importantly, he confronts the key issues of Israel today with heat-seeking clarity.

I plan to buy many copies to give to my friends and associates, Jewish and non.

I highly recommend you buy and read this book.

Daniel Gordis, an American immigrant to Israel who has come to feel the pulse of the nation and its critics through his life in the country and among the Diaspora presents a seminal and impassioned defense of the country calling for a renewal of hope in its meaning. Over the years other books such as The Case for Israel and Right to Exist: A Moral Defense of Israel's Wars have attempted to fill this role. Others have examined military solutions to Israel's situation, such as Defending Israel: A Strategic Plan for Peace and Security and the need for national renewal (Defending Identity: Its Indispensable Role in Protecting Democracy.

But Gordis goes one step further, blending analysis of the country's intellectual enemies, such as Tony Judt and Avraham Burg, and its internal and external threats. But the diagnosis that is most important is the explanation for national renewal in Israel and among Jews in the mission of Israel. The problem is that Israeli's are forgetting the dream of Zionism, not realizing that the danger to Israel is not 'merely' the loss of the West Bank, which many Israelis rarely visit anyway, but the loss of the country entirely. The threat is not just Iran but is psychological and emotion, both internal and external.

Gordis' starting point is the Six Day War and the seeming might of Israel at the time. Gordis traces the decline of that might, although Israel's military remained powerful, the threat of the Civil Rights turned Terrorism movement of the Palestinians and especially Hamas and its allies such as Hizbullah have undermined Israel little by little. Gordis tackles the important question of how Israel can be both a Jewish and a Democratic state, acknowledging that "understandably trouble's Israel's Arabs." Gordis correctly notes the fallacy in arguing that a country cannot have ethnic and national-religious overtones. He could have gone further and noted other celebrated countries that do, such as Malaysia and Japan and how many European countries even enshrine and give special rights to national churches. Gordis concludes that "there is no alternative" and that Israel is not the U.S, it is not a secular polyglot nation, it is a Jewish state.

There are several small flaws. The name of Burg's work which has now been published in English (The Holocaust Is Over; We Must Rise From its Ashes) is written in Hebrew translation rather than its English name, there are two chapters on Israeli Arabs which are oddly non-consecutive and the author over-estimates the possibility that there might have been Civil War over Disengagement from Gaza. But these are tiny compared to the overall weight and importance of the text. Anyone interested in modern Israel and the future of Israel and the Jewish people should read this important work.

Seth Frantzman

What is different about this book?

First, it is written by the insider who used to be an outsider. Daniel Gordis moved with his family to Jerusalem from Los Angeles in 1998, has written many books and is therefore able to provide a unique perspective in his analysis of the situation in the Middle East.

Second, Daniel Gordis, being religious Jew by himself and believing in the Jewish values, is not only tolerant and accepting (to some extent) the secularization of the Israeli society, but he also stays compassionate and fair in respect to all people who became "collateral damage" in the conflict. That's an extraordinary ability in highly polarized world of Middle East conflict, where most people are blinded by their emotions.

Thirdly, and probably, most important, he asks the questions that should be asked, and provides practical answers to them.
What is the purpose of the state of Israel? Is it simply "Hebrew-speaking small America in Middle East" or is it something more?
What happened to the world perception of Israel?
Is the peace in Middle East possible at all? Should the peace in the region be our ultimate goal?
What could and should be done, to keep both Jewish character of the state and the democracy in Israeli society?

There is much more; for anybody who is interested in the understanding of the situation in the Middle East, history and currents of Israel, "Saving Israel" is a required reading.
I can guarantee that many people will disagree with Gordis' analysis and recommendations, but if more people would be open to the dialogue, this would be a perfect outcome of this book.

On a personal note, after living in Israel for almost nine years, I am ready to sign under every observation of the author.

Once again, I applaud Gordis for his ability to walk on "the razor edge", and his ability to speak both to the hearts and to the logic of the readers.

Daniel Gordis has written an important, compelling book that must be read by as many Jews as possible, in Israel and out of Israel. The other reviews here on amazon have done a great job describing the book, so I won't be redundant. What I will say is that I will never see the things the same way after reading this book. After describing, with stunning, shocking clarity just how bad Israel's situation is, he shows the internal challenges Israel must face if will be able to survive its bitter enemies, who want nothing but to see Israel destroyed. Israel needs to answer the question, "Who do we intend to be?" in order to save Israel ... and the world's Jews.

BUY THIS BOOK ... AND READ IT!

Gordis confronts the elephants in the living room, and he does so with both sensitivity and integrity. For example, Gordis discusses the ways in which American democracy and Israel's democracy can't be the same. And he tries to grapple with the questions of when and why military action (and the use of force) isn't a deviation from Judaism's ideal. Gordis even considers the issue of how (and why) Israel might deal with Israel's Arab citizens. Gordis uses fascinating vignettes from current events to illuminate his position. I have read all of Gordis' other books and have never been disappointed. Every reader will not agree with all of Gordis' conclusions in "Saving Israel," but every reader should respect his analysis, prose and willingness to dissect issues that many other thinkers choose to ignore.

This is a book written out of deep love and understanding of the history of the Jewish people and Israel. It assesses very carefully the dramatic change which has occurred in the 'image' of Israel not only in the West in general but among the Jewish people, and even sections of the populus in Israel. Once considered the heroic underdog who faced a plethora of much larger enemies it is now characteristically seen as a brutal occupier which has supplanted and now suppresses the Palestinian Arab people. Gordis stresses the historical Jewish connection to the land of Israel and reaffirms the basic truth of the heroic founding of Israel against all odds. He is firmly aware of the great accomplishments of the modern Jewish state, including the revival of an ancient language, the ingathering of exiles from over eighty nations, the building of a dynamic modern society with considerable scientific and cultural achievements. He also deeply appreciates the sacrifices involved in defending the state of Israel against hostile neighbors. However the focus of his book is on the whole overall meaning of Israel to the Jewish people to human history. His argument is that Israel is essential to the ongoing well- being and meaning of the Jewish people as a whole.
His argument moreover is not made in abstract and theoretical terms, but rather as an act of personal witnessing. Having come on Aliyah to Israel with his family over a decade ago Gordis is a witness to the everyday realities of the society. He intersperses the narrative with stories and observations from his own personal experience and that of his family.
His passionate defense of Israel , its centrality to Jewish continuity does not make him insensitive to the humanity of the other side. Only this book marks a dramatic change in one aspect of his attitude to the problem. In one of two chapters devoted to the Palestinian Arabs in Israel he points to the transformation of their views of the State in which they live. From demanding social and economic equality their leaders have shifted to calling for the demise of the Jewish state. Their intransigence in identifying with Israel's enemies in the Lebanon War of 2006 was one great turning point in this.
Gordis very much understands the divisions within the Palestinians, the Arab world and Islamic world as a whole. He is aware of the existensial danger facing Israel from Iran. So another idea central to this work is that no matter how much Israel may want Peace this is not likely to happen in the near future. He argues that there is justification and necessity to the continued existence of Israel even if its neighbors are not yet ready to make peace with it. And he outlines in this work ways in which the people of Israel must prepare and strengthen themselves for the struggle. Again his focus is not on the military though he knows that component essential also, but on the education to understanding the meaning and purpose of the Jewish state.
This is an extremely important book for all those who care about the well- being of Israel. I could not recommend it more highly.