The Case for Israel [Hardcover]

Alan Dershowitz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 8, 2003 | ISBN-10: 047146502X | ISBN-13: 978-0471465027 | Edition: 1

The Case for Israel is an ardent defense of Israel's rights, supported by indisputable evidence.

• Presents a passionate look at what Israel's accusers and detractors are saying about this war-torn country.
• Dershowitz accuses those who attack Israel of international bigotry and backs up his argument with hard facts.
• Widely respected as a civil libertarian, legal educator, and defense attorney extraordinaire, Alan Dershowitz has also been a passionate though not uncritical supporter of Israel.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Noting that he has been working on versions of these arguments since 1967, famed Harvard law professor Dershowitz offers "a proactive defense of Israel," a kind of amicus brief to "the court of public opinion." Not least among the exhibits are a WWII-era Muslim Palestinian leader who was "a full fledged Nazi war criminal, and he was so declared at Nuremberg"; a "vastly underpopulated" late 19th-century Palestine, to which European Jews began emigrating; and a 75-year-long Arab-Israeli war that features "Arab nations dedicated to genocidal aggression against civilians." Each of the 32 chapters begins with a commonly heard accusation against Israel, with long quotes from reputable "Accusers" (including newspapers and intellectuals), followed by "The Reality" as Dershowitz sees it, and "The Proof," often drawing on the historical record.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Dershowitz is one of the nation's most prominent and visible defense attorneys, and he is also an ardent, eloquent, but not always uncritical defender of Israel. This book is written in the form of a legal brief. He does not seek to defend particular policies of the current Israeli government. In fact, Dershowitz has frequently criticized some Israeli policies toward Palestinians, particularly regarding West Bank settlements. Rather, here he attempts to rebut what he views as the more general and blatantly discriminatory criticisms of Israel as a state and culture. Some of these criticisms deny the "right" of Israel to exist. In response, Dershowitz asserts both the practical and moral justification for the continued existence of Israel as Jewish state. He also convincingly refutes several other oft-repeated myths, including the supposedly benign treatment of Jews in Arab lands and the "cycle of violence" canard that morally equates Palestinian suicide bombings with Israeli efforts to arrest or kill bombers before they act. As usual, Dershowitz is a passionate but generally fair and honest advocate for his position. Jay Freeman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (August 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047146502X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471465027
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 0.9 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (206 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #699,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

ALAN M. DERSHOWITZ is a Brooklyn native who has been called 'the nation's most peripatetic civil liberties lawyer' and one of its 'most distinguished defenders of individual rights,' 'the best-known criminal lawyer in the world,' 'the top lawyer of last resort,' and 'America's most public Jewish defender.' He is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. Dershowitz, a graduate of Brooklyn College and Yale Law School, joined the Harvard Law School faculty at age 25 after clerking for Judge David Bazelon and Justice Arthur Goldberg. While he is known for defending clients such as Anatoly Sharansky, Claus von B'low, O.J. Simpson, Michael Milken and Mike Tyson, he continues to represent numerous indigent defendants and takes half of his cases pro bono. Dershowitz is the author of 20 works of fiction and non-fiction, including 6 bestsellers. His writing has been praised by Truman Capote, Saul Bellow, David Mamet, William Styron, Aharon Appelfeld, A.B. Yehoshua and Elie Wiesel. More than a million of his books have been sold worldwide, in numerous languages, and more than a million people have heard him lecture around the world. His most recent nonfiction titles are The Case For Peace: How the Arab-Israeli Conflict Can be Resolved (August 2005, Wiley); Rights From Wrongs: A Secular Theory of the Origins of Rights (November 2004, Basic Books), The Case for Israel (September 2003, Wiley), America Declares Independence, Why Terrorism Works, Shouting Fire, Letters to a Young Lawyer, Supreme Injustice, and The Genesis of Justice. His novels include The Advocate's Devil and Just Revenge. Dershowitz is also the author of The Vanishing American Jew, The Abuse Excuse, Reasonable Doubts, Chutzpah (a #1 bestseller), Reversal of Fortune (which was made into an Academy Award-winning film), Sexual McCarthyism and The Best Defense.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 92 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars True Liberals and Free Thinkers September 29, 2003

By "chrisj62954"

Format:Hardcover

If you're a true Liberal (classic meaning), you'll want to investigate the pros and cons of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict yourself. That means reading items you may not like or agree with.

Be a free thinker with an open mind. Get this book and look at the points it makes. If you agree or disagree, you'll come away with more knowledge than when you started. Liberals and free thinkers should never be afraid to expose themselves to new ideas.

Don't be put off buying this book because it's written by a lawyer. I was doubtful, at first, if it would be a good read or dry and dusty. It's very well written and easy to digest. It's not written in 'lawyerese'.

It's very important to understand this ME conflict. The US is involved in the ME. This conflict comes up again and again.

Don't depend on the news to give you an understanding of the conflict. Use this book to further your understanding. Even if you disagree with it, you'll have knowledge of what some of the "other side's" arguments are.

59 of 89 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Biased in presenting information, but conclusions are reasonable November 22, 2010

By R. Im

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

From the outset, it should be noted that Alan Dershowitz is a lawyer and not a historian. He does not present information from a disinterested perspective as respected historians (e.g. Shlomo Ben-Ami and Benny Morris) do. Although I myself strongly support Israel's existence and the right of its people to live in peace and security, it is difficult to ignore the "blame-it-on-all-the-Palestinians-and-the-Arabs" tone of Professor Dershowitz's book. In Professor Dershowitz's presentation of the Israel-Palestine conflict, almost all wrongdoings on the part of the Israelis are sheerly coincidental, unintentional, or accidental while almost all wrongdoings on the part of the Palestinians are unequivocally malicious and motivated by extremism or anti-Semitism. Although he correctly points out that Jews throughout history have faced disproportionate criticism, unforgivable pogroms, and unjustified discrimination (which are my main reasons for supporting a state in which Jews can live in security and peace), Professor Dershowitz's overly broad and extremely biased assessment of the Arabs and the Palestinians fails in substantiating his case. For one, recycling the same argument spewed out by Daniel Pipes, he writes that all or most Palestinians supported the "losing side" during World War I and World War II (and vis-à-vis the latter, he outrageously claims that all or most Palestinians supported Hitler either explicitly or implicitly during the Holocaust). This is one of several instances in which Professor Dershowitz interprets the decisions and stances of Arab leaders (most of whom are/were corrupt, unpopular, and/or unelected) as being representative of the entire Palestinian population (e.g.... "Palestinians rejected peace"; "When Palestinians want a Palestinian state more than they want to see the destruction of the Jewish state, they will have a state of their own"). He does not take into account the serious pro-peace endeavors of the Arabs (most notably, the Arab Peace Initiative, which includes the recognition of and the opening of diplomatic relations with Israel) while he bemoans the Arab world's "refusal" to recognize Israel. In another case, Professor Dershowitz appears to contradict himself as he rightly paints Yassir Arafat as an extremely corrupt and avaricious opportunist who was not representative of the Palestinian people (Professor Dershowitz goes on further to quote an Arab prince who called Arafat's rejection of the concessions offered by Barak a "crime against the Palestinian people") while accusing all or most Palestinians of not wanting peace because of the anti-peace actions of Arafat.

One particular annoyance was Professor Dershowitz's incessant attacks against persons who have a different view of the Israel-Palestine conflict, namely Norman Finkelstein, Edward Said, Noam Chomsky, Nelson Mandela, Christopher Hitchens et al. Professor Dershowitz, for reasons I do not know, appears especially hell bent on wanting to discredit Professors Chomsky and Said. He paints Professor Said as a radical academic who supported Palestinian terrorism against the Israelis (and anyone who is familiar with his work knows this is untrue), and Professor Dershowitz portrays Professor Chomsky as an extreme left wing, anti-Israel fanatic, quoting Mr. Chomsky's support for Robert Faurisson's (a Holocaust denier) right to free speech. Despite his own background as a criminal appellate lawyer, Professor Dershowitz ludicrously questions whether Professor Chomsky is even qualified to professionally participate in the Israel-Palestine debate, using the example of Professor Chomsky's teaching a course on the Israel-Palestine conflict at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University because of his background as a linguist. In sum, Professor Dershowitz's borderline ad hominem attacks against his opponents were a frequent distraction. He also dismisses prominent and credible international organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations because of their critical assessments of Israel.

However, notwithstanding Professor Dershowitz's migraine inducing bias against the Palestinians and what I see as an unfair characterization of respected scholars such as Professors Chomsky and Said, he nevertheless raises some excellent points for going forward in his book. He demands the renouncement of terrorism by Palestinian militants (a point which no reasonable and credible scholar on either side opposes). He - at least ostensibly - advocates for a peaceful two state solution in which both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace with each other (whether he actually believes in a peaceful two-state settlement in accordance with UN Resolution 242 is questionable based on his remarks elsewhere). He writes that he supports an economically viable and contiguous Palestinian state in which the Palestinians will control the Arab dominanted portion of Jerusalem and the Israelis will control the Jewish dominated portion of Jerusalem. He correctly states that extremists on both sides (Christian Zionists who support a Greater Israel on one end and the Muslim fundamentalists who support the destruction of Israel on the other end) present an obstacle in the peace process. He criticizes the building of new settlements in the Occupied Territories although Professor Dershowitz appears to believe (as he stated on a Crosstalk debate against Gideon Levy) that the freezing of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories shouldn't be a precondition for peace.

In sum, Professor Dershowitz's book, despite being riddled with bias, some factual and typographical errors, and personal jabs against his opponents, nevertheless makes important points for achieving a lasting peace between the two peoples. The solutions delineated by Professor Dershowitz are quite reasonable and deserve serious attention. However, if one wishes to read a more balanced account of the Israel-Palestine conflict, I would strongly recommend Benny Morris's Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881-2001, which has received praise from Palestinian and Israeli scholars alike.

On another note, this book has stirred controversy within academic circles due to accusations of plagiarism by Norman Finkelstein. I want to briefly address this issue. Derek Bok, the former president of Harvard, conducted an investigation on the charges and concluded that no plagiarism had occurred, and James O. Freedman, the former president of Dartmouth, has stated that Dershowitz had correctly followed the Chicago Manual of Style in citing his sources. However, on the other side, journalist Alexander Cockburn and Oxford academic Avi Shlaim have supported Dr. Finkelstein's charges - the latter saying that Dr. Finkelstein has delineated the charges "in a manner that would stand up in court." Although I believe that plagiarism is a serious charge, I do not think, at least in regards to the arguments and conclusions presented by Mr. Dershowitz, that it's an issue worth fussing about (although I am very puzzled as to why Professor Dershowitz mentions "Orwellian turnspeak" twice in his book). Joan Peters (whose work, From Time Immemorial, is the book from which Professor Dershowitz allegedly plagiarized) has not raised a complaint in regards to Professor Dershowitz's improperly citing her work, and Noam Chomsky himself has said that it was much more important to focus on the arguments presented by Professor Dershowitz than the charges of plagiarism. If the reader wishes to conduct his or her own investigation, I would advise the reader to look at Norman Finkelstein's Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History, Updated Edition and Professor Dershowitz's response in The Case for Peace: How the Arab-Israeli Conflict Can be Resolved. The reader who wishes to conduct an even more nuanced investigation can view the Democracy Now! debate between Dr. Finkelstein and Professor Dershowitz, which is available on YouTube and on the Democracy Now! website. (Also, the reader may want to take a look at the articles by Frank Menetrez and Alexander Cockburn in regards to the plagiarism issue and Professor Dershowitz's responses to the former two). I'll leave it to the reader to come to his or her own conclusion. Read more ›

78 of 118 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Light of Truth September 15, 2003

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

Dershowitz unveils the "Big Lies" that seem to permeate so much of the world's perception of the world's only Jewish state. This book tears away the mantle of rationality and respectability shrouding so much of the anti-semitism that is leveled at Israel. ... A Must Read for anyone concerned about human rights, justice, and the right of this oasis of democracy and civilization to exist.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Sound, but not thorough enough June 14, 2011

By Erez Davidi

Format:Hardcover

Firstly, for the structure of the book: In this book, Professor Dershowitz attacks 31 various allegations that were made against Israel by various people. Professor Dershowitz, as a lawyer, follows a format of first stating the allegation, then stating the supposed truth, and finally, stating the evident to back the truth and hopefully refute the allegation.

As for the content of the book: Dershowitz mostly counts on sources such as Benny Morris's book, "Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881-2001". And, in a few cases, the proof he provides is over-simplistic and not comprehensive enough. To cite just one example: in Chapter Three (since I didn't read the English version of the book the number of the chapter might be different and the translation is my own), the allegation is that the second "aliyah" to Israel from Europe had an imperialistic nature, hence, the main goal of the new settlers was to establish a new Jewish state without its Arab residences. Professor Dershowitz refutes this allegation by providing a quote from historian Benny Moris who basically said that " the main reason for the second "aliyah" was the fear from the pogroms in Europe", and therefore, the Jewish people fled Europe due to fear, and not because of any evil intention of taking over the Arab's land. That might be true, however, to quote one historian is not enough to refute such an allegation, and Dershowitz fails to provide any more proof to back his argument.

Having said that, the fact that a few of his proofs are not comprehensive enough doesn't necessarily mean they are wrong. As a matter of the fact, I found most of his arguments to be rather satisfying and convincing.... In my opinion, the main strength of the book is that it summarizes the most common allegations that are made against Israel and, in most cases, he was able to refute them in a straightforward, logical and clear way.

In conclusion, this book is well written and a rather easy book to read through. It's well suited for people who are interested in a light and quick read about a complicated topic. However, if you're looking for a thorough and detailed account of the Israeli side of the Israeli-Palestine conflict it's better to look somewhere else. Read more ›

61 of 93 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Read this book if you are neutral October 26, 2003

By Andrew Gross

Format:Hardcover

In The Case for Israel, Alan Dershowitz addresses the numerous accusations made against Israel, and responds with facts and context. He shows that many of Israel's opponents who "can see no right on the side of Israel and no wrong on the side of those who would seek to destroy the Jewish state" are either ignorant of the Middle East or malevolent in their intentions.

The theme pervading throughout this book is introduced on page 11: Israel is subject to a unique double standard of judgment and criticism for its actions in defending its very existence. If the Jewish state were judged by the same standard as every other nation, Israel would be at or near the top of the list in terms of civil liberties, human rights, and every other test of morality and justice.

One example of this double-standard is the inordinate scrutiny by the United Nations regarding Israeli control of the West Bank and Gaza. The Tibetans, the Kurds, the Basques, and dozens of other stateless peoples have much stronger claims to statehood than do the Palestinians. The Tibetans and Kurds have been treated far more brutally by their occupiers than have the Palestinians. The Tibetans have never resorted to terrorism. The UN has never condemned China or recognized the rights of Tibetans, Kurds, Basques, or the others. Only the Palestinians have resorted to terrorism as a primary method for seeking independence. Only the Palestinians have been offered a state (three times) and only the Palestinians have rejected a state (three times).

Dershowitz provides extensive documentation for the facts, with over 500 footnotes - many of them from pro-Palestinian and other Arab sources, or American and international media sources....

One of the subjects that I wished Dershowitz had addressed is the security barrier being built in the West Bank. Also the United Nations bias against Israel, a bias discussed in various sections, would seem to merit its own chapter. Some of the chapters are quite short, although the short replies may be necessary since the book covers so many issues.

Most readers agree that Israel's supporters will enjoy this book. Far more important, I believe, is that if you are neutral to the Israeli-Arab conflict, if you have little background in the Middle East, then you owe it to yourself to read this book in order to understand the reasons why Jews, Christians, and every American President has and continues to support the only democracy in the Middle East and the only Jewish state in the world. Read more ›