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A Threat from Within: A Century of Jewish Opposition to Zionism Paperback – March 1, 2006
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A Threat from Within presents a history of Jewish opposition to Zionism, and challenges the myths that lie at the very root of contemporary or 'new' anti-Semitism. A principled and enduring opposition to Zionism has come from spiritual leaders of Judaism and has not died away despite the State of Israel existence as an imposing military power.
The violence in Israel/Palestine acquires a different meaning when seen in the context of internal opposition to Zionism. Dire warnings voiced at the birth of Zionism now sound prophetic. The anti-Zionists have claimed all along that far from 'solving the Jewish question' and offering Jews a safe haven, Zionism would only fan hatred of the Jews. A Threat from Within and its seemingly paradoxical theme - Jews opposing Zionism in the name of Judaism - will fascinate a wide range of readers from different political and religious orientations.
Yakov Rabkin's book has been translated into several languages and has been nominated for the 2006 Governor General's Literary Awards, Canada's most prestigious literary prize.
- Print length224 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherZed Books
- Publication dateMarch 1, 2006
- Dimensions6 x 0.61 x 9 inches
- ISBN-101842776991
- ISBN-13978-1842776995
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“This book is fascinating. it presents a range of anti-Zionist arguments developed in Jewish religious circles that are practically unknown to the public. It is a solid contribution to scholarship.” ―Alain Bouchard, Laval University
“This is a capital book that comes at the very time that "the eternal Middle East question" demands new approaches that may defuse the crisis. This is why this book must be read without delay that the greatest number of people possible.” ―Charles Rhéaume, historian, Department of National Defense, Ottawa
“Yakov Rabkin has produced an altogether remarkable book that tells the story and analyses the ideas of the Orthodox Jewish movement opposed to Zionism and the State of Israel. I am enormously impressed by the author's historical scholarship, by his brilliant analysis of a complex literature and by the lucidity of his prose. This is an extraordinary book.” ―Gregory Baum, McGill University
“Yakov Rabkin argues that Jewish rejection of the Zionist state should be taken seriously.” ―Jewish Chronicle
“Timely, well researched and thorough treatment of probably the most controversial issue in today's Jewish world. Fascinating contemporary material. The author deserves our thanks for presenting our case so eloquently.” ―Jewish Telegraph
“As an Israeli patriot and as a philosopher, I consider it essential to integrate the discourse of Judaic anti-Zionism into the badly needed public debate about our past, present and future.” ―Joseph Agassi, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada; Tel-Aviv University and York University, Toronto
“This book sheds light on religious anti-Zionism, which, demographically and ideologically, represents the most serious threat to Israel as a State and as a collective identity. In fact, it is a more grievous and dangerous challenge than Arab and Palestinian hostility. The State, by increasing its achievements, leads the country straight into an abyss. To paraphrase Marx, one could say that Israel, by virtue of its spectacular development, is digging its own tomb.” ―Joseph Hodara, Bar-Ilan University, Israel
“...mastery of detail and succinct referencing...[the book] is rich and deserves serious attention and respect.” ―Journal of the Middle East in London
“An extremely interesting and valuable book.” ―Noam Chomsky, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
“I can only welcome the publication of this unconventional book based on often ignored historical facts. It is up to us to draw lessons from it.” ―Rabbi Moshe Gérard Ackermann, Director of the Nerlitz Institute of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem
“This is an excellent and an urgent book at a time when criticism is confronted by an iron wall.” ―Yerah Gover, Journal of Palestine Studies
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Zed Books (March 1, 2006)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 224 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1842776991
- ISBN-13 : 978-1842776995
- Item Weight : 12.6 ounces
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.61 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #658,190 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #320 in Jewish Social Studies
- #641 in History of Judaism
- #1,571 in Jewish History (Books)
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Do buy this book, religious or not, zionist or not, if you are intellectually open minded, this could be a watershed for you.
The second objection is from the left wing jews who simply object to nationalism and beleive in assimilation.
The third objection was from conservative loyal Jews who felt they would be expelled if Zionism suceeded, they would be seen as disloyal and they would be forced to go to Israel.
This book concentrates mostly on the Satmar and Neturei Karta varieties of anti-zionism which although it has old roots is more a modern phenomenon, that links itself with palestinian and left wingers, even gay rights activists, anything to condemn Israel. But these religious people are themselves radicals, like Hamas, they oppose the secualr jewish state as Bin Laden opposes the monarchies and secular arab regimes and hence it is strange to see left wing literature supporting religious extremism, the anetham of liberalism and human rights. But alas that is the truth behind this publication. This could have been much more but instead it was less.
Seth J. Frantzman
his opposition to Israel. He posits a violently anti-religious movement that sought to rebel against G-d and which all the Rabbis opposed ideologically. Unfortunately, this is a very superficial description of the true historical record. It turns out that in reality, mass aliyah was first proposed by both the Hasidic followers of the Ba'al Shem Tov and the Vilna Gaon in the 18th century. True, there are those who claim, like the Satmar Rav, Rav Yoel Teitelbaum that mass aliyah is forbidden by the "3 oaths" mentioned in the Talmud, Tractate Ketubot, but we see that many, actually most scholars have refuted this. Regarding the supposedly
anti-religious nature of the Zionism, yes, there is a branch that was and is still militantly anti-religious, but there is on the other hand, a very religious element, too, and it has been there from the beginnings of modern political Zionism in the 19th century. The famous Netziv from Volozhin (one of the top leaders of the traditional Orthodox Jewish community in the late 19th century and head of the famed Volozhin Yeshiva) was a member of Hovevei Zion, a proto-Zionist movement that included non-religious people. A famous photograph of a meeting of the Mizrachi religious Zionist movement in Warsaw around the year 1900 shows rows of bearded, black-coated Rabbis. Thus it is UNTRUE to claim that ALL the traditional Orthodox rabbinical leadership was anti-Zionist. The fact of the matter is that most of this group (which later organized itself as the Agudat Israel movement) had mixed feelings, supporting building the Jewish community in Eretz Israel (the Land of Israel) but worried about
the anti-religious nature of many of the leaders of the Zionist movement.
Agudat Israel later agreed, upon the establishment of the State of Israel,
to sit in its parliament and participate in national and social issues. The large majority of Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) Jews vote in the elections. This does not mean that they subscribe to all the values of the Zionist movement, there is a great debate going on as to how involved religious Jews of this type should get involved, but the large majority care about Israel, work for its security and support it in the international arena.
Rabkin claims that "really" these people are anti-Zionists (I would define them as non-Zionists since many don't believe the all Jews are REQUIRED to live in Israel and because they oppose military service for various reasons) but they have been "bought-off" by the Zionist establishment. Well, it has been discovered that the spokesman for a radical religious anti-Zionist movement was on Yasser Arafat's payroll for years, so we can just as easily claim that the anti-Zionists have been
paid off. In any event, this claim takes away any matter of choice from
people, claiming that there support for Israel is "really" from base motives, saying that the people really are "stupid". That is why I say to Rabkin and to the current post-Zionist leadership of Israel, that it was the JEWISH PEOPLE who built Israel, not the "Zionist Leadership" of the time, and it belongs to the Jewish people, not one particular political movement. After the Holocaust (which refutes Rabkin's claim that anti-Semitism is due to Israel's policies) the Jewish people voted with their feet that they wanted to return to their ancient homeland, Eretz Israel, and the built it and continue to build it today. Any Jew who goes to synagogue and listens to the weekly Torah portion sees that the Torah is enfused with love of Eretz Israel (e.g. the detailed description of Avraham buying the burial place in the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hevron) so the Jewish people have been absorbing this for millenia, and the desire to return flows from this, not Rabkin's imaginary conspiracy of "anti-religious Zionist rebels". The large majority of Jews in Israel reject Rabkin's claim that "Zionism replaced Judaism with nationalism" and identify themselves as Jews, regardless of their level of religious observance, and the fact is that religious observance of the average Jew in Israel is much higher than those outside of Israel. Knowledge of Hebrew, the language of the Bible and Misha is univesal making these works accessible to everyone, unlike outside Israel and that Jewish religious life and intense Torah study are undergoing their greatest revival in 2000 years, IN SPITE of Rabkin's claim that the Zionist state is suppodedly dedicated to eradicating these things.
Yes, there is an ongoing debate in the religious world about the nature of the relationship of religious community of Israel to the (not yet religious) state apparatus, but reading this polemic is not going to give an accurate picture of this.
