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The Crisis of Zionism

Peter Beinart

Picador

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ISBN10: 1250026733
ISBN13: 9781250026736

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320 Pages

$20.00

CA$27.25

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In The Crisis of Zionism, Peter Beinart lays out in chilling detail the looming danger to Israeli democracy and the American Jewish establishment's refusal to confront it. He offers a fascinating, groundbreaking portrait of the two leaders at the center of the crisis: Barack Obama, America's first "Jewish president," a man steeped in the liberalism he learned from his many Jewish friends and mentors in Chicago; and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister who considers liberalism the Jewish people's special curse. These two men embody fundamentally different visions not just of American and Israeli national interests but of the mission of the Jewish people itself.

Beinart concludes with provocative proposals for how the relationship between American Jews and Israel must change, and with an eloquent and moving appeal for American Jews to defend the dream of a democratic Jewish state before it is too late.

Reviews

Praise for The Crisis of Zionism

"An important new book that rejects the manipulation of Jewish victimhood in the name of Israel's domination of the Palestinians . . . Important and timely for the future of Israel."—Roger Cohen, The New York Times

"Mr. Beinart has a book . . . called The Crisis of Zionism. Chapter five, on 'The Jewish President,' fully justifies the cover price."—Bret Stephens, The Wall Street Journal

"Passionately argued."— David Remnick, The New Yorker

"Mr. Beinart thinks America's Jews must redeem both themselves and Israel by rededicating themselves to Israel's ethical character . . . The sentiment is noble, and the message deserves to be heard."—The Economist

"An impressive achievement."—Alan Wolfe, The Chronicle of Higher Education

"[A] probing, courageous and timely book . . . [It] marks a significant evolution in the debate over Israel."—The National Interest

"Peter Beinart has written a deeply important book for anyone who cares about Israel, its security, its democracy, and its prospects for a just and lasting peace. Beinart explains the roots of the current political and religious debates within Israel, raises the tough questions that can't be avoided, and offers a new way forward to achieve Zionism's founding ideals, both in Israel and among the diaspora Jews in the United States and elsewhere."—President Bill Clinton

"Peter Beinart has written the outstanding Zionist statement for the twenty-first century. The Crisis of Zionism is a courageously scathing critique of the sorry state of Zionism today and a clarion call to reaffirm the linkage of liberal values, Jewish commitment, and democratic practice that made the creation of the state of Israel possible and is the key to its moral and physical survival."—Naomi Chazan, former deputy speaker of the Knesset and president of the New Israel Fund

"Progress in the United States has most often occurred when patriotic Americans have insisted on facing our failures head on and holding us to our founding ideals. In that spirit, Peter Beinart has written a brave and important book about Zionism today. Anyone who loves Israel and wishes to see it survive must read this book."—Anne-Marie Slaughter, Bert G. Kerstetter '66 University Professor of Politics and International Affairs, and former dean, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University

"The Crisis of Zionism is a must read for everyone who cares about the future of Israel. Peter Beinart makes a strong case for a vision of Zionism that encompasses ending the occupation of the West Bank and deepening Jewish education in America. Even if you disagree with him, you should still read this book."—Edgar M. Bronfman, president of The Samuel Bronfman Foundation

"If you are concerned about Israel's future, you should read this book. It will inform, provoke, and challenge you, as the author, with clarity and grace, lays out the looming dangers to Israeli democracy and appeals for a Jewish state that is both democratic and just to all, including its Arab minority."—Lee H. Hamilton, former Congressman and Vice-Chair of the 9/11 Commission

"An elegant, deeply honest look at the failure of Jewish liberalism in forging Israel as a democratic state . . . Beinart . . . represents a liberal, non-Orthodox tradition among fairly young Jews for whom Judaism and social justice go hand in hand, and who no longer buy the line of Jewish ‘victimhood' that helped cohere their parents' generation of postwar Holocaust survivors . . . Straight talk by a clear-thinking intellectual with his heart in the right place."—Kirkus Reviews

"A passionately argued work that will evoke intense debate."—Booklist

Reviews from Goodreads

BOOK EXCERPTS

Read an Excerpt

1

The Crisis in Israel


As a Zionist, I believe that after two millennia of homelessness, the Jewish people deserve a state dedicated to their protection in their historic land, something enjoyed by many peoples who have...

About the author

Peter Beinart

Peter Beinart is the author of The Icarus Syndrome and The Good Fight. A former editor of The New Republic, he is a senior political writer for The Daily Beast and the editor-in-chief of Open Zion, a blog about Israel and the Jewish future at thedailybeast.com. He is an associate professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York and a senior fellow at The New America Foundation. He lives with his family in New York City.

Guillaume Gaudet