Jews and PowerKnopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 28 באוג׳ 2007 - 256 עמודים Part of the Jewish Encounter series Taking in everything from the Kingdom of David to the Oslo Accords, Ruth Wisse offers a radical new way to think about the Jewish relationship to power. Traditional Jews believed that upholding the covenant with God constituted a treaty with the most powerful force in the universe; this later transformed itself into a belief that, unburdened by a military, Jews could pursue their religious mission on a purely moral plain. Wisse, an eminent professor of comparative literature at Harvard, demonstrates how Jewish political weakness both increased Jewish vulnerability to scapegoating and violence, and unwittingly goaded power-seeking nations to cast Jews as perpetual targets. Although she sees hope in the State of Israel, Wisse questions the way the strategies of the Diaspora continue to drive the Jewish state, echoing Abba Eban's observation that Israel was the only nation to win a war and then sue for peace. And then she draws a persuasive parallel to the United States today, as it struggles to figure out how a liberal democracy can face off against enemies who view Western morality as weakness. This deeply provocative book is sure to stir debate both inside and outside the Jewish world. Wisse's narrative offers a compelling argument that is rich with history and bristling with contemporary urgency. |
תוכן
The Great Experiment | 3 |
Unanticipated Consequences | 79 |
Return to Zion | 97 |
Conclusion | 171 |
Notes | 185 |
Chronology | 205 |
Acknowledgments | 219 |
מהדורות אחרות - הצג הכל
מונחים וביטויים נפוצים
accused Ahad Ha'am Aliyah Allah anti-Jewish anti-Semitism anti-Zionism Arab League Arab world army attack Babylonian Bar Kamtza became Berr Isaac Berr Britain British century Christian claim culture Damascus Damascus Affair David defeat defense democracy democratic destruction Diaspora Egypt emancipation enemies Esther Europe European exile fellow Jews fighting force function Gentile German Gurion Haganah Halevi Hebrew Herzl historian homeland human Husseini Ibid immigration independence Islam Israeli Jabotinsky Jerusalem Jewish communities Jewish language Jewish nation Jewish political Jewish Publication Society Jewry Jews Jews tried Jordan Josephus Judah Judaism King Land of Israel language leaders leadership liberal Max Weinreich Middle East military modern Jewish moral Mordecai movement Muslim Nachmanides organization Oslo Palestine Palestinian peace pogroms Poland population prime minister protection rabbis refugees religion religious Roman Russian Sadat Syria Talmud Temple territory tion tradition trans University Press victory Warsaw Yiddish York Zion Zionist