Israel Book Summary - Israel Book explained in key points

Listen to the Intro

00:00

Israel summary

Name: Israel
Rating: 4.1 (73 reviews)
Author: Daniel Gordis

Daniel Gordis

A Concise History of a Nation Reborn

4.1 (73 ratings)

30 mins

Table of Contents

Israel
summarized in 9 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 9

What’s in it for me? Take a quick tour through the turbulent history of Israel.

Hey, just a quick word from the content team at Blinkist. We know the history of the Middle East is a contentious subject. And we know that many of you feel strongly about it. We also know there are always many sides to every story. These blinks present one side. If you’re interested in another, then check out the blinks to The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine. Thanks – and we hope you enjoy!

In the years leading up to the world wars, the Jewish people of Europe and Russia desperately needed a safe haven. Anti-Semitic pogroms took place with alarming regularity. All across the continent, Jewish people were oppressed, terrorized, and killed. They yearned for safety – a home of their own.

By the end of World War II, after the horror of the Holocaust, that dream began to take shape in the Middle East. Soon, the dream was a reality, and Israel was recognized as a Jewish state. But this accomplishment engendered new challenges – challenges that, since the country’s creation, have tested the ideals and morals of its leadership.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

why the Zionists wanted to establish a new kind of Jewishness;
how the founding principles of Zionism have been tested over the years; and
how Israel defied the odds and flourished in a hostile territory.

The Zionist movement began as a response to persistent anti-Semitism in Europe.

By the end of the nineteenth century, Jewish people were deserting Eastern Europe in massive numbers. Between 1882 and the start of the First World War, 2.5 million Jews fled places like Poland, Romania, and Austria – even though they’d been living and building communities in these countries for centuries.

Throughout Europe there were ever-present restrictions; laws dictated what Jewish people were and weren’t allowed to do. Then there were the pogroms – attacks against Jewish communities that, if not spurred on by the authorities, were ignored by them. Yet, even under these unfavorable conditions, a number of Jewish people were able to achieve esteemed positions in society. In places like Germany, however, this success only had the tendency to make the non-Jewish population more resentful – leading to more attacks and an increase in anti-Semitic propaganda. As a result, millions of Jews continued to wonder if there was something better somewhere else.

The key message here is: The Zionist movement began as a response to persistent anti-Semitism in Europe.

The idea for a Jewish homeland in Palestine took hold in the nineteenth century. In the 1880s, the founder of Hungary’s National Anti-Semitic Party proposed the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine as a possible solution to the so-called “Jewish problem.” In fact, this proposal, made by an anti-Semite, may have inspired the founder of the Zionist movement – a man named Theodor Herzl.

Herzl was born in Hungary in 1860. He cherished intellectual and artistic pursuits, especially writing and theater, and went on to study at the University of Vienna. There, he read a book by the respected intellectual Eugen Karl Dühring called The Jewish Problem as a Problem of Race, Morals and Culture. The book claimed that Jews had been harmful to European society and argued for a move back toward segregation. Herzl despaired over the fact that someone as intelligent as Dühring would take such a position.

Indeed, during his studies and later as a writer in Paris, Herzl could not escape the anti-Semitic attitudes of his fellow Europeans. As a reporter, Herzl wrote about the Dreyfus affair – the case of a French military officer of Jewish descent who was falsely accused of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment. It was clear that even supposedly democratic institutions were not immune to anti-Semitism. All of this led to Herzl writing something that would kickstart the Zionist movement and change the course of history.

Views on the nature and existence of a Jewish state differed from the very beginning.

In 1896, Theodor Herzl published The Jewish State – a small book that advocated the establishment of an independent state for Jewish people, which is the main cause of the Zionist movement. The book was an immediate sensation. It was quickly published in multiple languages and prompted the first Zionist congress, which was held in Basel in 1897.

From the very start, there were divisions among Jewish people about the concept of a Jewish state. Even among self-proclaimed Zionists, there were widely varying ideas about what this state should be like and where it should be located.

Events of the early twentieth century helped push the Zionist movement forward.

Some dark ideas emerged in the wake of the Kishinev pogrom. An image took shape in the imaginations of many – an image of Jewish men hiding in fear while Russian thugs had their way with the Jewish women. Whether accurate or not, this image animated Zionists who argued that European Jews, content to read books and lead a life of thinking and debating, were an easy target for racist violence.

A number of the Zionist leaders began to support the idea of the “new Jews” – people who would work the land, have dirt under their nails, and be strong, proud, capable, and unbendable. These people, though culturally Jewish, would also be secular. This idea, combined with the reordering of the Middle East in the wake of World War I, influenced the shape that the Jewish state eventually took.

Despite the unfriendly conditions, Jewish immigration quickly transformed the region.

Before World War I, there was the honest if naive belief among Zionists that Jewish immigration to Palestine would lead to a harmonious coexistence. The theory went that Jewish investment in Palestine would help develop the region and improve the economy. Everyone would benefit. But given how Britain and France had carved up the region before the war was even over – and how little regard they had for the Arab people and leadership in their decision-making – it was all but assured that there would be animosity from the beginning.

The key message here is: Despite the unfriendly conditions, Jewish immigration quickly transformed the region.

Jewish defense groups fought both Arab and British forces as hopes of independence grew.

While thousands of Jewish people were escaping the threat of violence in Europe, those who were able to immigrate to Palestine in the 1920s and ’30s were entering a region with its own escalating violence.

Ever since the Balfour Declaration was officially ratified by France, Italy, Japan, and Britain at the San Remo Conference in April 1920, there had been outbursts of violence by a deeply incensed Arab population. In 1920, riots in Jerusalem led to the deaths of six Jewish people. In 1921, riots in Jaffa killed 48 more. In 1929, 133 Jews died in riots that began in Hebron and spread outward. Early riots led to organized defense groups like Hashomer, but as the violence increased, splinter groups emerged that were less focused on the Hashomer principle of restraint and more inclined to meet violence with violence.

Israel was born amid controversy, and it faced a great challenge in balancing democratic rights.

The war left no one unscathed. Nearly 2,000 people were killed in the first six months alone: 1,069 Arabs, 769 Jews, and 123 Britons. In the end, Israel got its independence, but, in the process, over 300,000 Arab Palestinians became refugees.

Prior to the war, the UN had proposed a Jewish state with a population of 498,000 Jews and 407,000 Arabs. The Jewish Agency accepted this proposal; the Arab Higher Committee did not – just as it rejected all proposals that included the establishment of a Jewish state. Blame for the horrible tragedy of the Arab refugees has been variously assigned. But there’s no avoiding the fact that it all began as a result of Plan Dalet.

As Israel grew, it evolved into a more militaristic and religious country.

There were many principles and ideals that the Zionist leaders envisioned as being foundational to a Jewish state. These included the establishment of a new, secular Jewishness that would champion collectivism and the protection of Jews from around the world.

But as the newly independent Israel began to establish itself, many of these initial ideals proved impossible to square with political and social developments.

As violence persisted, it began to take a toll on civilians and soldiers alike.

At the end of the Six Day War, Israel was in possession of the West Bank and Gaza Strip regions. This meant that many of the Palestinians who fled during previous conflicts were now, once again, living under Israeli rule. The future of Israel hinged on a question: What’s next?

It’s no coincidence that this moment gave rise to a peace movement. Israeli citizens, including a famous group of 58 teenagers, wondered aloud if the nation could sustain a seemingly endless war. But just as these calls for peace were being voiced, a new conflict began – one which proved that the Israeli military wasn’t infallible.

Stalled peace talks in the 1990s led to Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in the 2000s.

The events of the 1970s greatly diminished Israel’s standing in the international community. Not only was the violence increasing, with no end in sight; there were also new issues. Arab states were enacting oil embargoes on Israel’s allies. And airplanes were being hijacked by PLO supporters, with travelers from around the world being held hostage in front of international news cameras.

Amid this turmoil, in the 1980s, a new antagonist emerged: Hamas. This militant group called upon Islam to destroy the Jewish state. Hamas brought violence to the streets of Israel – a development that began taking an even greater toll on Israeli soldiers, who were now fighting Arab teenagers wielding stones in Gaza and the West Bank. Clearly, something needed to be done.

Want to see all full key ideas from Israel?

Key ideas in Israel

More knowledge in less time

Read or listen

Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.

Find your next read

Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.

Shortcasts ^New

We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

What is Israel about?

Israel (2016) offers a big-picture historical overview of the small but mighty country. From its improbable beginnings to its controversial wars with neighboring Arab states, Israel’s evolution is a story of change, tragedy, and victory.

Who should read Israel?

History buffs interested in Europe and the Middle East
News junkies eager to be more informed about a controversial subject
Anyone curious about the modern political landscape

About the Author

Daniel Gordis is Senior Vice President at Jerusalem's Shalem College, as well as a frequent contributor to Bloomberg View and the Jerusalem Post. His writing has also appeared in the New Republic, Foreign Affairs, and the New York Times. His many books on the politics and culture of Israel include We Stand Divided: The Rift Between American Jews and Israel.

Categories with Israel

History

Books like Israel

The Hundred Years' War on Palestine

Rashid Khalidi

A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917–2017

26 min

4.4

Jerusalem

Simon Sebag Montefiore

A Four Thousand Year History

The Israelis and the Holocaust

Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World

12 min

3.9

The Origins of Totalitarianism

Hannah Arendt

Hannah Arendt's landmark work about Europe's anti-Semitic and imperialist roots

19 min

4.6

Written in History

Simon Sebag Montefiore

Letters that Changed the World

A Dystopian Novel on the Perils of State Control & New Technology

A Tell-All Memoir of the British Royal Family and the Institution

19 min

4.1

Weapons of Math Destruction

Cathy O’Neil

How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy

14 min

4.1

Breaking The Habit of Being Yourself

Joe Dispenza

How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One

16 min

4.6

Impromptu

Reid Hoffman with GPT-4

Amplifying Our Humanity Through AI

A Victorian Heroine’s Struggle for Self-Realization

20 min

4.6

How Big Things Get Done

Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner

The Surprising Factors Behind Every Successful Project, from Home Renovations to Space Exploration

The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire

And how we can save ours

The 4000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam

27 min

4.3

Be Your Future Self Now

Dr. Benjamin Hardy

The Science of Intentional Transformation

An Introduction to History

20 min

4.0

The Greatness Mindset

Lewis Howes

Unlock the Power of Your Mind and Live Your Best Life Today

The Macedonian who conquered the world

A foundational work in the history of Western political philosophy

29 min

4.7

A Peace to End All Peace

David Fromkin

The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and Creation of the Modern Middle East

A Retelling of the Myths of Ancient Greece

18 min

4.7

Man’s Search for Meaning

Viktor Frankl

The harrowing experiences of the author in a concentration camp

17 min

4.4

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)

George Orwell

A Dystopian Classic on the Dangers of Totalitarianism

A personal meditation on life, feminism, and what it means to be a woman

28 min

4.4

The Romanovs

Simon Sebag Montefiore

1613-1918

29 min

4.5

Causes of Rebellion in Waziristan

Khalid Aziz

A Local War that has Global Implications

A Philosophical Masterpiece on the Boundaries Between Good and Evil

Empire and Republic in a Changing World

The Carbon Footprint of Everything

Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.

22 min

4.5

The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Teenagers

Sean Covey

The International Bestseller Updated for the Digital Age

18 min

4.3

The Power of Myth

Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyers

From ancient myths to Han Solo

17 min

4.3

Freakonomics

Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help

Why You Can't Pay Attention – and How to Think Deeply Again

How Britain Made the Modern World

29 min

4.6

The Body Keeps the Score

Bessel van der Kolk

Mind, Brain and the Body in the Transformation of Trauma

18 min

4.5

Why the Universe Is the Way It Is

Hugh Ross

Using Science and Scripture to Answer Humanity’s Big Questions

15 min

3.8

The Science of Happily Ever After

Ty Tashiro

What Really Matters in the Quest for Enduring Love

18 min

4.5

The Art of Communicating

Thich Nhat Hanh

The fascination of mindfulness in our daily lives

Re-awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age

21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time

13 min

4.4

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (New Version)

John C. Maxwell

Follow Them and People Will Follow You

20 min

4.5

A Year of Positive Thinking

Cyndie Spiegel

Daily Inspiration, Wisdom, and Courage

22 min

3.9

A Little History of Economics

Niall Kishtainy

A whistle-stop tour of the major questions posed by economists through the centuries, from Aristotle to Thomas Piketty

26 min

4.5

Brain Maker

Dr. David Perlmutter with Kristin Loberg

The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect your Brain – for Life

20 min

4.4

People ❤️ Blinkist

Sven O.

It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

Thi Viet Quynh N.

Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

Jonathan A.

Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

Renee D.

Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.