The Invention of the Land of Israel: From Holy Land to Homeland

This is an extremely well researched and elegantly written book. The story with supporting theories and arguments is rolled out with with robust vigour and delightful threads of humour and irony which make the reading delightful." The Invention Of The Land Of Israel" is a very valuable contribution to this field of enquiry. The references to the vast literature that he has mastered in the putting together of this book makes me want to explore these sources myself and acquire something of the expertise that the author shows.I am also reading "The Invention of the Jewish People" which is also just wonderful. Waiting in the wings I have also "On THe Nation and the 'Jewish People'" to look forward to.

This book is not the easiest of reads. It is densely academic in places, repetitive in others, and dwells for too long (chapter 1) on the theory of national homelands. But at its heart this book has a controversial truth which, on the basis of Professor Sand's compelling analysis, is difficult to dispute: that "the mythos of a wandering Jewish people that was uprooted from its homeland two thousand years ago...is based entirely on historical fabrications" (p255).One-by-one Sand demolishes the pillars upon which the "demon of mythic territoriality" has been built by modern-day Zionists. He notes the Zionists' misuse of the Bible as a "title deed for Palestine", the anachronistic use of the term Israel by Zionists (in fact the land was called Canaan and Jerusalem itself was in Judea), the opposition of most of the pre-1939 rabbinate to Zionism, and the fact that until the US and European nations closed their doors to Jewish immigration in the early 20th century, there were hardly any Jewish immigrants who actually wanted to move to "the land of Israel". This was because few saw it as their 'home'. Indeed, there were few Jews who even wished to make pilgrimage to the Holy Land; it was the Christians whose religious zeal caused them to flock to Jerusalem. The founder of Zionism, Theodor Herzl, would actually have been happy with Argentina or Uganda as a Jewish national home (p197). But the rise of 20th century nationalism combined with anti-Semitism in Europe and restrictive immigration policies in the US to create "a dangerous ethnoterritorial policy" (p252) which led to the creation of the state of Israel, the ethnic cleansing of over 700,000 Palestinians (which Professor Sand documents in a powerful Afterword section) and the brutality of occupation, dispossession and displacement.This book is not without its flaws (inexplicably, for a revisionist historian, Professor Sand seems to attribute no responsibility to Israel for the annexationist war in 1967), but even allowing for these, this is a powerful book which deserves a wide audience. The Zionists will condemn Professor Sand as a "self-hating Jew", but I doubt they will be able to counter his inexorable logic.

This is a fascinating and eye-opening work. For non-Jews, access to recent Jewish history tends to be limited to books on the Holocaust or Jewish persecution in Europe and it's refreshing to discover so much more about Jewish history and Judaism. I'm not that interested in the current political dimension so I'm unable to comment about any bias in professor Sand's book and having read a few negative comments, I feel it is a pity that many of the sources cited by Professor Sand are written in Hebrew and not generally availble in the West. That said, the book appears to be fairly objective in it's treament of Jewish history and well worth a read, whatever your political background or inclination.

This book gives an alternative yet more believable account of the history of the created State of Israel. It doesn't matter whether you agree with the facts and insights given here. It has reinforced my beliefs and view that two wrongs does not make a right, no matter how you look at it and how much justification you find for that wrong through historical, racial and religious mythology.

An excellent, if scholarly, read. It is a book to be studied rather than read from cover to cover at a sitting. It does expose many of the myths about the country of Israel without resorting to abuse or slander. A factual guide to a difficult subject. I don't regret buying it for a second.

At last some insight into Israels behaviour in their treatment of their fellow Semites the Palestinians.An article published n Elservier the medical journal which publishes the Lancet showed that the descendants of the fifty thousand Jews living in Palestine in the year 1900 and the present day Palestinians were in fact the same race,their DNA is the same,not surprising they had lived together for thousands of years.As to their being the only democracy in the middle east.Hitler was elected democratily.

A complex but fascinating read. Anyone who is seriously objective about Israel and the Middle East should read this. Shlomo Sand weaves his way between the propaganda and selective history of the people who have come to Israel and proposes fundamental questions about received history.

This is most innovative book by Shlomo Sand, a continuation of his earlier The Invention of the Jewish People, and even more brilliant than the first one. It is a thorough debunking of Zionist myths and propaganda about the territorial claims over Palestine, with a wide range of Hebrew and other sources. Sand is probably the most crucial historian writing about the conflict, and this book is a must read for anyone who is interested in the Palestinian conflict.

Perfetto

Jewish Israeli historian Shlomo Sand's research into the origin of the concept of Israel as a Jewish homeland follows his research into the actual origin of (most of) the Jewish people today. These should be required reading for all those who are passionate about this issue.

Enfin la vérité dite par un autochtone sur la réalité de cet état, On a souvent été bassonés de contre vérités, que le mérite de l'auteur s'en trouve décuplé et son courage aussi de contrer un courant dévastateur.

The Invention of the Land of Israel by Shlomo Sand"The Invention of the Land of Israel" is the follow up to the fascinating and controversial "The Invention of the Jewish People". This excellent book serves as a complementary addition to the aforementioned book and fills gaps left behind. Historian and outspoken professor, Shlomo Sand does it again with this enlightening and educational book that reveals the history behind the Land of Israel. This 304-page book is composed of the following five chapters: 1. Making Homelands: Biological Imperative or National Property?, 2. Mytherritory: In the Beginning, God Promised the Land, 3. Toward a Christian Zionism: and Balfour Promised the Land, 4. Zionism Versus Judaism: The Conquest of "Ethnic" Space, and 5. Conclusion: The Sad Tale of the Frog and the Scorpion.Positives:1. A well-researched and well-cited book that takes you into the always fascinating world of Jewish history.2. As candid and forthright a book as you will find. Professor Sand provides solid and well-cited evidence in support of his arguments.3. Enlightening and thought-provoking book to say the least.4. An excellent complement to his best-selling book "The Invention of the Jewish People".5. The myth that was the forced uprooting of the "Jewish people."6. The book does a wonderful job of explaining how the dissemination of a formative historical mythos occurred. "Never did I accept the idea of the Jews' historical rights to the Promised Land as self-evident."7. Clarifies some of the misunderstood points made in his previous book.8. Professor Sand takes pride in his historical scholarship and it shows. The quest for primary sources. The author does a good job of letting the readers know what he does have a good handle on and what he doesn't.9. Explains what really precipitated the establishment of the State of Israel.10. The book achieves its goal of tracing the ways in which the "Land of Israel" was invented.11. The book achieves the main goal of disparaging the official historiography of the Zionist Israeli establishment.12. The notion of "homeland" in perspective. "It is important to remember that homelands did not produce nationalism, but rather the opposite: homelands emerged from nationalism." The concept of territorial entity.13. Was the Land of Israel the ancestral land of the descendants of the children of Israel? A biblical perspective...14. The great minds behind the Jewish connection with the Land of Israel. Fascinating history.15. The history of the three main revolts. Their causes and results.16. The factors that revitalized interest over the Holy Land for all three Abrahamic religions.17. The evolution of Zionism including the Christian variety. The colonization of the Middle East. The main players and factors involved. The Balfour Declaration.18. An interesting look at the Arab inhabitants of Palestine. The increasing use of the moral superweapon "historical right."19. A condensed history of the Diaspora. Zionism versus Judaism.20. The "redemption" of the land to "Judaization of the country". The 1947 resolution regarding the partition of Palestine. The acquisition of land. The three most significant moments in the long history of the occupations and the settlements in the occupied territories that most likely were decisive in shaping the future of Israel and its neighbors.21. An excellent final chapter that summarizes the main points of this interesting book.22. Excellent citations.Negatives:1. Lack of visual aids to assist the reader. As an example, maps would have added much value.2. The book at times is repetitive.3. No formal bibliography.4. A cast of characters, timelines, even glossaries would have immensely assisted an American audience that may not be familiar with this fascinating history.5. The book lacks panache. English is not the author's main language. This book is about substance over style.In summary, this is a fascinating and enlightening book. I really enjoyed it and I must thank the author for the education. Professor Sand succeeds in educating the reader on the history of the "Land of Israel". It's a great complement to his previous best-selling book. I highly recommend it!

A "Must Read" book for everyone, especially the ones who turn blind eye to the politics of the Zionist..