The Zionist Idea: A Historical Analysis and Reader

Arthur Hertzberg first published this Zionism reader in 1959. That was long before the "new historians" (Israeli Jewish historians, that is) began to subject the self-congratulatory Zionist "narrative" to critical examination in light of Israeli documents covering the creation of the Israeli state began to be released in the 80s. In consequence, this is a very incomplete overview of the Zionist "idea," in which the Nakba (the permanent exile of many hundreds of thousands of indigenous Palestinian people to make way for the Jewish state in 1947-1949) hardly makes an appearance. In spite of this very serious blindspot, it's hard to find a more compact and well-considered compendium of foundational Zionist writers. Even students of Levant history like me who are entirely opposed to the core ideology of Zionism will find here a useful guide to its political, economic, spiritual, and philosophical foundations. These are not a series of manifestly odious Mein Kampf tracts. They are serious writings of sincere men (no women here) trying to grapple with the condition of Jews in a European world that rejected and often oppressed them. Their ideas deserve our respect, even if, with the benefit of hindsight, we now can see how they contained the seeds of the moral and political disaster of Israel-Palestine today.

This book can be useful as a nice supplement on Zionist thought. As claimed, it assembles essays by some of the most famous architects of Zionism in competing schools, such as Theodor Herzl, Ahad Ha'am, Rabbi Kook, Vladimir Jabotinsky, Ber Borochov, Max Nordau, etc.. However, for those seeking a single reader of Zionist thought (e.g., for a course on the topic) it falls far short. Like any editor, Hertzberg faces a task inherently constrained by space, but his selections are sometimes capricious and would be misleading to readers who want to trust that a particular essay is truly representative of that author's thought. This volume may be worth buying to get key passages such as, say, Herzl's conception of the Jewish people in his seminal work The Jewish State and Klatzkin's critique of the Jewish diaspora (galut) in one volume. But those familiar with this field and especially those concerned with Zionist conceptualizations of Palestine's indigenous population will find key arguments missing. This book shouldn't be used in isolation from skilled historical analyses of Zionism such as Yoram Hazony's  The Jewish State: The Struggle For Israel's Soul , Walter Laquer's  A History of Zionism: From the French Revolution to the Establishment of the State of Israel  or canonical critical studies such as Avi Shlaim's The Iron Wall. Which means that, for courses, it may not be worth the money.

This book is first and foremost a gathering of original primary sources material, and as such it is an important addition to any library or student of Zionism. That being said, it is a collection of speeches and writings, and as such it must judged by what was excluded as much as by what is included. To include Rabbi Mohilever but exclude Zangwill, and to dedicate a combined 45 pages to Klatzkin, Ahad Ha-Am, and Berdichevski while affording Jabotinsky and Ben-Gurion only a mere 5 pages combined, speaks volumes about the authors agenda and point of view. This is to be expected from an author whose view point on the Israeli - Palestinian conflict as well as American Jews - Israel relations were rejected and dismissed by both Golda Meir and Begin. The Introduction has a pronounced Rabbinical, Diaspora, 'civil rights-like' slant and the selected material reflects the authors bias. It may reflect some of the Zionist ideas, but certainly not The Zionist Idea.

Brilliant. There's a 100-page intro, followed by short selections from every major Zionist thinker. Each selection is preceded by a 2-page synopsis of the thinker.Although compiled decades ago, the writings are timeless and the commentary feels fresh. This edition is from 1997, so maybe they did some edits to keep it fresh.This material is just begging to be read by anyone with even the vaguest interest in Israel. History repeats itself, and by reading this, it becomes clear that the struggle for the basic Jewish right to self-determination continues to this very day. The need for a Jewish homeland and the conflict in 2011 have both been ongoing since the inception of modern Zionism. Read for yourself.Make this available on the Kindle!

used this in my class and it was a good read

This book is a classic and is richly deserving of all the praise it has gotten and the many, many copies that have been sold.

This remains the most comprehensive collection of Zionist thought, and the introductory notes to selected writings from the various schools of thought within the movement are clear and well written. One caution: it is a work for college-level or graduate level study, and not appropriate for younger readers.

This is an excellent compilation of classic writings of the pioneers of Zionnism. I gained so much insight into their thoughts and writings . This a must book for anyone interested and involved inZionism.