"The Holocaust followed by Israel's creation constituted a kind of civil religion for Jews, reminding them of their eternal vulnerability while offering salvation in the form of statehood. Memories inevitably change, however, and as the impact of these two titanic events fade, an increasingly number of Judiasm's next generation is starting to reject the particularism associated with both events in favor of a rebirth of the universalism that once characterized...

Considers the historical rationale for Zionism, including the centuries of virulent European anti-Semitism from which it grew, and asks how relevant and sustainable twentieth century Zionism is today.

"The true history of the imperial deal that transformed the Middle East and sealed the fate of Palestine. On November 2, 1917, the British government, represented by Foreign Minister Arthur Balfour, declared that they were in favor of "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people." This short note would be one of the most controversial documents of its time. A hundred years after its signing, Bernard Regan recasts the history...

Traces the history of the Jews from Biblical times to the present and describes the events that led to the establishment of the modern state of Israel.

"Written by one of Israel's most notable scholars, this volume provides a breathtaking history of Israel from the origins of the Zionist movement in the late 19th century to the present day. Organized chronologically, the volume explores the emergence of Zionism in Europe against the backdrop of relations among Jews, Arabs, and Turks, and the earliest pioneer settlements in Palestine under Ottoman rule. Weaving together political, social, and cultural...