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Israel Was Not Born from 19th Century Colonialism

(Observer) Jeff Robbins - Israeli author and essayist Daniel Gordis has a new book, Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn. Gordis marvels at the penchant for caricature and context-avoidance that makes otherwise intelligent Americans lose perspective about what Israel has managed to remain in a neighborhood rife with barbarity and social values outdated by decades, if not centuries. "It's very important to me that young people know that the idea of the Jewish state was not born in 19th century colonialism," he says. "I would like people to see Israel as an extraordinarily noble experiment in the aftermath of a catastrophe." Much of the story is one of resilience and personal sacrifice, endurance and passion, on the part of a people who had little reason to believe that their efforts would result in what Gordis describes as "an unbelievably successful state." The writer served as a U.S. Delegate to the UN Human Rights Commission.
2016-10-21 00:00:00
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