Land and Power: The Zionist Resort to Force, 1881-1948 (Studies in Jewish History) - Hardcover

Shapira, Anita; Templer, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0195061047 ISBN 13: 9780195061048

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1992

Synopsis

No other issue so dramatically demonstrates the deep change which occurred during the last century in the image of the Jew, as the attitude toward the use of force. A people who were characterized as averse to violence and all forms of fighting, adopted military might as its identity symbol. Shapira traces the road along which the Zionist movement discarded its early mission of peaceful settlement in Palestine, to the incorporation of the use of force as a legitimate tool for realizing the idea of Jewish national sovereignty there. The emergence of a new, "Israeli" national ethos, accompanied by its particular symbols, myths, and norms, is the topic of this book. The evolution of a "defensive ethos" in the early decades of the century neglected the scruples and inhibitions of first generation socialist Zionist settlers. The appearance in the 1940s of an "offensive ethos" coincided with the coming of age of a new native-born generation, unfettered by their fathers' sensitivities. Shapira argues that it indicated that the barriers of ideology, moral norms, and mental restraints constructed by the founding fathers, proved unequal to the impact of social and political realities of colonization.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

This book traces the history of attitudes toward power and the use of armed force within the Zionist movement—from an early period in which most leaders espoused an ideal of peaceful settlement in Palestine, to the acceptance of force as a legitimate tool for achieving a sovereign Jewish state.
Reviews
“A rich and sophisticated work that nicely complements more conventional political-historical studies of the Arab-Israeli conflict. . . . Shapira sifts through a vast body of material, ranging from essays, poems, and memoir literature to the unpublished minutes of political party and youth group meetings. Shapira interprets these sources with sensitivity and insight . . . and writes with power, compassion, and warmth. . . . A landmark book that is an outstanding contribution to the history of Zionist political thought and culture.”
—American Historical Review
“This is a superb book . . . a well-researched, detailed, and scholarly account that provides new and valuable insights into the dilemma posed by the formation and elaboration of a more forceful Israeli military posture.”
—The Historian
“Shapira’s powerful, well-written, lucid intellectual history of a segment of the Zionist movement . . . is fascinating and easy to read.” —Journal of Economic Literature

From the Back Cover:

“A rich and sophisticated work that nicely complements more conventional political-historical studies of the Arab-Israeli conflict. . . . A landmark book that is an outstanding contribution to the history of Zionist political thought and culture.”—American Historical Review
“This is a superb book . . . well-researched, detailed, and scholarly.”—The Historian

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0195061047
• ISBN 13: 9780195061048
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 464