Monday, June 28, 2010

Zionism and Israel : Resources for Adults

Most resources on the politics and history of Israel can be found around DS126, which is the Library of Congress call number for books about Israeli history and politics, and DS109. Social and religious issues in Israel can be found in BM390. The adult web resources include current news about Israel, focusing on the recent raid on the flotilla heading to Gaza and the renewal of talks between Egypt, Israel and the PLO.


Adult Print Resources

Cheshin, Amir. Separate and Unequal: the Inside Story of Israeli Rule in East Jerusalem. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1999. DS109.94 .C49. Summary: An account by scholars from Jerusalem about Israeli rule of Palestinian East Jerusalem, with detailed analysis of Israeli policy, the politics behind it, and its failures. The book is notably critical of famed mayor of Jerusalem Teddy Kollek.



Efron, Noah. Real Jews: Secular versus Ultra-Orthodox and the struggle for Jewish Identity in Israel. Basic Books, New York, NY, 2003. BM390 .E34 2003. Summary: An account of the religious-secular divide in Israel and its impact on identity and politics in the Jewish state.



Enderlin, Charles. Shattered Dreams: The Failure of the Peace Process in the Middle East, 1995-2002. Other Press LLC, Pittsfield, NH, 2003 (translated from French by Susan Fairfield). DS119.76 .E5913. Summary: Charles Enderlin, a Jerusalem resident since 1968 and Bureau Chief since 1990 for the France 2 TV channel, writes about the peace process from an insider’s perspective, drawing on many of his own interviews as well as archival information. This book is notable for the praise it has received from high level negotiators including former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres and Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat.


Gorenberg, Gershom. The Accidental Empire: Israel and the Birth of the Settlements, 1967-1977. Times Books, New York, NY, 2006. DS110 .G67. Summary: In this highly-acclaimed work named one of the best books of the year by the Washington Post, Gershom Gorenberg meticulously traces the beginning of the Israeli occupation and colonization of the West Bank. Gorenberg makes extensive use of primary sources, archives and interviews.

Parsi, Trita. Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran and the U.S. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, 2007. Summary: A behind-the-headlines book that deeply examines the history of American-Israeli-Iranian relations and exposes this dynamic as more complex than it is often portrayed. Parsi’s biggest revelations come regarding the attitude of Iran, which he regards as that of a normal rather than an ideological state. Parsi includes contemporary declassified information such as a May 2003 peace offer from Iran that was rejected by the United States in the appendices. A timely and fascinating read.



Rabinovich, Abraham. The Yom Kippur War: The Epic Encounter that Transformed the Middle East. Shocken Books, New York, NY, 2004. DS128.1 .R33. Summary: Abraham Rabinovich, a journalist during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, writes an important history about the Yom Kippur War, one of the most important and defining wars in Israeli history. The book, written in a readable journalist’s prose, attracted praise from noted historian Howard Sachar.



Ross, Dennis. The Missing Peace: The Inside Story of the Fight for Middle East Peace. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, NY 2004. DS 119.76 .R68 2004. Summary: An insider’s account of the long Israeli-Palestinian peace process from the 1991 Madrid accords through the failed 2000 Camp David negotiations. Ross, a former envoy and ambassador, mixes a personal memoir with political history and recalls negotiations, conversations, strategies and personal quirks with minute detail. A recommended companion book to Ross' 2005 lecture at Temple Israel, which is listed under the Media Resources section of this pathfinder.



Sachar, Howard M. A History of Israel, From the Rise of Zionism to Our Time, Alfred A. Knopf Publishers, New York, NY, 2000. DS126.5 .S152. Summary: This exhaustive history, acclaimed by the New York Times and the Washington Post, serves as one of the most important histories of Israel and the Zionist movement. Published in 2000 at the very end of the peace process negotiations, Sachar’s history spans over one hundred years. At over 1,000 pages, this book is recommended for reference and background or for a serious reader regarding pre-2000 Israeli history.



Segev, Tom. One Palestine, Complete: Jews and Arabs Under the British Mandate. Metropolitan Books, New York, NY, 2000. DS126 .S38. Summary: A comprehensive history of Palestine during the British Mandate era, Segev’s One Palestine, Complete provides important background reading for those looking to be informed about Israel.



Segev, Tom. 1967: Israel, the War and the Year that Transformed the Middle East. Metropolitan Books, New York, NY, 2005. DS127 .S4413. Summary: This history of the war of 1967, which led to Israel’s military ascendancy over the West Bank and Gaza and resulted in a lightning defeat of Egypt and Syria, writes of the forgotten context of the war: economic recession and a climate of doom in Israel. Segev takes the belief that war was not inevitable, but rather the result of panic and blunder by both sides.



Shindler, Colin. A History of Modern Israel, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 2008. DS126.5 .S55. Summary: A more modern and accessible history of Israel than that of Howard Sachar, Colin Shindler details the history of Israel from the 1948 war through to the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the rise of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.



Tolan, Sandy. The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew and the Heart of the Middle East. Bloomsbury, USA, New York, NY, 2006. DS126.6 .A2T65. Summary: A remarkable book regarding a chance encounter and the subsequent friendship between a young Jewish woman who meets the Arab man displaced from the home she is living in, this book puts a human face on the sufferings and wars of the Middle East.



Wallach, John. The Enemy has a face: The Seeds of Peace Experience. United States Institute of Peace Press, Washington, DC, 2000. DS119.76 .W35. Summary: This book chronicles the Seeds of Peace experience, in which Israeli and Palestinian teenagers meet and camp together in Maine to bond with each other and discuss and focus on peace. It brings the important perspectives of young people on both sides of the conflict into play, but the book is somewhat dated given the events that have taken place after 2000.

Media Resources

Ross, Dennis. Dennis Ross Speech at Temple Israel, Temple Israel, Boston, MA, 2005. AUDIO ARCHIVE DS119.7 .R6. Summary: A speech by former ambassador and negotiator Dennis Ross, with an introduction by Rabbi Ronne Friedman. Ross helped broker the Hebron Accord of 1997 and participated as a special envoy during the Camp David peace talks of 2000. The library has Ross’ memoir and accounts of these events, The Missing Peace.



Tamir, Nadav. A Diplomacy Discussion with Consul General of Israel. Temple Israel, Boston, MA. AUDIO ARCHIVE TAMIR 2009 Summary (from catalog notes): Nadav Tamir joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993 and the following year began to serve as the Policy Assistant to the Foreign Minister. He was promoted to the position of Political Officer at the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C. in 1997. In 2001, Nadav was granted the position of Advisor to the Director General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem. In 2003 Nadav was chosen as a Wexner Israel Fellow and earned his Masters in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 2004.

Web Resources

BBC News, “Netanyahu Meets Mubarak Ahead of New Mid-East Talks”, May 3rd, 2010. URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8658045.stm



BBC News, “PLO Leadership Backs Indirect Peace Talks with Israel”, May 8th, 2010. URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8669886.stm


Gabbatt, Adam. “Israel Flotilla Raid: Reaction and Fallout as it Happened”, Guardian UK World News Blogs, June 1st 2010. URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2010/jun/01/israel-flotilla-raid-fallout-live
Summary: A blog updated minute by minute posting events during the Gaza flotilla raid and reactions from various parties, including the Israeli government.

Gabbatt, Adam. “Israel attacks Gaza flotilla – Live Coverage”, Guardian UK World News Blogs, May 31st 2010. URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2010/may/31/israel-troops-gaza-ships
Summary: A minute-by-minute news blog posting the events of the Gaza flotilla raid the day that it happened.


Israeli Knesset, “English Gateway to the Knesset Website”. URL: http://www.knesset.gov.il/main/eng/home.asp
 Summary: The official site of the Knesset provides information on the members of the Knesset (MKs) and ministers of every Israeli government and includes minutes for most of the meetings in the Knesset’s history and other important documents. An important background resource for understanding the Israeli political process.



Medzini, Ronen. “IDF: Wasn’t Possible to Stop Largest Craft”, Ynet News, June 1st, 2010. URL: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3897323,00.html



Mitnick, Joshua. “Israel Announces Gaza Aid Flotilla Inquiry, Turkey Not Satsified”. Christian Science Monitor, June 14th 2010. URL: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/0614/Israel-announces-Gaza-aid-flotilla-inquiry-Turkey-not-satisfied


Mitnick, Joshua. “Israel’s Deadly Gaza Flotilla Raid Sparks Diplomatic Crisis”, Christian Science Monitor, May 31st, 2010. URL: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/0531/Israel-s-deadly-Gaza-flotilla-raid-sparks-diplomatic-crisis


Rachman, Gideon. “How badly has Israel Miscalculated?”, Foreign Times Blogs: Gideon Rachman’s blog, FT.com, May 31st, 2010. URL: http://blogs.ft.com/rachmanblog/2010/05/how-badly-has-israel-miscalculated
 Summary: An editorial blog post by Gideon Rachman, 15-year chief correspondent for the Financial Times, predicting the fallout from Israel’s raid on the Gaza flotilla in May 2010.

Ynet News, “Hundreds Detained at Ashdod Port: Soldiers, officers bring passengers of Marmara ship under arrest at Ashdod port, first questioning each separately and then transferring them to Beersheba Prison, where they receive toiletries, meal, and beds”, Ynet Reporters, June 1st, 2010. URL: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3897136,00.html

Pathfinder by Jon Cohen, Library Intern.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Judaica librarians' convention!

In a couple of weeks I'll be heading off to the annual meeting of the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL), http://www.jewishlibraries.org/  in Seattle, WA. The AJL is an international organization of Judaica librarians, and, more importantly, an extremely dedicated group of folks who generously share of their expertise.  I always learn a tremendous amount at these conventions. 

If you're interested in knowing more about this event, please visit the conference blog, and scroll down to the Convention Countdown:  http://jewishlibraries.org/blog

I look forward to sharing all that I've learned when I get back!

Ann Abrams, Librarian