In Search of Israel: The History of an Idea

Brenner (A Short History of the Jews) once again provides a concise and accessible look at a complex topic with this history of modern Zionism. He starts with Theodor Herzl’s late-19th-century initiatives to realize the dream of a state for the Jews and concludes with the current, complex state of Israel. Throughout, Brenner dissects the tensions underlying the efforts to create and maintain a Jewish state: should it simply be an independent country, or aspire to be (in the words of the prophet Isaiah) “a light unto the nations”? Brenner notes that Herzl would be surprised by many aspects of the modern state of Israel, which is not “a miniature version of Europe in the Middle East,” as he had expected. He illuminates the path from dream to reality through concise but insightful looks at the different visions of Zionist leaders, both from those—including theologian Martin Buber—who supported the establishment of a binational state including equal religious rights, to right-wingers—such as Revisionist Zionism’s leader Vladimir Jabotinsky—who demanded a single Jewish state on both sides of the Jordan River. Even readers familiar with the contours of this history will still find something to learn in Brenner’s even-handed take. (Mar.)