The Land of Blood and Honey: The Rise of Modern Israel
It is useful to read an unapologetic, well-written, and often convincing single volume history of Israel that regards the establishment, survival, and prospering of that nation as a remarkable and admirable achievement. Van Creveld is a leading military historian and is on the faculty of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Predictably, his narrative is written from a Jewish perspective and traces the history of Israel from the first Zionist stirrings to the current rightward shift in Israeli politics. He doesn’t hesitate to criticize particular policies of various Israeli administrations, particularly regarding the promotion of West Bank settlements. Van Creveld often seems dismissive of and insensitive to the concerns and aspirations of Arabs on both sides of the Green Line. Still, he is aware that the current relationships with Palestinians are unsustainable, and he suggests a reasonable solution that could be workable. This is not a balanced account of his nation’s history but a worthy effort to promote a particular vision of Israel’s past and future prospects. --Jay Freeman