More Israel Reading, April 21
I am continuing my reading on Israel. The list today includes more material from a Palestinian perspective as well as a history that tells Israel's story with sympathy for the nation and her approach to the region.
I am continuing my reading on Israel. The list today includes more material from a Palestinian perspective as well as a history that tells Israel's story with sympathy for the nation and her approach to the region.
The first work is from the Palestinian, Rashid Khalidi. It is called Sowing Crisis. It is a study of the influence of the Cold War on the Middle East, as well as what has taken place since the USA became the only superpower exercising influence in the region. It is a bit repetitive, but does give a sense of how Palestinians feel about recent events.
The second book is called Walled: Israeli Society at an Impasse. It is written by an award winning Jewish writer from Le Monde in France, Sylvain Cypel. It is an analysis that claims Israel is operating as a colonial power and has created its dilemma of how to handle the Palestinian issue by ignoring the refugee problem in favor of security. (Anyone familiar with Colonialist studies in the humanities will recognize the approach). It is written with a strong sympathy to the Palestinian cause, although two chapters (out of sixteen) also fault Palestinians for making similar kinds of mistakes by emphasizing their role as victims. This book is disturbing for what it claims and reveals about the blind spots in Israel's history, but it also comes across as less than balanced. It seriously underestimates how traumatic issues of security are for Israel, suggesting they are not as serious or as important as Israel suggests.
The final book is regarded as the most detailed sympathetic history of Israel. It is written by Martin Gilbert, whose account gives a great deal of details to key episodes in the history of the nation. For a description of key events in Israel's history told in lively prose, this full book is a good way in.
I have now noted six books on Israel's current history from a variety of perspectives. A reading of them will reveal the various views and perspectives at work in the region, illustrating why the situation there is so complex to resolve. (My earlier blog from March 31 dealt with three other books). I have highlighted books from a Palestinian perspective and the New Historian perspective of Israeli historians, because the core story from Israel's perspective is well known to most Americans.
8 Comments
Grant
Dr. Waltke
Dr. Bock – I know this is off topic and certainly still a hot issue, so I understand if you are unable to comment fully. That said, what are your thoughts about Dr. Waltke's position on theistic evolution and the resulting fallout?
Darrell L. Bock
Waltke
This was and is an old discussion among evangelicals, who obviously do not agree on the matter. His position goes back to my student days in the 70's. It was seen then as one of the options to consider and discuss. The best I can tell his position has not really changed from then. Pondering what has changed in our own environment to make this a flashpoint now (and whether that is good or bad) is a good question to consider. You should read his own explanation of what took place which I believe is on his Facebook page. My reply, which I know is short, honors what he requests there in terms of not stirring the pot beyond what has already taken place.
John J
Books on how Christians should view Israel?
Dr. Bock, Can you recommend any books that wrestle with how Christians should view Israel, who is Israel and the like? I am desperately wanting to walk through some biblical texts with the help of scholars who have studied said questions and give one or a variety of views. I hope that makes sense! Thanks! J
Darrell L. Bock
Books
I will do a separate post for this soon.
Mar Vista Mustang
Perspectives
Prof. Bock, you write, "I have highlighted books from a Palestinian perspective and the New Historian perspective of Israeli historians, because the core story from Israel's perspective is well known to most Americans." Please, honestly examine the question: IS the Israeli perspective well known? I find that the argument that the Palestinian perspective doesn't get an airing is repeatedly used as justification to the extent that we've now reached the point that the Palestinian perspective is currently the one better known to Americans. In fact, let me take this further, I think the reason that Palestinian perspectives are favorably received when presented is because there is profound, widespread ignorance of the history as seen from Israel's side. Certain Christian Palestinians will speak of Israel's creation in 1948 as "a sin," but few who hear this are aware of the role Christians played throughout history (Byzantine Empire, the Crusades) in preventing Jews from continuing their presence in the Holy Land. When it comes to Palestinians, folks I know are more aware of buzzwords like "ethnic cleansing" but can't tell me about the Grand Mufti's campaign, begun in the '20s, to rid the land of Jews. And as for current affairs, ask around–I bet you'll find more who know of Israel's blockade of Gaza than of Egypt's. Previously you wrote that you were reading Benny Morris. Did you know that there was a campaign earlier this year (a successful one, unfortunately) to block Morris from speaking at Cambridge and that Ben White, one of the cast of With God on Our Side, was a leader in that campaign? http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=281244392023 You see, Morris, who has street cred as a Revisionist, is considered dangerous by someone like White, because Morris readily voices these days the existential threats that face Israel: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/30/opinion/30morris.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1 On that last point, I'd love to be proved wrong. You think Morris would ever be invited to speak at a Christ at the Checkpoint conference? Think again.
Darrell L. Bock
Perspectives
Yes, I do think the basic theological claim of Israel for the land is well known (not the Byzantine and Crusades history). Most know about the Abrahamic covenant as the basis for a land claim. Please remember the point of the post. It is that there are many angles on this situation (all of which are in play from one side or the other). The points you are making are just as valid as things I am noting that are important parts of the situation.
dlb
JMS
Benny Morris
I met you briefly at the Checkpoint Conference and really appreciated your contribution. You might be interested in this opinion piece about Benny Morris' revised revisions from yesterday's J Post: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=174535
Darrell L. Bock
Benny Morris
JMS:
Thank you for this link. I am quite aware of how controversial Morris is in Israel, as well as his turn in how he views that history. He exposed a lot of incomplete reports and misinformation in the initial presentation of events by many in Israel using Israel's own archives (I am not sure the post-modern charge in the Jerusalem Post article is fair to Morris's reporting since he used official Israeli records recently declassified to do his work). Morris does not reject what he has shown about Israel's handling of the history, but he now interprets its significance differently than he did. The entire episode again shows the complexity of circumstances there especially in terms of how events are handled and read.