Reviews for Israel Is Real

The average rating for Israel Is Real based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-09-20 00:00:00 Ethan Golden I've spent a lot of time reading about the Middle East. It has haunted me for years. This is, by far, the best book I've read explaining the history and background of the case made by the nation of Israel. It is simple and succinct. It never reads like a textbook. As an ancient history major and as a student of the Old Testament (as far as it is translated correctly, of course), I found Cohen offering new light on oft-discussed ancient incidences. I learned a lot from his descriptions of history of the Jewish people. If you're going to read one book about modern Israel, this is your book!

Review # 2 was written on 2016-02-11 00:00:00 Michael Gant Its witty, satirical, humorous, scandalous, tragic and euphoric account of an idea called Israel. The author captures the Jewish history from the ancient times of Romans and Pharaohs to the present day world. The story doesn't culminate into any ending because Israel is still evolving and it is still unstable but the concept of "promised land" leads to some degree of fruition wherein a Jew, in any part of the world, has a country he can call home. This country is his and like all other countries it is capable of bringing the best and the worst deeds. The most moving text that captures this sentiment goes like "When a Jew cop is chasing a Jew criminal, it means the Jews have a home of their own". Each episode in the history of Israel is written from an ancient unfinished story. Rightly the creation of the Jewish nation happened because of many such stories met at a conducive alignment: Ottoman empire collapsed, Arabs were in decay, allies had won the war, Britain went broke, cold war was on, six million jews were dead and the remaining wanted an end to oppression. We in India admire Israel for the sense of nationalism this country teaches. The episodes of 6 day war and Yom Kipur war capture the sentiments very well. The book is highly recommended for history enthusiasts and all Indians who must know that nationalism is just not a sentiment but an action.