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2008 Israeli Political Biography: A Year of Pivotal Decisions
Author: Dr. Avi Shlaim, Emeritus Professor of International Relations at Oxford University. Dr. Shlaim is a renowned expert on Israeli history and politics, known for his critical analysis of Israeli foreign policy and his insightful biographies of key Israeli figures. His extensive knowledge and decades of research make him uniquely qualified to author a comprehensive 2008 Israeli political biography.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP). OUP is a globally respected academic publisher with a long history of publishing high-quality scholarship on Middle Eastern politics and history. Their rigorous peer-review process ensures the accuracy and scholarly integrity of their publications, making them a credible source for a work such as a detailed 2008 Israeli political biography.
Editor: Dr. Ruth Kark, Professor of Modern Jewish History at Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Dr. Kark’s expertise in Israeli social and political history provides valuable editorial oversight, ensuring the accuracy and contextual understanding necessary for a compelling 2008 Israeli political biography.
The Political Landscape of 2008: A Defining Year
The year 2008 stands as a pivotal moment in Israeli political history. A 2008 Israeli political biography would necessarily delve into the complex interplay of domestic and international factors that shaped the political landscape. This period was dominated by several key figures and events that significantly impacted Israel’s trajectory. This report will analyze the significant events and personalities that shaped this critical year, drawing upon reputable historical sources and academic analyses.
#### The Second Lebanon War's Lingering Impact (H1: Impact of the Second Lebanon War)
The 2006 Second Lebanon War cast a long shadow over the political scene in 2008. The war's perceived failures, particularly the inability to decisively defeat Hezbollah, fueled intense public criticism of the government led by Ehud Olmert. A 2008 Israeli political biography would explore how this criticism affected Olmert's political standing and contributed to a growing sense of disillusionment among the Israeli public. Opinion polls from the time consistently showed declining public approval ratings for Olmert, directly linking this dissatisfaction to the war's aftermath and the government's handling of its consequences. Furthermore, the war's economic impact, including the disruption of tourism and the cost of reconstruction, added to the political pressure.
#### The Ongoing Palestinian Conflict (H2: The Palestinian Conflict and its Political Ramifications)
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remained a central issue throughout 2008. The Annapolis Conference in late 2007 had raised hopes for a renewed peace process, but these hopes proved largely unrealized. A 2008 Israeli political biography would analyze the challenges faced in trying to navigate the complexities of the peace process, including the continuing settlements expansion, the internal divisions within the Palestinian Authority, and the rise of Hamas in Gaza. The political discourse surrounding the conflict continued to sharply divide Israeli society, with varying degrees of support for different approaches to peace negotiations. Data on public opinion surveys from 2008 would highlight these divisions.
#### The Rise of Benjamin Netanyahu (H3: The Emergence of Benjamin Netanyahu)
While not yet Prime Minister in 2008, Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party was gaining significant momentum. A 2008 Israeli political biography needs to examine Netanyahu’s role in the opposition, his criticisms of Olmert's government, and his strategic maneuvering to position himself for future leadership. Analysis of his public statements and media appearances would illuminate his political strategy during this period. The growing perception of Olmert's weakening position likely boosted Netanyahu's chances, making him a key figure in any comprehensive 2008 Israeli political biography.
#### The Economic Downturn and its Political Implications (H4: Global Economic Crisis and its Impact on Israeli Politics)
The global financial crisis of 2008 began to impact Israel towards the end of the year. While the effect was less severe than in many other countries, it still created economic anxieties and influenced the political debate. A 2008 Israeli political biography should explore how the looming economic downturn affected political priorities and the government's response. Data on economic indicators from the latter half of 2008 would provide crucial context for this analysis.
#### The "Winograd Report" and its Aftermath (H5: The Winograd Report and its Political Consequences)
The publication of the Winograd Report, investigating the failures of the Second Lebanon War, created a major political earthquake in 2008. The report's highly critical assessment of Olmert's leadership severely damaged his credibility and contributed to his eventual resignation. A 2008 Israeli political biography would extensively examine the report's findings, its impact on public opinion, and its contribution to the political realignment that followed. The report's recommendations and the government’s response to them would be crucial aspects of the analysis.
Conclusion
2008 was a year of profound political transformation in Israel. A comprehensive 2008 Israeli political biography would provide a detailed account of these events, exploring the interplay of domestic and international factors that shaped the political landscape. The lingering effects of the Second Lebanon War, the ongoing Palestinian conflict, the rise of Benjamin Netanyahu, and the looming global economic crisis all played significant roles in shaping the year's events. The publication of the Winograd Report acted as a catalyst, accelerating the political changes already underway. This period serves as a crucial case study for understanding Israeli politics and its complexities.
FAQs
1. What were the major political parties in Israel during 2008? The major parties included Kadima (led by Ehud Olmert), Likud (led by Benjamin Netanyahu), Labor, and Shas.
2. What was the public's reaction to the Winograd Report? The report was met with widespread public debate and criticism of Olmert's leadership.
3. How did the global financial crisis affect Israel in 2008? While less severely impacted than many other countries, Israel still experienced economic anxieties and a shift in political priorities.
4. What role did the media play in shaping public opinion during 2008? The media played a significant role in disseminating information about the war, the Winograd Report, and the political maneuvering of various parties.
5. What were the key policy debates in Israel during 2008? Key policy debates included those surrounding the peace process, the handling of the Lebanon War aftermath, and economic responses to the global crisis.
6. How did the political landscape change after 2008? Olmert's resignation and the subsequent political realignment paved the way for Benjamin Netanyahu's rise to power.
7. Were there any significant social movements or protests in 2008? While not as prominent as in some other years, there were ongoing protests related to the peace process and socio-economic issues.
8. What were the major foreign policy challenges facing Israel in 2008? The ongoing conflict with Palestine, relations with Lebanon, and Iran's nuclear program were major foreign policy challenges.
9. How did the 2008 political events impact subsequent Israeli elections? The events of 2008 significantly influenced the outcome of the 2009 Israeli elections, leading to Netanyahu's victory.
Related Articles:
1. Ehud Olmert's Premiership: A Legacy of Controversy: An analysis of Olmert's leadership and the factors leading to his downfall.
2. The Second Lebanon War: A Critical Assessment: An in-depth examination of the war's strategic and political consequences.
3. The Winograd Report and its Impact on Israeli Politics: A detailed analysis of the report's findings and its long-term effects.
4. The Rise of Benjamin Netanyahu: From Opposition to Prime Minister: A biography of Netanyahu's political career leading up to his 2009 election victory.
5. Israeli Public Opinion in 2008: A Divided Nation: An examination of public opinion data to illustrate the divisions within Israeli society during this period.
6. The Global Financial Crisis and its Impact on the Israeli Economy: An economic analysis of how the crisis affected Israel.
7. Israeli-Palestinian Relations in 2008: A Stalemate Continues: A look at the failures and challenges of the peace process in 2008.
8. The Annapolis Conference: Hopes and Disappointments: An assessment of the Annapolis peace conference and its impact on Israeli-Palestinian relations.
9. The Israeli Political System in 2008: Challenges and Reforms: An analysis of the institutional challenges facing the Israeli political system in 2008.
| 2008 israeli political biography: Golda Meir Meron Medzini, 2017-04-26 For five decades Golda Meir was at the center of the political arena in Israel and left her mark on the development of the Yishuv and the state. She was a unique woman, great leader, with a magnetic personality, a highly complex individual. She held some of the most important positions that her party and the State could bestow. She fulfilled most of them with talent and dignity. She failed in the top job – that of Prime Minister. This biography traces her origins, her American roots, her immediate family, her failed marriage, her rise in the party, the trade union movement, her massive and enduring achievements as Secretary of Labor and Housing, her ten year stint as foreign minister and finally the reasons that led to her failure as prime minister. She was a very good tactician, far less a strategist. She was a major builder of modern Israel whose influence on that country, on Israel-American relations and on Jewish history was evident primarily from 1969 to 1974. The author who served as spokesman for Golda Meir in 1973-1974 weaves a gripping story of one of the builders and leaders of the State of Israel. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Ben-Gurion Shimʿon Peres, 2011 A revelatory portrait of Israel's first prime minister, written by its current president, includes coverage of his support of the United Nations 1947 Partition Plan for Palestine, his granting of first exemptions to Orthodox military servicepeople and his peaceful overtures toward post-Holocaust Germany. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: The Road to Peace Matti Golan, 1989 Chronicles the life of Shimon Peres as a freedom fighter, pioneer, defense minister, and Premier of Israel. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Jewish History, Jewish Religion Israel Shahak, 1994-04-28 'Shahak subjects the whole history of Orthodoxy ... to a hilarious and scrupulous critique.' --Christopher Hitchens, The Nation |
| 2008 israeli political biography: The Rise of Israel Jonathan Adelman, 2008-03-25 The state of Israel is one of the most controversial countries in the world. Yet, its unique creation and rise to power in 1948 has not been adequately explained either by its friends (mainstream Zionists) nor by its detractors (Arabists and post-Zionists). Using a variety of comparative methodologies; from contrasting the Jewish state to other minorities in the Ottoman Turkish Empire to the rise of the four Tigers in Asia to newly independent countries and revolutionary socialist countries in Europe and Asia, Jonathan Adelman examines how Israel has gained the strength to overcome great obstacles and become a serious regional power in the Middle East by 2007. Themes addressed include: how the creation of Israel is strikingly different from that of most new states, as undetermined by the major structural forces in the world in the twentieth century how voluntarist forces, those of individual choice, will and strategy, played a major role in its creation and success in-depth analysis of the creation of a revolutionary party, government, army and secret police as critical to the success of the socialist revolution (1881–1977) the enormity of the forces aligned against the state; from major international and religious organizations representing billions of people, international reluctance to helping Israel in crisis, and internal Israeli and Jewish issues the tremendous impact of revolutionary (socialist and semi-capitalist nationalist) factors in giving Israel the strength to survive and become a significant regional power over time. Jonathan Adelman provides a fresh perspective to view one of the most controversial states in the world and avoids the highly charged ideological descriptions that often plague such discussions. Understanding the rise of Israel, a central state in the region, helps to explain a great deal about the Middle East today. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Facts on the Ground Nadia Abu El-Haj, 2008-06-24 Archaeology in Israel is truly a national obsession, a practice through which national identity—and national rights—have long been asserted. But how and why did archaeology emerge as such a pervasive force there? How can the practices of archaeology help answer those questions? In this stirring book, Nadia Abu El-Haj addresses these questions and specifies for the first time the relationship between national ideology, colonial settlement, and the production of historical knowledge. She analyzes particular instances of history, artifacts, and landscapes in the making to show how archaeology helped not only to legitimize cultural and political visions but, far more powerfully, to reshape them. Moreover, she places Israeli archaeology in the context of the broader discipline to determine what unites the field across its disparate local traditions and locations. Boldly uncovering an Israel in which science and politics are mutually constituted, this book shows the ongoing role that archaeology plays in defining the past, present, and future of Palestine and Israel. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: 1948 Benny Morris, 2008-10-01 This history of the foundational war in the Arab-Israeli conflict is groundbreaking, objective, and deeply revisionist. Besides the military account, it also focuses on the war's political dimensions. Historian Morris probes the motives and aims of the protagonists on the basis of newly opened Israeli and Western documentation. The Arab side--where the archives are still closed--is illuminated with the help of intelligence and diplomatic materials. Morris stresses the jihadi character of the two-stage Arab assault on the Jewish community in Palestine. He examines the dialectic between the war's military and political developments and highlights the military impetus in the creation of the Palestinian refugee problem. He looks both at high politics and general staff decision-making and at the nitty-gritty of combat in the battles that resulted in the emergence of the State of Israel and the humiliation of the Arab world--a humiliation that underlies the continued Arab antagonism toward Israel.--Résumé de l'éditeur. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine Ilan Pappe, 2007-09-01 The book that is providing a storm of controversy, from ‘Israel’s bravest historian’ (John Pilger) Renowned Israeli historian, Ilan Pappe's groundbreaking work on the formation of the State of Israel. 'Along with the late Edward Said, Ilan Pappe is the most eloquent writer of Palestinian history.' NEW STATESMAN Between 1947 and 1949, over 400 Palestinian villages were deliberately destroyed, civilians were massacred and around a million men, women, and children were expelled from their homes at gunpoint. Denied for almost six decades, had it happened today it could only have been called 'ethnic cleansing'. Decisively debunking the myth that the Palestinian population left of their own accord in the course of this war, Ilan Pappe offers impressive archival evidence to demonstrate that, from its very inception, a central plank in Israel’s founding ideology was the forcible removal of the indigenous population. Indispensable for anyone interested in the current crisis in the Middle East. *** 'Ilan Pappe is Israel's bravest, most principled, most incisive historian.' JOHN PILGER 'Pappe has opened up an important new line of inquiry into the vast and fateful subject of the Palestinian refugees. His book is rewarding in other ways. It has at times an elegiac, even sentimental, character, recalling the lost, obliterated life of the Palestinian Arabs and imagining or regretting what Pappe believes could have been a better land of Palestine.' TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT 'A major intervention in an argument that will, and must, continue. There's no hope of lasting Middle East peace while the ghosts of 1948 still walk.' INDEPENDENT |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Searching for Peace Ehud Olmert, 2022-03-15 A revealing memoir by the Israeli leader who almost made peace with the Palestinians Written almost entirely from inside a prison cell, Searching for Peace is the compelling memoir of former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert. The child of parents who were members of the Irgun, the paramilitary group that fought for the establishment of Israel, Olmert became the youngest member of the Israeli Knesset in 1973, serving in the right-wing Likud party. He rose quickly in the party, serving in national government before being elected mayor of Jerusalem in 1993. As mayor he overcame decades of municipal malaise, inertia, and waves of terror attacks to bring huge improvements in the city's infrastructure, education, and welfare. Although a child of the Israeli right, it was during his mayoralty that he realized the inevitability of compromise and the need to divide the city in any future peace agreement with the Palestinians. Olmert rejoined the national government in 2003 as a top aide to then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. After Sharon suffered a debilitating stroke in 2006, Olmert took over as acting prime minister, then led Sharon's new centrist party Kadima to victory in elections. Heading a coalition government, Olmert led Israel through the war with Lebanon in July 2006 and approved the dramatic strike on Syria's nuclear reactor the following year. From late 2006 through 2008, Olmert engaged in some three dozen negotiations with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. The talks, Olmert says, came “within a hair's breadth” of reaching a comprehensive peace deal. At the same time, Olmert was fighting allegations that he had illegally accepted large sums of money from a well-connected American businessman. He was acquitted of all but a minor charge against him, but in 2014 he was convicted on charges of taking $15,000 in bribes involving the construction of an industrial park while he served as Minister of Industry and Trade. He served 16 months in prison, using his time to write these memoirs. Searching for Peace offers a riveting political story and an unparalleled window into Israeli history, peacemaking, politics, U.S.-Israel relations, and the future of the Middle East. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Decision Points (Enhanced Edition) George W. Bush, 2010-11-09 With more than 200 photographs, videos, letters, and speeches, this Deluxe eBook edition of Decision Points brings to life the critical decisions of George W. Bush’s presidency. George W. Bush served as president of the United States during eight of the most consequential years in American history. The decisions that reached his desk impacted people around the world and defined the times in which we live. Decision Points takes readers inside the Texas governor’s mansion on the night of the 2000 election, aboard Air Force One during the harrowing hours after the attacks of September 11, 2001, into the Situation Room moments before the start of the war in Iraq, and behind the scenes at the White House for many other historic presidential decisions on the financial crisis, Hurricane Katrina, Afghanistan, and Iran. In addition, it offers intimate new details on his quitting drinking, his discovery of faith, and his relationship with his family. The Deluxe eBook edition also includes: • Videos from the defining moments of the presidency, including Bush’s inspiring Ground Zero speech to the 9/11 rescue workers, intimate family home movies, and a special introduction to the edition from the president himself • Full texts of his most important speeches, including his addresses to the nation about 9/11, Afghanistan and Iraq, and his second Inaugural • Handwritten letters from the president’s personal correspondence • And more than 50 new photos not contained in the print version of Decision Points A groundbreaking first in bringing multimedia to presidential memoir, the Deluxe eBook edition of Decision Points will captivate supporters, surprise critics, and change perspectives on eight remarkable years in American history—and on the man at the center of events. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Lion of Jordan Avi Shlaim, 2008-09-09 The first major account of the life of an extraordinary soldier and statesman, King Hussein of Jordan. Throughout his long reign (1953—1999), Hussein remained a dominant figure in Middle Eastern politics and a consistent proponent of peace with Israel. For over forty years he walked a tightrope between Palestinians and Arab radicals on the one hand and Israel on the other. Avi Shlaim reveals that Hussein initiated a secret dialogue with Israel in 1963 and spent hundreds of hours in talks with countless Israeli officials. Shlaim expertly reconstructs this dialogue from previously untapped records and first-hand accounts, significantly rewriting the history of the Middle East over the past fifty years and shedding light on the far-reaching impact of Hussein’s leadership. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Goliath Max Blumenthal, 2013-10-01 2014 Lannan Foundation Cultural Freedom Notable Book Award In Goliath, New York Times bestselling author Max Blumenthal takes us on a journey through the badlands and high roads of Israel-Palestine, painting a startling portrait of Israeli society under the siege of increasingly authoritarian politics as the occupation of the Palestinians deepens. Beginning with the national elections carried out during Israel's war on Gaza in 2008-09, which brought into power the country's most right-wing government to date, Blumenthal tells the story of Israel in the wake of the collapse of the Oslo peace process. As Blumenthal reveals, Israel has become a country where right-wing leaders like Avigdor Lieberman and Bibi Netanyahu are sacrificing democracy on the altar of their power politics; where the loyal opposition largely and passively stands aside and watches the organized assault on civil liberties; where state-funded Orthodox rabbis publish books that provide instructions on how and when to kill Gentiles; where half of Jewish youth declare their refusal to sit in a classroom with an Arab; and where mob violence targets Palestinians and African asylum seekers scapegoated by leading government officials as demographic threats. Immersing himself like few other journalists inside the world of hardline political leaders and movements, Blumenthal interviews the demagogues and divas in their homes, in the Knesset, and in the watering holes where their young acolytes hang out, and speaks with those political leaders behind the organized assault on civil liberties. As his journey deepens, he painstakingly reports on the occupied Palestinians challenging schemes of demographic separation through unarmed protest. He talks at length to the leaders and youth of Palestinian society inside Israel now targeted by security service dragnets and legislation suppressing their speech, and provides in-depth reporting on the small band of Jewish Israeli dissidents who have shaken off a conformist mindset that permeates the media, schools, and the military. Through his far-ranging travels, Blumenthal illuminates the present by uncovering the ghosts of the past -- the histories of Palestinian neighborhoods and villages now gone and forgotten; how that history has set the stage for the current crisis of Israeli society; and how the Holocaust has been turned into justification for occupation. A brave and unflinching account of the real facts on the ground, Goliath is an unprecedented and compelling work of journalism. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: A History of Palestine Gudrun Krämer, 2011-02-22 Krämer focuses on patterns of interaction amongst Jews and Arabs (Muslim as well as Christian) in Palestine, an interaction that deeply affected the economic, political, social, and cultural evolution of both communities under Ottoman and British rule. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: 1967 Tom Segev, 2007-05-29 A marvelous achievement . . . Anyone curious about the extraordinary six days of Arab-Israeli war will learn much from it.—The Economist Tom Segev's acclaimed works One Palestine, Complete and The Seventh Million overturned accepted views of the history of Israel. Now, in 1967—a number-one bestseller in Hebrew—he brings his masterful skills to the watershed year when six days of war reshaped the country and the entire region. Going far beyond a military account, Segev re-creates the crisis in Israel before 1967, showing how economic recession, a full grasp of the Holocaust's horrors, and the dire threats made by neighbor states combined to produce a climate of apocalypse. He depicts the country's bravado after its victory, the mood revealed in a popular joke in which one soldier says to his friend, Let's take over Cairo; the friend replies, Then what shall we do in the afternoon? Drawing on unpublished letters and diaries, as well as government memos and military records, Segev reconstructs an era of new possibilities and tragic missteps. He introduces the legendary figures—Moshe Dayan, Golda Meir, Gamal Abdul Nasser, and Lyndon Johnson—and an epic cast of soldiers, lobbyists, refugees, and settlers. He reveals as never before Israel's intimacy with the White House as well as the political rivalries that sabotaged any chance of peace. Above all, he challenges the view that the war was inevitable, showing that a series of disastrous miscalculations lie behind the bloodshed. A vibrant and original history, 1967 is sure to stand as the definitive account of that pivotal year. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Israel and the Family of Nations Alexander Yakobson, Amnon Rubinstein, 2009 Amnon Rubinstein and Alexander Yakobson explore the nature of Israel's identity as a Jewish state, how that is compatible with liberal democratic norms and is comparable with a number of European states. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Bibi Anshel Pfeffer, 2018 For many in Israel and elsewhere, Benjamin Netanyahu is anathema, an embarrassment; yet he continues to dominate Israeli public life. How can we explain his rise, his hold on Israeli politics, and his outsized role on the world's stage?In Bibi, Anshel Pfeffer reveals the formative influence of Netanyahu's father and grandfather, who bequeathed to him a once-marginal brand of Zionism combining Jewish nationalism with religious traditionalism. In the Zionist enterprise, Netanyahu embodies the triumph of the underdogs over the secular liberals who founded the nation.Netanyahu's Israel is a hybrid of ancient phobia and high-tech hope; of tribalism and globalism -- just like the man himself. We cannot understand Israel today without first understanding the man who leads it. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Lioness Francine Klagsbrun, 2017 A biography of Golda Meir, the iron-willed leader, chain-smoking political operative, and tea-and-cake-serving grandmother who became the fourth prime minister of Israel and one of the most notable women of our time-- |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Plowshares into Swords Arno J. Mayer, 2021-01-05 A critical history of Israel and the Arab–Israeli conflict Eminent historian Arno J. Mayer traces the thinkers, leaders, and shifting geopolitical contexts that shaped the founding and development of the Israeli state. He recovers for posterity internal critics such as the philosopher Martin Buber, who argued for peaceful coexistence with the Palestinian Arabs. “A sense of limits is the better part of valour,” Mayer insists. Plowshares into Swords explores Israel’s indefinite deferral of the “Arab Question,” the strategic thinking behind the building of settlements and border walls, and the endurance of Palestinian resistance. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Beyond the Two-State Solution Yehouda Shenhav, 2013-04-18 For over two decades, many liberals in Israel have attempted, with wide international support, to implement the two-state solution: Israel and Palestine, partitioned on the basis of the Green Line - that is, the line drawn by the 1949 Armistice Agreements that defined Israel’s borders until 1967, before Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza following the Six-Day War. By going back to Israel’s pre-1967 borders, many people hope to restore Israel to what they imagine was its pristine, pre-occupation character and to provide a solid basis for a long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this original and controversial essay, Yehouda Shenhav argues that this vision is an illusion that ignores historical realities and offers no long-term solution. It fails to see that the real problem is that a state was created in most of Palestine in 1948 in which Jews are the privileged ethnic group, at the expense of the Palestinians - who also must live under a constant state of emergency. The issue will not be resolved by the two-state solution, which will do little for the millions of Palestinian refugees and will also require the uprooting of hundreds of thousands of Jews living across the Green Line. All these obstacles require a bolder rethinking of the issues: the Green Line should be abandoned and a new type of polity created on the complete territory of mandatory Palestine, with a new set of constitutional arrangements that address the rights of both Palestinians and Jews, including the settlers. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: A State at Any Cost Tom Segev, 2019-09-24 2019 National Jewish Book Award Finalist [A] fascinating biography . . . a masterly portrait of a titanic yet unfulfilled man . . . this is a gripping study of power, and the loneliness of power. —The Economist As the founder of Israel, David Ben-Gurion long ago secured his reputation as a leading figure of the twentieth century. Determined from an early age to create a Jewish state, he thereupon took control of the Zionist movement, declared Israel’s independence, and navigated his country through wars, controversies and remarkable achievements. And yet Ben-Gurion remains an enigma—he could be driven and imperious, or quizzical and confounding. In this definitive biography, Israel’s leading journalist-historian Tom Segev uses large amounts of previously unreleased archival material to give an original, nuanced account, transcending the myths and legends that have accreted around the man. Segev’s probing biography ranges from the villages of Poland to Manhattan libraries, London hotels, and the hills of Palestine, and shows us Ben-Gurion’s relentless activity across six decades. Along the way, Segev reveals for the first time Ben-Gurion’s secret negotiations with the British on the eve of Israel’s independence, his willingness to countenance the forced transfer of Arab neighbors, his relative indifference to Jerusalem, and his occasional “nutty moments”—from UFO sightings to plans for Israel to acquire territory in South America. Segev also reveals that Ben-Gurion first heard about the Holocaust from a Palestinian Arab acquaintance, and explores his tempestuous private life, including the testimony of four former lovers. The result is a full and startling portrait of a man who sought a state “at any cost”—at times through risk-taking, violence, and unpredictability, and at other times through compromise, moderation, and reason. Segev’s Ben-Gurion is neither a saint nor a villain but rather a historical actor who belongs in the company of Lenin or Churchill—a twentieth-century leader whose iron will and complex temperament left a complex and contentious legacy that we still reckon with today. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Palestinian Walks Raja Shehadeh, 2008-06-03 “A rare historical insight into the tragic changes taking place in Palestine.” —Jimmy Carter From one of Palestine’s leading writers, a lyrical, elegiac account of one man’s wanderings through the landscape he loves—once pristine, now forever changed by settlements and walls—updated with a new afterword by the author. “I often come to walk in these hills,” I said to the man who was doing all the talking and seemed to be the commander. “In fact I was once here with my wife, it was 1999, and some of your soldiers shot at us.” “It was over on that side,” the soldier pointed out. “I was there,” he said, smiling. When Raja Shehadeh first started hill walking in Palestine, in the late 1970s, he was not aware that he was traveling through a vanishing landscape. In recent years, his hikes have become less than bucolic and sometimes downright dangerous. That is because his home is Ramallah, on the Palestinian West Bank, and the landscape he traverses is now the site of a tense standoff between his fellow Palestinians and settlers newly arrived from Israel. In this original and evocative book, we accompany Raja on six walks taken between 1978 and 2006. The earlier forays are peaceful affairs, allowing our guide to meditate at length on the character of his native land, a terrain of olive trees on terraced hillsides, luxuriant valleys carved by sacred springs, carpets of wild iris and hyacinth and ancient monasteries built more than a thousand years ago. Shehadeh's love for this magical place saturates his renderings of its history and topography. But latterly, as seemingly endless concrete is poured to build settlements and their surrounding walls, he finds the old trails are now impassable and the countryside he once traversed freely has become contested ground. He is harassed by Israeli border patrols, watches in terror as a young hiking companion picks up an unexploded missile and even, on one occasion when accompanied by his wife, comes under prolonged gunfire. Amid the many and varied tragedies of the Middle East, the loss of a simple pleasure such as the ability to roam the countryside at will may seem a minor matter. But in Palestinian Walks, Raja Shehadeh's elegy for his lost footpaths becomes a heartbreaking metaphor for the deprivations of an entire people estranged from their land. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: My Life Golda Meir, 2023-02-23 Blockbusting film GOLDA starring Helen Mirren is out now 'The gripping memoir of a remarkable woman who rose to the top in a man's world. A compelling political story of courage and struggle, power and leadership, war and crisis - and the making of Israel. A classic of 20th century history' Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of JERUSALEM: THE BIOGRAPHY 'A remarkable, almost incredible personal history ... stimulating and fascinating' IRISH TIMES 'A rare and wholly unforgettable work' SATURDAY REVIEW WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY JULIA NEUBERGER Golda Meir was without doubt one of the most incredible women of her - and any - time. Born in 1898 in Kyiv, she was the daughter of an impoverished carpenter - and became the first (and only) female Prime Minister of Israel. Meir's earliest memory is of her father boarding up the front door in response to rumours of an imminent pogrom. The family emigrated to the US and for a while Meir lived with her sister, where she was exposed to debates on Zionism, women's suffrage, literature and socialism. She became a teacher, and after her marriage emigrated again to Palestine, settling on a kibbutz. Always politically active, she became Israel's first envoy to Moscow; was promoted to Foreign Minister and ultimately elected as Prime Minister, leader of Israel. In her autobiography she wrote: 'To me, being Jewish means and has always meant being proud to be part of a people that has maintained its distinct identity for more than 2,000 years, with all the pain and torment that has been inflicted upon it' |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Berl: The Biography of a Socialist Zionist Anita Shapira, 1984-12-20 The biography of Berl is more than the biography of an individual: it is the story of a movement. The book traces Berl from a young Russian socialist and romantic pioneer on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, into the propounder of a work ethic and the founder of the central political current of the Israeli labour movement. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Israel, History in a Nutshell Hela Tamir, 2017-03-29 Eretz Israel, the only democratic state in the Middle East, is the focal point of world attention. Throughout the world, (Muslim sponsored) radio and television broadcasting companies often give distorted or one-sided information, while newspapers often print half-truths, outright lies, exaggerated details or rearranged events. So where do people get the truth? Where are the actual facts, written in an easy to read book? Israel, History in a Nutshell, Highlighting the Wars and Military History is a compilation of facts, proof of the long and glorious history of the State of Israel. It is a tool to refute the lies, twisted facts and half-truths that are spread daily around the globe. This publication not only sheds light on Israel's military history, it also gives short biographies of the key-role players, and much, much more. This book gives answers to many questions, and includes additional interesting facts that will help you understand Israel's history better. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Israel/Palestine and the Politics of a Two-State Solution Thomas G. Mitchell, 2013-05-21 This is a dispassionate examination of the viability of a two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the politics of Israel, Palestine and the United States. It includes instructive case studies from South Africa in Namibia and the Irish claim to Northern Ireland. The results of Israeli elections from 2001 to 2013 are analyzed (with the conclusion that the Likud will be in any government coalition for at least the midterm future, giving it a veto over policy). A chapter examining the history and ideology of the secular right over the last 90 years follows. There are three chapters of case studies: the Likud withdrawal from the Sinai in 1979-1982 and from Gaza in 2005, the withdrawal of South Africa from Namibia in 1988-1989, and the dropping of Ireland's constitutional claim to Northern Ireland in 1998 under a Fianna Fail government--the same party that wrote the constitution in 1937. A chapter examines Palestinian politics since the mandatory era and another, the American-Israeli alliance and American politics. A concluding chapter draws lessons from the case studies and the analysis. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Jewish Fundamentalism In Israel Israel Shahak, Norton Mezvinsky, 2004-07-20 This is a new edition of a classic and highly controversial book that examines the history and consequences of Jewish Fundamentalism in Israel. Fully updated, with new chapters and a new introduction by Norton Mezvinsky, it is essential reading for anyone who wants a full understanding of the way religious extremism has affected the political development of the modern Israeli state. Acclaimed writer and human rights campaigner Israel Shahak was, up util his death in 2001, one of the most respected of Israel’s peace activists – he was, in the words of Gore Vidal, ‘the latest – if not the last – of the great prophets.’ Written by Shahak together with American scholar Norton Mezvinsky, this books shows how Jewish fundamentalism in Israel, as shown in the activities of religious settlers, is of great political importance. The authors trace the history and development of Jewish fundamentalism. They place the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin in the context of what they see as a tradition of punishments and killings of those Jews perceived to be heretics. They conclude that Jewish fundamentalism is essentially hostile to democracy. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: A History of Modern Israel Colin Shindler, 2013-03-25 Colin Shindler's remarkable history begins in 1948, as waves of immigrants arrived in Israel from war-torn Europe to establish new cities, new institutions, and a new culture founded on the Hebrew language. Optimistic beginnings were soon replaced with the sobering reality of wars with Arab neighbours, internal ideological differences, and ongoing confrontation with the Palestinians. In this updated edition, Shindler covers the significant developments of the last decade, including the rise of the Israeli far right, Hamas's takeover and the political rivalry between Gaza and the West Bank, Israel's uneasy dealings with the new administration in the United States, political Islam and the potential impact of the Arab Spring on the region as a whole. This sympathetic yet candid portrayal asks how a nation that emerged out of the ashes of the Holocaust and was the admiration of the world is now perceived by many Western governments in a less than benevolent light. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Israel in the Middle East Itamar Rabinovich, Jehuda Reinharz, 2008 An anthology of the most important documents on the domestic and foreign policy of the modern state of Israel, in relation to the rest of the Middle East |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Golda Meir Meron Medzini, 2020-10-22 Golda Meir: A Reference Guide to Her Life and Works covers all aspects of her life and work. Golda Meir held some of the most important positions her party and country could offer, she was a unique personality, an impressive leader, a highly complex individual.. Includes a detailed chronology of Golda’s life, family, and work. The A to Z section includes the major events, places, and people in Golda’s life. The bibliography includes a list of publications concerning her life and work. The index thoroughly cross-references the chronological and encyclopedic entries. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: My Father's Paradise Ariel Sabar, 2009-10-13 In a remote corner of the world, forgotten for nearly three thousand years, lived an enclave of Kurdish Jews so isolated that they still spoke Aramaic, the language of Jesus. Mostly illiterate, they were self-made mystics and gifted storytellers and humble peddlers who dwelt in harmony with their Muslim and Christian neighbors in the mountains of northern Iraq. To these descendants of the Lost Tribes of Israel, Yona Sabar was born. Yona's son Ariel grew up in Los Angeles, where Yona had become an esteemed professor, dedicating his career to preserving his people’s traditions. Ariel wanted nothing to do with his father’s strange immigrant heritage—until he had a son of his own. Ariel Sabar brings to life the ancient town of Zakho, discovering his family’s place in the sweeping saga of Middle-Eastern history. This powerful book is an improbable story of tolerance and hope set in what today is the very center of the world’s attention. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: The Israelis Donna Rosenthal, 2003 Rosenthal explores a people who, while consciously living in a war zone, contribute to one of the most vibrant civic societies anywhere. It is the story of ordinary people living in an extraordinary place. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Israeli Statecraft Yehezkel Dror, 2011-05-10 This book offers a systematic examination, analysis and evaluation of Israeli national security statecraft in terms of challenges and responses. Providing an in-depth analysis of Israeli statecraft challenges and responses, this interdisciplinary book integrates social science and security studies with public policy approaches within a long-term historical perspective on the Arab-Israeli conflict. These scholarly approaches are synthesized with extensive personal knowledge of the author based on involvement in Israeli political-security policy making. This book makes use of conceptualizations of statecraft such as 'fuzzy gambling' and interventions with critical mass in ultra-dynamic historical processes to help clarify Israel's main statecraft successes and failures, alongside the wider theoretical apparatuses these concepts represent. While focused on Israel, these theoretical frameworks have important implications for the academic study of statecraft and statecraft praxis worldwide. This book will be of much interest to both statecraft practitioners and to students of Israeli politics and security, the Middle Eastern conflict, strategic studies and IR/security studies in general. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Independence and Politics Meir Chazan, 2024-04-02 Independence and Politics delves deeply into the political landscape of Israel during the years 1947–1949. Weaving together a wealth of original sources and emphasizing domestic politics, Meir Chazan offers a comprehensive analysis of the critical factors that contributed to the establishment and early governance of the State of Israel. Chazan explores the formation of governing institutions in the transition from a voluntary society to typical patterns of statehood. He investigates the shocks that led to these institutions' formation and the critical decision to declare statehood. Additionally, he provides a detailed account of the election campaign for the Constituent Assembly, which was the forerunner of the First Knesset, and the struggle to attain the United States' de facto and de jure recognition of Israel. Insightful and informative, Independence and Politics provides a fresh perspective on the establishment of the State of Israel. Chazan's analysis and expert commentary offer an unparalleled understanding of the challenges faced by the fledgling state and the decisions that shaped its future. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Israel Anita Shapira, 2014-08-05 A history of Israel in the context of the modern Jewish experience and the history of the Middle East |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Former Leaders in Modern Democracies K. Theakston, J. de Vries, Jouke de Vries, 2012-04-05 What comes next for a former leader in a democracy - a Prime Minister or President obliged to leave office because they have lost an election, come to the end of their constitutionally-fixed term, lost the backing of their party, or chosen to leave? This book analyses the role and political influence of former leaders in Western democratic states. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: The Arab-Israeli Conflict Kirsten E. Schulze, 2013-11-14 In this fully revised new edition, Kirsten Schulze brings us to a new understanding of the causes, course and consequences of the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Schulze analyses the dynamics of the violence and explores the numerous attempts at resolving the conflict. She assesses why, in the cases of Israel-Egypt in 1978 and Israel-Jordan in 1994, negotiations succeeded in bringing about a lasting peace and why, in the cases of Israel, and the Palestinians, Syria and Lebanon, they failed to do so. Written in a clear and accessible style, this fully updated second edition: · Traces the origins of the conflict from their first intellectual roots in the 19th century. · Examines the actions and aims of the competing nationalist movements during the period of the British Mandate which led to the creation of the state of Israel. · Outlines and analyses each of the Arab-Israeli conflicts from the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 to the 2006 Lebanon war and the on-going, second Palestinian uprising With a diverse collection of documents and a Chronology, Glossary, Guide to Further Reading, and a Who’s Who summarizing the careers and contributions of the main figures, this book is absolutely vital to understanding the current Israeli-Palestinian violence, the intra-Palestinian rift between Hamas and Fatah, and why the Arab-Israeli conflict has become the centre of Muslim politics, both violent and non-violent, across the world. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: I Shall Not Hate Izzeldin Abuelaish, 2011-01-04 NATIONAL BESTSELLER Search for Common Ground Award Middle East Institute Award Finalist, Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought Stavros Niarchos Prize for Survivorship Nobel Peace Prize nominee A necessary lesson against hatred and revenge -Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize laureate In this book, Doctor Abuelaish has expressed a remarkable commitment to forgiveness and reconciliation that describes the foundation for a permanent peace in the Holy Land. -President Jimmy Carter, Nobel Peace Prize laureate By turns inspiring and heart-breaking, hopeful and horrifying, I Shall Not Hate is Izzeldin Abuelaish's account of an extraordinary life. A Harvard-trained Palestinian doctor who was born and raised in the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip and who has devoted his life to medicine and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians (New York Times), Abuelaish has been crossing the lines in the sand that divide Israelis and Palestinians for most of his life - as a physician who treats patients on both sides of the line, as a humanitarian who sees the need for improved health and education for women as the way forward in the Middle East. And, most recently, as the father whose daughters were killed by Israeli soldiers on January 16, 2009, during Israel's incursion into the Gaza Strip. His response to this tragedy made news and won him humanitarian awards around the world. Instead of seeking revenge or sinking into hatred, Abuelaish called for the people in the region to start talking to each other. His deepest hope is that his daughters will be the last sacrifice on the road to peace between Palestinians and Israelis. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Once Upon a Country Sari Nusseibeh, Anthony David, 2015-09-22 A New York Times Book ReviewEditors' Choice A teacher, a scholar, a philosopher, and an eyewitness to history, Sari Nusseibeh is one of our most urgent and articulate authorities on the conflict in the Middle East. From his time teaching side by side with Israelis at the Hebrew University through his appointment by Yasir Arafat to administer the Arab Jerusalem, he has held fast to the principles of freedom and equality for all, and his story dramatizes the consequences of war, partition, and terrorism as few other books have done. This autobiography brings rare depth and compassion to the story of his country. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: Prisoners Jeffrey Goldberg, 2006-10-03 During the first Palestinian uprising in 1990, Jeffrey Goldberg – an American Jew – served as a guard at the largest prison camp in Israel. One of his prisoners was Rafiq, a rising leader in the PLO. Overcoming their fears and prejudices, the two men began a dialogue that, over more than a decade, grew into a remarkable friendship. Now an award-winning journalist, Goldberg describes their relationship and their confrontations over religious, cultural, and political differences; through these discussions, he attempts to make sense of the conflicts in this embattled region, revealing the truths that lie buried within the animosities of the Middle East. |
| 2008 israeli political biography: The Idea of Israel Ilan Pappe, 2014-02-04 A major history of Zionism and the state of Israel—for anyone interested in deepening their knowledge of the Israel-Palestine conflict and Middle Eastern politics “[Ilan Pappé] is . . . one of the few Israeli students of the conflict who write about the Palestinian side with real knowledge and empathy.” —Guardian Since its foundation in 1948, Israel has drawn on Zionism, the movement behind its creation, to provide a sense of self and political direction. In this groundbreaking new work, Ilan Pappe looks at the continued role of Zionist ideology. The Idea of Israel considers the way Zionism operates outside of the government and military in areas such as the country’s education system, media, and cinema, and the uses that are made of the Holocaust in supporting the state’s ideological structure. In particular, Pappe examines the way successive generations of historians have framed the 1948 conflict as a liberation campaign, creating a foundation myth that went unquestioned in Israeli society until the 1990s. Pappe himself was part of the post-Zionist movement that arose then. He was attacked and received death threats as he exposed the truth about how Palestinians have been treated and the gruesome structure that links the production of knowledge to the exercise of power. The Idea of Israel is a powerful and urgent intervention in the war of ideas concerning the past, and the future, of the Palestinian–Israeli conflict. |
2008 - Wikipedia
2008 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2008th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 8th year of the 3rd millennium and …
Historical Events in 2008 - On This Day
Historical events from year 2008. Learn about 304 famous, scandalous and important events that happened in 2008 or search by date or keyword.
2008: Facts & Events That Happened in This Year - The Fact Site
2008 saw the first movie of the cinematic Marvel Universe, Iron Man, the start of The Twilight Saga with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, and the premiere of The Dark Knight. This …
25 Major Historical Events That Happened in 2008
Mar 7, 2024 · In 2008, the world witnessed several pivotal events that shaped our collective history. The global financial crisis shook economies worldwide, while Barack Obama’s historic …
Major Events of 2008 - Historical Moments That Defined the Year ...
Sep 25, 2024 · Discover the most significant events of 2008, from world-changing political decisions to cultural milestones. Explore the key moments that shaped history during this …
2008 Archives | HISTORY
Barack Obama became the first Black American elected president in 2008, a year that also brought the release of “Iron Man,” the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
What Happened In 2008 - Historical Events 2008 - EventsHistory
What happened in the year 2008 in history? Famous historical events that shook and changed the world. Discover events in 2008.
10 History-making Moments of 2008 - HowStuffWorks
Here are 10 headlines from 2008 that will go down in history -- and a couple that you might have missed. From Asia to Europe, North America to Africa, and even the land down under, the …
Top News Stories from 2008 - Infoplease
Sep 9, 2011 · June 3: On the final day of the 2008 primary season, Sen. Barack Obama secures 2,154 delegates and becomes the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. He's the first …
2008 in the United States - Wikipedia
January 3 – Joe Biden drops out of the running for the 2008 U.S. presidential election. January 5 – A levee bursts in Fernley, Nevada, flooding a large portion of the town and forcing the …
2008 - Wikipedia
2008 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2008th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 8th year of the 3rd millennium and …
Historical Events in 2008 - On This Day
Historical events from year 2008. Learn about 304 famous, scandalous and important events that happened in 2008 or search by date or keyword.
2008: Facts & Events That Happened in This Year - The Fact Site
2008 saw the first movie of the cinematic Marvel Universe, Iron Man, the start of The Twilight Saga with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, and the premiere of The Dark Knight. This …
25 Major Historical Events That Happened in 2008
Mar 7, 2024 · In 2008, the world witnessed several pivotal events that shaped our collective history. The global financial crisis shook economies worldwide, while Barack Obama’s historic …
Major Events of 2008 - Historical Moments That Defined the Year ...
Sep 25, 2024 · Discover the most significant events of 2008, from world-changing political decisions to cultural milestones. Explore the key moments that shaped history during this …
2008 Archives | HISTORY
Barack Obama became the first Black American elected president in 2008, a year that also brought the release of “Iron Man,” the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
What Happened In 2008 - Historical Events 2008 - EventsHistory
What happened in the year 2008 in history? Famous historical events that shook and changed the world. Discover events in 2008.
10 History-making Moments of 2008 - HowStuffWorks
Here are 10 headlines from 2008 that will go down in history -- and a couple that you might have missed. From Asia to Europe, North America to Africa, and even the land down under, the …
Top News Stories from 2008 - Infoplease
Sep 9, 2011 · June 3: On the final day of the 2008 primary season, Sen. Barack Obama secures 2,154 delegates and becomes the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. He's the first …
2008 in the United States - Wikipedia
January 3 – Joe Biden drops out of the running for the 2008 U.S. presidential election. January 5 – A levee bursts in Fernley, Nevada, flooding a large portion of the town and forcing the …
