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![1949 the First Israelis by [Tom Segev]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51YEyHPBWpL._SY346_.jpg)
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1949 the First Israelis Kindle Edition
Tom Segev
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Product description
About the Author
Review
"A landmark book . . . Necessary reading for anyone interested in the past and future of the Middle East.""-- ""San Francisco Chronicle"
"A fascinating read . . . told with acid compassion.""-- ""The New York Review of Books"
"Understanding the present demands an honest confrontation with the past. "1949 "makes a major contribution to understanding.""-- ""Los Angeles Times Book Review"
“Required reading for all who want to understand the Arab-Israeli conflict. Segev’s book provides the best analysis I have seen of the problems of trying to integrate so many people from such diverse cultures into one political body.”"—""The New York Times Book Review "
"A landmark book . . . Necessary reading for anyone interested in the past and future of the Middle East.""—""San Francisco Chronicle"
"A fascinating read . . . told with acid compassion.""—""The New York Review of Books"
"Understanding the present demands an honest confrontation with the past. "1949 "makes a major contribution to understanding.""—""Los Angeles Times Book Review"
"Required reading for all who want to understand the Arab-Israeli conflict. Segev's book provides the best analysis I have seen of the problems of trying to integrate so many people from such diverse cultures into one political body.""--""The New York Times Book Review "
"A landmark book . . . Necessary reading for anyone interested in the past and future of the Middle East.""--""San Francisco Chronicle"
"A fascinating read . . . told with acid compassion.""--""The New York Review of Books"
"Understanding the present demands an honest confrontation with the past. "1949 "makes a major contribution to understanding.""--""Los Angeles Times Book Review"
Required reading for all who want to understand the Arab-Israeli conflict. Segev's book provides the best analysis I have seen of the problems of trying to integrate so many people from such diverse cultures into one political body. "The New York Times Book Review"
A landmark book . . . Necessary reading for anyone interested in the past and future of the Middle East. "San Francisco Chronicle"
A fascinating read . . . told with acid compassion. "The New York Review of Books"
Understanding the present demands an honest confrontation with the past. "1949 "makes a major contribution to understanding. "Los Angeles Times Book Review""
"Required reading for all who want to understand the Arab-Israeli conflict. Segev's book provides the best analysis I have seen of the problems of trying to integrate so many people from such diverse cultures into one political body." --The New York Times Book Review
"A landmark book . . . Necessary reading for anyone interested in the past and future of the Middle East." --San Francisco Chronicle
"A fascinating read . . . told with acid compassion." --The New York Review of Books
"Understanding the present demands an honest confrontation with the past. 1949 makes a major contribution to understanding." --Los Angeles Times Book Review
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.From the Back Cover
Product details
- ASIN : B079DXVJHQ
- Publisher : Simon & Schuster; Reissue edition (14 August 2018)
- Language : English
- File size : 9810 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 433 pages
- Page numbers source ISBN : 1501183737
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Best Sellers Rank:
1,627,633 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 523 in Civics
- 742 in Israeli History
- 1,014 in Nationalism
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
Top reviews from other countries



What really amazes me is how Ben-Gurion was able to steer Israel through the extremely turbulent waters of war, immigration and state building and keep Israel intact as a democratic state. There were so many sides battling for dominance within this tiny, infant nation, between the secularists, religious, socialists, communists, criminals and terrorists, the singular most amazing incident is the lack of a civil war ever erupting. There were so many people pulling in different directions and then on top of that there were hundreds of thousands of new immigrants that it was a huge feat for this nation to remain together. I think that without the war and the ever looming possibility of destruction then there in all probability would have been a civil war.
This book helped to explode some myths of the creation of the state of Israel, and so many people have derided this work because it treats the subject honestly using the evidence from the Israeli archives and government. Those on who are pro-Israel (to a fault) feel they have to disparage this work, while those who are anti-Israel hold this book up to demonize the state, but the truth is that in war every nation commits excesses. Soldiers become different people and actions that would have been unthinkable become acceptable. The truth is that yes Israel ethnically cleansed areas under its control, and this was done with, at least, tacit approval of the government. It was the cynical (pragmatic?) belief that the Arabs could not or would not assimilate culturally or politically into the Israeli state, and that it was necessary to make sure that their numbers were very low within the new borders. It will never be known whether this decision was positive or negative for Israel. The fact is that Israel has never known sustained peace, but on the other hand there is still an Israeli state.
The cynicism that guided much of the Israeli immigration policy was a trying item. The mad, almost suicidal, rush to bring in Jewish immigrants regardless of the states ability to absorb these people was an almost disastrous policy. The way the Jews from Arab and African countries were treated is a source of shame for a people who had just experienced similar prejudices, but even here there was a duality in that the immigration policy was partly pragmatic also. The state was in constant peril and there was a need to build up the state's population for protection.
This is the thing about every state, politics and politician that they have to make these decisions that blur the lines between pragmatic realism and cynical nihilism. These decisions are not easy and they literally affect the lives of thousands of people. At the time the implications of these decisions are not readily apparent. In 1949 decisions were made that are still being felt today, whether they were the right decisions or not Israel and the rest of the world must acknowledge those choices and the implications that go along with them. Israel must make peace with its past before it will ever be able to achieve peace in the future. I would like to think this is pragmatic realism. This book is good start down that road. It is a necessary and important read.

