1949, the First Israelis

by Tom Segev

Book Overview

Renowned historian Tom Segev strips away national myths to present a critical and clear-eyed chronicle of the year immediately following Israel's foundation."Required reading for all who want to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805058966
• ISBN13: 9780805058963
• Release Date: April 1998
• Publisher: Owl Books (NY)
• Length: 379 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Amazing account of Israel's first year

This is an obligatory reading for anyone interested in Zionism and Israeli culture. The book unfolds a surprising narrative of the early conflicts faced by the newborn Israeli State - Arabs v. Jews, Immigrants v. new Jewish Immigrants, Secular v. Religious - that overcomes the traditional approach to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The book touches sensitive subjects related to the discrimination against new Jewish immigrants and religious groups inside the Israeli establishment.

Somewhere between myth, cynicism and pragmatism lies the truth

1949 was a very compelling read and Mr. Segev's account is wonderfully done. I enjoyed this work immensely and learned a lot about the just who those first Israelis were and the adversity they had to overcome to create a state and society out of such an ethnically, religiously and politically diverse group of people. David Ben-Gurion is an amazing political figure and the more I learn the more I think he deserves to stand in the upper echelons of political figures. 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

An Honest Account

Tom Segev gives an honest account of Israel's first days. One develops a clear understanding of the many challenges (including defense, absorption of new immigrants, and a decent standard of living for all) that faced Israelis and their government. After reading this book, one cannot but appreciate the tremendous contribution of Ben-Gurion's pragmatic leadership in ensuring Israel's survival during this difficult period and in shaping Israel's future. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to gain an insight into the harsh realities of nation building. After reading this book, they will have a deeper appreciation of the sacrifices all made to make Israel a reality in 1948-1949.

A very complete look at the 1949 immigration

I have been searching for information around the 1949 magic carpet operation, since my parents were part of that operation. Tom Segev's book gives a very complete view of the events around the immigration, both politically and within Israel where they had the task of assimilating the new settlers. And there are tidbits in my parents letters home that sync up perfectly with what Tom is describing! I give kudos to Mr Segev for painting a realistic picture of the struggles of that time period, complete with all the warts! Tom Segev's book is far more comprehensive about 1949 events in Israel then any other reference I have found to date.

So much detailed information...

This is a really fantastic book and one of the few to really write about the times in a completely unbiased fashion. It manages to touch upon every aspect of Israeli life in 1949, from war, to immigration, to education, to corruption, to triumph.In addition to accurate and detailed occurences and the events leading up to them, intimate details of both significant and little known players are discussed.If you want to know what was really going on during that time and what the principals were thinking, read this book.If you're sick of reading literature that is either Pro-Arab or Pro-Israeli, read this book.