Hidden History of Zionism

By Ralph Schoenman

Book Overview

A forceful challenge to the conventional understanding of Zionism and the state of Israel. The author concludes by articulating his own formula for a just society in the future - a democratic and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0929675002
• ISBN13: 9780929675008
• Release Date: January 1988
• Publisher: Veritas Pr
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 1.0" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

Eye-opening and powerful

This is an excellent book, concise, well-written, closely-argued, and strongly critical of the catastrophic Zionist project. Ralph Schoenman -- like Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein, Alfred Lilienthal, Maxime Rodinson, the Neturei Karta group, and so many others -- is an anti-Zionist Jew. No, he is not an anti-Semite and he does not hate himself, he is simply a person of conscience. It is one of the stunning ironies of modern times that Israel, a highly aggressive state armed to the teeth by the US, is seen by so many Americans as a country justifiably defending itself against terror. Thanks to the US mainstream media, and the work of zealous Zionist commissars, most Americans simply do not yet know that the Israeli state has for decades been stealing Palestinian land, cramming its people into ghettoes and bantustans, tormenting and killing them by the thousands, and lying about its actions. As these atrocities continue -- the current bloody onslaught against Gaza's civilians is only their most recent chapter -- American people are likely to awaken at last to the true nature of what has been going on, and to compel US policymakers to stop writing blank checks to Israel. Ralph Schoenman's book is a small but powerful contribution to that much overdue awakening. For more background on Zionism, see books by Jewish historians Avi Shlaim and Ilan Pappé (both bitterly hated by Zionists), and Ghada Karmi's "Married to Another Man: Israel's Dilemma in Palestine." The title of Dr Karmi's book refers to a report by two European rabbis who went to Palestine in 1897 to see whether the land was indeed empty and suitable for the creation of a new state. Seeing that the land was already populated, they cabled back: "The bride is beautiful, but she is married to another man." If only their hint had been taken, so much needless tragedy would have been averted. For a brief and remarkably honest statement of Zionist aims, see "The Iron Wall," a 1923 essay by Vladimir Zev Zhabotinsky, a person honored to this day as one of Israel's founding heroes. The entire essay is available on the internet and can be easily found.

Unraveling the colonization of Palestine

I have also read this book. and I found it very useful in unraveling the complicted history that surrounds the creation of Israel. There is also an author Norman Finkelstein who has discussed the creation of and mis-use of the term anti Semitism in one of his books "The Holocaust Industry" and in his most recent book "Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History", and on numerous programs on a program call flashpoints found at the following website: http://www.kpfa.org/archives/index.php?show=9 It appears that anytime there is any criticism of Israel, one is automatically labeled an anti-Semite, and the books by Norman Finkelstein point this out. And they also verify to a great extent what Ralph Schoenman has written about in his book "The Hidden History of Zionism". Although the host and others on the program ("Flashpoints" at www.kpfa.org ) are Jewish themselves, they have been labeled by the Zionist ideologues as anti-Semitic, and self-hating Jews. As I have seen in some of the reviews about Ralph Schoenmans book, It appears that the defenders of the Zionist ideology, cannot discuss level-headedly what the facts are, with-out throwing out some sort of labels against those who disagree with them. Ralph Schoenmans book " The Hidden History of Zionism" helps one understand the policies that are responsible for the on-going land theft and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people, by the Israeli apartheid state. I say bravo to Ralph Schoenman for having the courage to take on the mythology that surrounds the Zionist political movement in his book, and unravel the history that has created the great tragedy in Palestine.

Shocking

Shocking is the only way I can describe what I felt as I read this book. Schoenman trots out the well-cited facts that cannot help but convince the reader that Israel is colonial power set up by Great Britain to protect its oil interests, that has methodically resorted to the most heinous atrocities to cleanse Palestine of Arabs. Further, since the end of WWII, the U. S. has for the same motives as G.B. financed the slaughter and expulsion of Arabs by Israeli forces, in addition to playing one Arab nation off against another. Like most Americans, I have been too busy to look beyond the headlines. As Noam Chomsky has written, however, the American news media is the world's most powerful propaganda machine with a pro-American business bias. Schoenman makes it clear that that bias was recently used to allow Israel and the U.S. to do terrorize the world under the cover of eliminating "terrorism" elsewhere. The 9-11 attacks were shocking, but nothing like as shocking as the truth about America's support of a monster nation like Israel. ... Shocked.

excellent factual accounts of israeli sponsored terror

As a senior foreign policy analyst with the Brookings institute,I must say that Mr.Schoenman's book hits the mark with accuracy.In a time of media soundbites.It is refreshing to find someone brave enough to speak the truth.I highly recommend this excellent book.

Truth exposed

This is an excellent book which outlines the creation of Israel at the expense of the native population, the wars, the occupation and it's treatment of the Palestinian population, which includes toruture, home destruction, and murder. And unlike what a previous writer said, Ralph Schoenman is a Marxist, but NOT a Stalinist. Even though this book is old, it will help explain WHY the first Intifada started, WHY the Arab community distrusts Israel, WHY Palestinians must have their own independent state. This is the book that Pro-Israeli individuals don't want you to read, which explains the negative reviews which don't back up any of their claims with facts, just a wave of the hand. If you want to find out the truth about Israel, not fairy tale stories about Zionist morality, then read this book.