The Triumph of Military Zionism

Nationalism and the Origins of the Israeli Right

Colin Shindler

• Publisher: I.B. Tauris
• Year: 2009
• ISBN:
  9780857717542
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Jewish Theology

Why did Israel shift from a state based on pioneering egalitarianism and 'making the desert bloom' to one which is chiefly known for its military prowess? "The Triumph of Military Zionism" examines Israel's shift to the right at the hands of Menachem Begin, the supposed 'disciple' of Vladimir Jabotinsky. Shindler's book uses original research to challenge the conventional wisdom that Begin was the natural heir to Jabotinsky. He demonstrates through hitherto unpublished sources how Israel drifted away from Jabotinsky's ideas towards a maximalist Zionism because Begin's very selective interpretation of his mentor's words did not reflect Jabotinsky's intentions. This invaluable addition to the study of Israel's political history will appeal to both Middle Eastern and military historians.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Preface: The Father of the Revolt?
• Introduction
• Prologue
• 1. The Parting of the Ways
• 2. The Road to Resignation
• 3. A Strange Odyssey
• 4. The National Revolutionary Legacy
• 5. The Challenge of the Revisionist
• 6. The Widening Schism
• 7. A New Psychological Race
• 8. Models for the Radicals
• 9. On Two Fronts
• 10. The Fall and Rise of the Maximalists
• 11. Raziel, Stern and Begin
• 12. The Confrontation
• Postscript
• References
• Bibliography
• Index