An invitation to Israel literacy / S. Ilan Troen and Rachel Fish -- Israel : geography, demography, and economy / S. Ilan Troen, Maoz Azaryahu, and Arnon Golan -- From Zionism to Zion / Michael Brenner -- Zionist settlement in the land of Israel/Palestine / S. Ilan Troen -- The Arab-Israeli conflict / Alan Dowty -- History of the peace process / David Makovsky -- Israel in world opinion / Gil Troy -- Israel : a Jewish democracy / Yedidia Stern -- Citizenship and democracy in Israel / Donna Robinson Divine -- Israel, American Jews, and Jewish peoplehood / Steven Bayme -- "Jewishness" in Israel : Israel as a Jewish state / David Ellenson -- Contemporary Christianity and Israel / Yaakov Ariel -- Perceptions and understandings of Israel within Islam / Norman A. Stillman -- "Hebrewism" and Israeli culture / Rachel S. Harris -- Israeli and Hebrew literature : from the Yishuv to the 21st century / Ranen Omer-Sherman -- Glossary / Carol Troen -- Timeline: a century of wars and conflict and peace negotiations and agreements 1917-2016.
Summary:
Most Americans are ill-prepared to engage thoughtfully in the increasingly serious debate about Israel, its place in the Middle East, and its relations with the United States. Essential Israel examines a wide variety of complex issues and current concerns in historical and contemporary contexts to provide readers with an intimate sense of the dynamic society and culture that is Israel today. Contributors to this volume address the Arab-Israeli conflict, the state of diplomatic efforts to bring about peace, Zionism and the impact of the Holocaust, the status of the Jewish state and Israeli democracy, foreign relations, immigration and Israeli identity, as well as literature, film, and the other arts.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.