The Invention Of The Land Of Israel: From Holy Land To Homeland

Description

What is a homeland, and when does it become a national territory? Why have so many people been willing to die for such places throughout the twentieth century? What is the essence of the Promised Land? Following the acclaimed and controversial The Invention of the Jewish People, Shlomo Sand examines the mysterious sacred land that has become the site of the longest running national struggle of the twentieth century. The Invention of the Land of Israel deconstructs the age-old legends surrounding the Holy Land and the prejudices that continue to suffocate it. Sand's account dissects the concept of "historical right" and tracks the creation of the modern geopolitical concept of the "Land of Israel" by nineteenth - century Evangelical Protestants and Jewish Zionists. This invention, he argues, not only facilitated the colonization of the Middle East and the establishment of the State of Israel; it is also what is threatening the existence of the Jewish state today.

Reviews

Praise for The Invention of the Jewish People "Anyone interested in understanding the contemporary Middle East should read this book." Tony Judt "Extravagantly denounced and praised." New York Times "A radical dismantling of a national myth." Guardian "Perhaps books combining passion and erudition don't change political situations, but if they did, this one would count as a landmark." Eric Hobsbawm, Observer

Author description

SHLOMO SAND studied history at the University of Tel Aviv and at the Ecole des hautes etudes en sciences sociales, in Paris. He currently teaches contemporary history at the University of Tel Aviv.