An Uneasy Relationship: The American Jewish Leadership and Israel, 1948-1957
Set in the first decade of modern Israel's existence, this volume offers an insightful look at the changing relationship of American Jews and the reborn Jewish nation/state. It is the first in-depth analysis of the subject during this key period. \ As the Cold War rages, leaders in all camps are shown attempting to shape and control the tangled circumstances that engulf them especially American Jewish Committee president Jacob Blaustein, Israeli founding father David Ben-Gurion, and American...
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Ganin (history, Beit Berl College) finds that the political, ideological, diplomatic and personal differences among Israeli and US leaders were a significant cause of the struggles in the early years of the modern state of Israel. He details these differences in the relationship (skirmish, actually) between the American Jewish Committee and Ben-Gurion, which were eventually resolved after a fashion in the Blaustein-Ben-Gurion "understanding" of 1950. He describes how the skirmishes continued between the Zionist movement and the American Jewish Community as diplomats in the second Truman administration were seeking Arab-Israeli peace agreements. He then explains how the particularities of Dulles came into play as Israel sought support from its supposed ally in the Eisenhower administration. His work is an interesting reminder that sometimes the "great man" theory has its merits, particularly when so small a number of powerful men clashed over so many life-or-death issues. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
1The specter of dual loyalty32Skirmishes between the American Jewish committee and Ben Gurion263The American Jewish community viewed from Israel484The Blaustein-Ben-Gurion understanding of 1950815The struggle between the American Jewish committee and the Zionist movement, 19511076Codifying communal relationships1317The second truman administration and the quest for an Arab-Israeli peace, 1948-19521518Attempts to influence the Eisenhower-Dulles policy toward Israel, 1953-1957182
