{"product_id":"the-founding-myths-of-israel","title":"The Founding Myths of Israel","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe well-known historian and political scientist Zeev Sternhell here advances a radically new interpretation of the founding of modern Israel. The founders claimed that they intended to create both a landed state for the Jewish people and a socialist society. However  according to Sternhell  socialism served the leaders of the influential labor movement more as a rhetorical resource for the legitimation of the national project of establishing a Jewish state than as a blueprint for a just society. In this thought-provoking book  Sternhell demonstrates how socialist principles were consistently subverted in practice by the nationalist goals to which socialist Zionism was committed.  Sternhell explains how the avowedly socialist leaders of the dominant labor party  Mapai  especially David Ben Gurion and Berl Katznelson  never really believed in the prospects of realizing the \"dream\" of a new society  even though many of their working-class supporters were self-identified socialists. The founders of the state understood  from the very beginning  that not only socialism but also other universalistic ideologies like liberalism  were incompatible with cultural  historical  and territorial nationalism. Because nationalism took precedence over universal values  argues Sternhell  Israel has not evolved a constitution or a Bill of Rights  has not moved to separate state and religion  has failed to develop a liberal concept of citizenship  and  until the Oslo accords of 1993  did not recognize the rights of the Palestinians to independence.  This is a controversial and timely book  which not only provides useful historical background to Israels ongoing struggle to mobilize its citizenry to support a shared vision of nationhood  but also raises a question of general significance: is a national movement whose aim is a political and cultural revolution capable of coexisting with the universal values of secularism  individualism  and social justice? This bold critical reevaluation will unsettle long-standing myths as it contributes to a fresh new historiography of Zionism and Israel. At the same time  while it examines the past  The Founding Myths of Israel reflects profoundly on the future of the Jewish State.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44948025802805,"sku":"ByrdShop_0691016941","price":225.71,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780691016948_5f877cd8-b051-403f-9081-5053d2ada7a0.jpg?v=1770329489","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-founding-myths-of-israel","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}