ABSTRACT
In Chapter 4, I argued that the Hasmonean Jewish state fell into a religion trap. Civil war broke out, leading to root and branch takeover by Roman armies. Judaism itself survived, but only as a religion flourishing in Diaspora communities. It is only in the twentieth century that Jews have managed to carve out a state in the Holy Land, Israel. The modern state is in no way akin to the ancient state. For one thing, it is a democracy committed to the pendulum swing informing liberal nationalism. To be sure, there are extremist sub-communities in Israel committed to violent solutions, to assassination, to terrorism. However, the existence of violent extremists in populations adhering to the political pendulum swing through regular election cycles occurs in most, if not all, liberal nationalist states.
