ABSTRACT

Based on archival material, this intriguing book examines David Ben-Gurion’s influence on the relationship between the state of Israel, the Zionist Organization and American Jewry between 1948 and 1963 when he served as Prime Minister and Minister of Defence. The author discusses how Ben-Gurion was largely instrumental in forming Israel’s policies throughout the first two decades of the country’s existence and, due to his position, personality and prestige, he was able to influence the fashioning of political structures as well as their content.

The book discusses both the political motives of the leaders and the ideological discourse, in order to understand their dependency and to highlight their significance in the terms Diaspora and exile, the centrality of the State of Israel, and the role played by the Jews of America. As such this will be of great interest to scholars of Middle East Studies, Jewish Studies, and ethnicity and nationalism.

part |2 pages

Part I Establishing and consolidating the State, 1948–1953

chapter 3|14 pages

Zionism for the present time, 1951

chapter 4|13 pages

Legislative issues

part |2 pages

Part II After resigning from the premiership, 1953–1955

chapter 5|16 pages

A Zionist preacher

part |2 pages

Part III Second term in office, 1955–1963

chapter 6|15 pages

The Sinai Campaign

chapter 7|10 pages

Ben-Gurion and the intellectuals

chapter 8|9 pages

Who is a Jew

chapter 9|7 pages

The capture and trial of Adolf Eichmann

chapter 10|21 pages

Two sides of the triangle

chapter 11|10 pages

End of the Ben-Gurion era