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Book Reviews: The Spy Who Fell to Earth by Ahron Bregman and The Angel by Uri Bar-Joseph.

Both books recount the compelling story of Ashraf Marwan, the Egyptian at the top level of Anwar Sadat’s regime who spied for the Mossad.

Spies, it is said, are attracted to espionage for one of four reasons: Sex, money, ideology, or ego. For Ashraf Marwan, Nasser’s ambitious son-in-law, it was mostly about ego and the interesting if unusual reason that, after Egypt’s catastrophic loss in 1967, he wanted to be on the winning side. Continue reading “Book Reviews: The Spy Who Fell to Earth by Ahron Bregman and The Angel by Uri Bar-Joseph.”

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The Last Palestinian by Grant Rumley and Amir Tibon.

The last decade has seen stagnation in the Israeli-Palestinian “peace process.” The Palestinian Authority appears unwilling or unable to negotiate and the future direction of the Palestinian Authority itself is uncertain. Palestinian media is increasingly controlled by the PA and what little information is made available about the inner workings of the Palestinian Authority is at the discretion of the leadership. Continue reading “The Last Palestinian by Grant Rumley and Amir Tibon.”

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Hanukkah: The Political Backstory

Judaean and Seleucid politics were more convoluted than a season of House of Cards, which is part of the reason most of the context is been ignored in religious education. The usual summary, in a tweet, is this: King Antiochus prohibited the practice of Judaism and defiled the Temple. The Maccabees led a revolt, defeated the Greeks, and rededicated the Temple. Liberators find one day’s worth of oil for the Eternal Flame but miraculously it lasts eight days. –But what was behind Antiochus’s decision? First, let’s follow the money.

Continue reading “Hanukkah: The Political Backstory”

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Classic Song: Jerusalem of Iron

During the three-week waiting period that preceded the Six Day War, the most popular song in Israel was “Jerusalem of Gold,” written by Naomi Shemer for the Israel Song Festival, and sung by a young soldier, Shuli Natan. The song, somber and sentimental, evoked the yearning of the Jewish people for their eternal capital. Israeli paratroopers sang the song as they rode to Jerusalem to take part in the liberation of the city.

Continue reading “Classic Song: Jerusalem of Iron”

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Shalom – שלום

We are building and being built. This site will celebrate Israel and Israeli history, addressing and discussing the flotsam of issues and cultural phenomena that interest us.  We may dabble in politics.  At some point, there will be a military historical novel. We’ll keep you posted.