The Case for Israel by Alan Dershowitz Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Case for Israel
Book Review: Brilliant Factual Helpful Book
Summary: 5 Stars
A very worthwhile read. It is a tribute to Alan Dershowitz that the best his critics could come up with was the lousy excuse that his work was "plagiarised". Obviously they couldn't find fault with any of the factual evidence Dershowitz provides.
Highly recommended.
Book Review: Brilliant, unbiased, insightful
Summary: 5 Stars
Dershowitz presents a secular, logical set of arguments for the existence of the state of Israel. He does not allege that it is perfect, and does not refuse to grant concessions to the Palestinians. He directly addresses the inaccuracies and problems in many of the arguments of Israels most staunch and respected opponents while giving them their due respect and acknowledging the strong points in their cases. An absolute must read.Book Review: Buyer Beware
Summary: 1 Stars
Professor Dershowitz has written an apology for Israeli politics designed to lend credibility by means of his pedigree to mainstream Zionist opinion in this country. The typical reader, I suspect, agrees with Dershowitz and relies upon the author's academic credentials to lend credibility to his/her opinion. However, Dershowitz's academic credentials apply only to his ability as a professor of law and not as an historian, and this is all too obvious. His book deliberately ignores an international consensus about human rights abuses committed by the IDF against Palestinians in the occupied territories. Unfortunately for Professor Dershowitz, historians actually exist and have read his book. The most damaging expose comes from Norman Finkelstein who reveals point by point Professor Dershowitz's wanton misuse of Israeli history and the record on Israel's human rights abuses. More damaging to Dershowitz's argument is his extensive and unattributed borrowing from Joan Peter's book, From Time Immemorial, which is a well-documented fraud. While I don't necessarily agree with Finkelstein assertion that the book is a plagiarism (though it appears to be based upon Harvard's own plagiarism guidelines), it is striking that Professor Dershowitz would be so lazy in his research that he would cite such an unreliable source so often. It is also striking that he would publish such a book and not foresee the justifiable criticisms that would inevitably follow in response. The only thing that Professor Dershowitz has going in his defense is the source of the criticism: Finkelstein is easy to ridicule and Professor Dershowitz does just that in The Case for Peace. But Finkelstein's Beyond Chutzpah really nails the peculiar ahistory of Dershowitz's work. Finkelstein may be crazy but he is also correct. For those of you who want to see Finkelstein lay waste to Dershowitz, check out the Democracy Now website ([...]) to watch a debate between the two. Dershowitz is really out of his league and in the debate it is all too obvious.Book Review: Can't stand dershowitz but liked this book.
Summary: 4 Stars
I've read a bunch of Dershowitz works (mostly articles) and never agreed with any of them. His book on ten incidents of injustice from the Book of Genesis was horrible in most every way.
In the Case for Israel he is no less obnoxious than usual, but he finally allows common sense to guide his analysis of the evidence.
There are more than 200 reviews already posted on this book, so I won't repeat all the details. Bur I found his format to be excellent: 32 short chapters of about 6-7 pages each. Each chapter gives a brief "Accusation" against Israel, then quotes from "the Accusers," followed by a brief statement of "The Reality" and then a lengthier section on "The Proof."
Dershowitz destroys the arguments of the left-wing media (that he normally finds friendly to the rest of his views), Noam Chomsky, Edward Said of Columbia, etc.
This is Dershowitz's sane twin writing. He argues very hawkishly, but also pragmatically. He advocates for Israel allowing a Palestinian state by pulling out of the Gaza and the populated portions of the West Bank, retaining the unpopulated portions and a 7 mile buffer zone. (Of course Israel offered the Palestinians 95% of the West Bank, plus $15 billion compensation, and apologies several years ago and Arafat walked away from the deal).
My disagreements with Dershowitz are all pretty mild:
1. In chap. 21 he overstates his basically correct case about Israel's religious toleration. Yes, Israel goes so far as to allow Arabs to be elected to the Knesset. And they allow everyone to worship in much greater freedom than ANY of their Muslim neighbors do. But there IS favoritism in Israeli law against Muslims, and also Christians. Buddhists of Jewish descent, atheist Jews, Wicca Jews, and Jews of any other belief system can make aliyah and get citizenship in Israel, EXCEPT Jews who are openly Christian in belief.
2. His constant criticism of Noam Chomsky is fine (and true, I think), but he crosses the line by speaking of Chomsky's 'secret' agenda.
3. In defending Israel he argues that many of the criticisms leveled against her are MORE true of the U.S. For example, Israel is accused of conducting tough interrogations on suspected terrorists, but actually, Dershowtiz claims, the U.S. is more brutal on ours. Israel is accused of political assassinations (they are GUILTY!), but actually, he says, the US tries more of that (against Castro, etc.). You get the sense that Dershowitz really has less loyalty and grace toward America than he shows toward Israel.
4. At times I think he tends to be not hawkish enough given his arguments.
Anyway, a very good book.
Book Review: Depressing Falsehoods
Summary: 1 Stars
This book I actually found quite depressing. Dershowitz is simply profiteering from echoing US media (which is in no way comprehensive and questionable in terms of its actual journalistic content) and selling it to people. He is simply a plagarist.
He says that Ariel Sharon offered Yasser Arafat statehood for the Palestinians, if 15% of the land was ceded to Israel. Palestinians would not be allowed control of their airspace, borders of their most valuable natural resource, water. It would also not give rights to Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland. Many of the settlements would stay, AND the 15% of land they gave up would insure Israel would be in full control of Palestine through and infrastructure of roads and strategic military bases. Now, forgive me for this: What type of Prime Minister/President would accept this as a deal for his people, and give away his country's biggest resource for land that he could call a state, but wouldn't be a functioning one!!? This would not have been a dismemberment of the occupation but a re-organisation, a cutesy spring-time cleaning in the Sharon residence, as he probably seen it.
Then Dershowitz says that Arafat started the intifada! Well, that simply wasn't the case. The Intifada started, as Sharon had orchestrated because he visited one of Islam's most revered shrines, which is also a holy place for Christians and Jewish people. He had with him hundreds of guards, ready to incite anger, prefectly timed for CNN just a few hours later.
And in the past few years, when Dershowitz and the rest tell you that there have many periods of time of "relative calm" in the Middle East, it means that no Israelis have died, which is obviously something we should be thankful for. But, Palestinians die or are murdered every, single, day. 'Relative calm/relative quiet' is ridiculous. It's clinical speak. I mean, even Israeli media, such as the Ha'aretz newspaper, are more critical of the Israeli government than this man, and they live in the thick of it!
This man is simply profiteering, and this book is a shameful waste of trees.