Page 5 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - June 13
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BOOK REVIEW
"The Making and Unmaking of a Zionist," A Personal and
Political Journey by Antony Lerman, published by Pluto Press,
also available on Kindle.
GERRY KELMAN,GEDERA
A universalism, diversity, multiple identities, and
ntony (Tony) Lerman of NW London
Peleg was Mazkir of Habonim from
drawing strength from the encounter between
1968 to 1970, making Aliya to Kibbutz
second was grounded in guarding Jewish
Amiad as part of Garin Zayin. He left to study Jewish Culture and the wider world. The
independently in Jerusalem and later returned to exclusivity, rejecting multiculturalism,
the Kibbutz. He returned to the UK in 1972. stressing the centrality of Israel and
acknowledging Zionism as the primary
Tony was Research Officer at the IJA (Institute of political ideology uniting the Jewish people.
Jewish Affairs, research arm of the World Jewish This was the option chosen by the Jewish
Congress – WJC) from 1979 until 1995 when it Agency and the Israeli Government.
was superseded by the independent 'Think Tank,'
The Institute for Jewish Policy Research; he was If two such options are poles apart, Tony makes it
Editor of the Jewish Quarterly from 1984 to 1985; quite clear that he believes the first would be a
in 1986, he had "a controversial stint as guest better choice.
media columnist at the Jewish Chronicle," (his
own words). In 1988, Tony was appointed Tony's disillusionment (my word) with Zionism
Assistant Editor of the yearly volume of essays has been a slow and gradual process. Quoting
entitled "Survey of Jewish Affairs." On leaving himself, he wrote in around 1999/2000 (over 25
the JPR in 1999, he became involved in Yad years after he left Israel):
Hanadiv (Keren Rothschild), focusing on I no longer regarded myself as a Zionist. If
European Jewish revival; in 2003 he was asked, I would have described myself as a
instrumental in the establishment of JFJHR – The non- or post-Zionist. I thought that Israel
Jewish Forum for Justice and Human Rights. should repeal its Law of Return and introduce
a fair and liberal immigration policy. I still
Tony's recent book is very thought-provoking, had faith in the 1993 Oslo Accords and the
written with great honesty, revealing the author's prospect of a two-State solution, which I
insecurities at various stages of his career. While thought was very close despite the turn to
many of us (Bogrei Habonim in Israel) might violence.
agree with a lot of Tony’s criticism of Israel, we
might be somewhat upset that he doesn't seriously I think that many of us would agree with his
relate to the painful complexity of the political thoughts on "opposing the building of more
and the social challenges we face. settlements in the occupied territories and wanting
Israel to withdraw to the 1967 borders, with land
Tony delivers – in highly over-simplistic terms to swaps mutually agreed with the Palestinians."
my mind – the crux of the book: Less of us would emphatically feel that "the
Worldwide, Jews faced two fundamentally Zionist and Israeli notion of a special bond
different ways of living in the modern world. between Israel and the Diaspora was a myth, that
The first meant embracing pluralism,
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