The Triumph of Military Zionism: Nationalism and the Origins of the Israeli Right » (Second Edition)

Colin Shindler is a Fellow in Israeli Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

Why did Israel shift from a state based on pioneering egalitarianism and "making the desert bloom" to one which is chiefly known for its military prowess? Colin Shindler examines Israel's shift to the right at the hands of Menachem Begin, the supposed "disciple" of Vladimir Jabotinsky. He demonstrates through previously unpublished sources how Israel drifted away from Jabotinsky's ideas towards a maximalist Zionism promoted by Begin.

Acknowledgements 4

Preface: The Father of the Revolt? 6

Introduction 11

Prologue 20

1 The Parting of the Ways 21

2 The Road to Resignation 36

3 A Strange Odyssey 49

4 The National Revolutionary Legacy 68

5 The Challenge of the Revisionists 85

6 The Widening Schism 105

7 A New Psychological Race 116

8 Models for the Radicals 133

9 On Two Fronts 148

10 The Fall and Rise of the Maximalists 163

11 Raziel, Stern and Begin 183

12 The Confrontation 199

Postscript 213

References 224

Bibliography 260

Index 268