Best of
Israel

2018

Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations


Ronen Bergman - 2018
    From the very beginning of its statehood in 1948, protecting the nation from harm has been the responsibility of its intelligence community and armed services, and there is one weapon in their vast arsenal that they have relied upon to thwart the most serious threats: Targeted assassinations have been used countless times, on enemies large and small, sometimes in response to attacks against the Israeli people and sometimes preemptively. In this page-turning, eye-opening book, journalist and military analyst Ronen Bergman offers a riveting inside account of the targeted killing programs—their successes, their failures, and the moral and political price exacted on the men and women who approved and carried out the missions.Bergman has gained the exceedingly rare cooperation of many current and former members of the Israeli government, including Prime Ministers Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon, and Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as high-level figures in the country’s military and intelligence services: the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), the Mossad (the world’s most feared intelligence agency), Caesarea (a “Mossad within the Mossad” that carries out attacks on the highest-value targets), and the Shin Bet (an internal security service that implemented the largest targeted assassination campaign ever, in order to stop what had once appeared to be unstoppable: suicide terrorism).Including never-before-reported, behind-the-curtain accounts of key operations, and based on hundreds of on-the-record interviews and thousands of files to which Bergman has gotten exclusive access over his decades of reporting, Rise and Kill First brings us deep into the heart of Israel’s most secret activities. Bergman traces, from statehood to the present, the gripping events and thorny ethical questions underlying Israel’s targeted killing campaign, which has shaped the Israeli nation, the Middle East, and the entire world.

Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor


Yossi Klein Halevi - 2018
    Given our circumstances, "neighbor" might be too casual a word to describe our relationship. We are intruders into each other’s dream, violators of each other’s sense of home. We are incarnations of each other’s worst historical nightmares. Neighbors?Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor is one Israeli’s powerful attempt to reach beyond the wall that separates Israelis and Palestinians and into the hearts of "the enemy." In a series of letters, Yossi Klein Halevi explains what motivated him to leave his native New York in his twenties and move to Israel to participate in the drama of the renewal of a Jewish homeland, which he is committed to see succeed as a morally responsible, democratic state in the Middle East.This is the first attempt by an Israeli author to directly address his Palestinian neighbors and describe how the conflict appears through Israeli eyes. Halevi untangles the ideological and emotional knot that has defined the conflict for nearly a century. In lyrical, evocative language, he unravels the complex strands of faith, pride, anger and anguish he feels as a Jew living in Israel, using history and personal experience as his guide.Halevi’s letters speak not only to his Palestinian neighbor, but to all concerned global citizens, helping us understand the painful choices confronting Israelis and Palestinians that will ultimately help determine the fate of the region.

The Unlucky Woman


Jonathan Dunsky - 2018
    She may live to regret it.Hilda Lipkind is sure her husband is cheating on her. So she hires Adam Lapid to find out with whom.Adam expects this to be a short, ordinary investigation.Both he and his client are in for a surprise.For what starts as a routine case soon turns out to be anything but.To succeed in his mission, Adam must dig deep into both past and present, and cut through layers of lies and secrets.And in the end, he must uncover an unexpected truth that may do his client more harm than good.You will love The Unlucky Woman because it's a fast-paced mystery story with twists and turns.Get it now!

David The Great: Deconstructing the Man After God's Own Heart


Mark Rutland - 2018
    But too often he is viewed as an Americanized shepherd boy on a Sunday school felt board or a New Testament saint alongside the Virgin Mary. Not only does this neglect one of the Bible’s most complex stories of sin and redemption; it also bypasses the gritty life lessons inherent in the amazing true story of David.  Mark Rutland shreds the felt-board character, breaks down the sculpted marble statue, and unearths the real David of the Bible. Both noble and wretched, neither a saint nor a monster, at times victorious and other times a failure, David was through it all a man after God’s own heart.

Lion of God: The Complete Trilogy


Stephen England - 2018
    . .we do not forget." It is the year 2000, and with the new millennium has come the fresh promise of peace in the Middle East.But when a pair of IDF reservists are brutally lynched in the West Bank town of Ramallah--the graphic imagery of their final moments broadcast around the Western world. . .all hopes of peace are shattered.As Israel mourns her dead and America attempts to salvage the peace process, the Mossad is tasked with finding and bringing to justice those responsible for the butchery, activating a Kidon team led by a young assassin known only as Ariel. . .The "Lion of God."But as the hunt narrows, it quickly becomes apparent that nothing is as it seems. And vengeance far from the only agenda in play. . .The Lion of God Trilogy represents an expansion of Stephen England's best-selling Shadow Warriors universe, and this volume includes all three previously-published individual episodes now compiled into a single volume.

The Secret Heir


Janice Broyles - 2018
    Now if the sitting king learns of his secret, it will mean death for David and everyone in his family. David's secret destiny becomes more complicated when he falls in love with King Saul's daughter, Michal. He will do whatever it takes to secure her heart, provided she doesn't find out that David is the rumored rival to her father's throne. Now that Michal is of age, the Queen determines her daughter must be married as soon as possible. Michal resigns herself to a pre-arranged marriage with a man she does not love. Then by fate or God's providence she meets the handsome, young lyre player standing outside her father's chambers. One lives in a palace; the other sleeps under the stars. Though they come from vastly different worlds, Michal and David are drawn together. When King Saul uncovers David's secret and vows to kill him, Michal is torn between her love for her father and feelings for David. Two kings, two men she deeply loves but for different reasons — one heart broken in two.

A King to Rule


Dale Ellis - 2018
    They live in a world of vendettas, assassinations and endless war. Welcome to the Middle East during the Iron Age. The Philistines murdered Nathan's Father and God did nothing. His tribe was nearly exterminated and God did nothing. Invaders plunder his land and still God does nothing. So, when a kingdom is declared in Israel, a vengeful Nathan pledges himself to King Saul, the father of his boyhood friend Jonathan. Nathan is prepared to act…even if God is not. Achish is a prince, the son of one of the five Kings of Philistia who rule the Egyptian province of Canaan in Pharaoh’s name. Yet, Egypt grows weak and the time draws near for Philistia to forge an empire of its own. But Achish knows his allies will soon be his greatest rivals. So he casts his eyes on Israel with its rich lands, burgeoning population, and ineffectual leaders. If he can harness Israel’s resources, Achish would dominate first Philistia, and later all of Canaan. Achish believes a man makes his own miracles. However, it is dangerous to mistake God’s patience for apathy. God laughs at the schemes of men. He enjoys bending their plans to fit His own. "A King to Rule" is the first book in the "Empire of Israel" series. This exciting Biblical saga continues in the second book in the series, "A King to Fight".

The Words of My Father


Yousef Bashir - 2018
    

This Narrow Space: A Pediatric Oncologist, His Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Patients, and a Hospital in Jerusalem


Elisha Waldman - 2018
    He had gone to medical school in Israel and spent time there as a teenager; now he was going to give something back to the land he loved. But in the wake of a financial crisis at the hospital, Waldman, with considerable regret, left Hadassah in 2014 and returned to the United States. This Narrow Space is his poignant memoir of seven years that were filled with a deep sense of accomplishment but also with frustration when regional politics got in the way of his patients' care, and with tension over the fine line he had to walk when the religious traditions of some of his patients' families made it difficult for him to give those children the care he felt they deserved. Navigating the baffling Israeli bureaucracy, the ever-present threat of full-scale war, and the cultural clashes that sometimes spilled into his clinic, Waldman learned to be content with small victories: a young patient whose disease went into remission, brokenhearted parents whose final hours with their child were made meaningful and comforting.Waldman also struggled with his own questions of identity and belief, and with the intractable conflict between Israelis and Palestinians that had become a fact of his daily life. What he learned about himself, about the complex country that he was now a part of, and about the brave and endearing children he cared for--whether they were from Rehavia, Me'ah She'arim, Ramallah, or Gaza City--will move and challenge readers everywhere.

Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu


Anshel Pfeffer - 2018
    It is told by a writer who has spent his career explaining the world to Israelis and interpreting Israel for a global readership.Benjamin Netanyahu was born a year after Israel. His story in many ways embodies that of the ideological underdogs of the Zionist enterprise: members of the right-wing Revisionist movement, the religious, the Mizrahi Jews who emigrated from Arab lands, the petit-bourgeoisie of the new towns and cities, who all were supposed to metamorphose into the new Israeli. It hasn't quite worked out that way. Netanyahu is also a child of America. He is in large part the product of the affluent East Coast Jewish community and of the generation that came of age in the Reagan era. He was formed as much by American Cold War conservatism as he was by his historian father's hardline right-wing Zionism. It is impossible to understand today's Israel without understanding this singular person's life. Netanyahu's Israel is a hybrid of ancient phobia and high-tech hope, tribalism and globalism--like the man himself. In the face of animus at home and abroad, Netanyahu has survived political defeat and personal setback. For many in Israel and overseas, Netanyahu is an anathema, an embarrassment, even a precursor of Donald Trump. But he continues to dominate Israeli public life and the Jewish narrative of the twenty-first century. As Israel approaches the seventieth anniversary of its birth, this one man more than any other embodies the nation and directs its fate.

Thou Shalt Innovate: How Israeli Ingenuity Repairs the World


Avi Jorisch - 2018
    This is the story of how Israelis are helping to feed the hungry, cure the sick, protect the defenseless, and make the desert bloom. Israel is playing a disproportionate role in helping solve some of the world s biggest challenges by tapping into the nation's soul: the spirit of tikkun olam the Jewish concept of repairing the world. Following Start-Up Nation's account of Israel's incredibly prolific start-up scene, Thou Shalt Innovate tells the story of how Israeli innovation is making the whole world a better place. Israel has extraordinary innovators who are bound together by their desire to save lives and find higher purpose. In a part of the world that has more than its share of darkness, these stories are rays of light. What people are saying about Thou Shalt Innovate: Thou Shalt Innovate gives the reader a refreshing glimpse at Israel's greatest natural resource, her people. It is no coincidence that the Hebrew prophet Isaiah prophesied they would be a light unto the nations. Susan M. Michael, US Director, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem Want to understand the Israel of today, the nation that leads the world in problem solving? Thou shalt read Thou Shalt Innovate! Seth M. Siegel, author, New York Times best seller Let There Be Water Thou Shalt Innovate is a book the world needs to pay attention to. In a rich and exhilarating narrative, Avi Jorisch outlines the roadmap for how Israelis innovate while making the world a better place, and how other countries and people can follow suit. Yaakov Katz, Editor in Chief, Jerusalem Post; co-author, The Weapon Wizards

The Key of Rain (The Age of Prophecy Book 2)


Dave Mason - 2018
    In his war against the idolatrous King Ahav and his Queen Izevel, the Prophet Eliyahu (known in English as Elijah) has brought a devastating drought upon the Kingdom of Israel. While all search in vain for Eliyahu, the Queen hunts the remaining prophets, driving the survivors into hiding. Our story follows Lev, an orphaned musician, who scrambles to keep the prophets alive while trying to mend the rift in the Kingdom. In the face of danger and temptation, Lev must strengthen his will or fall prey to the agents of Izevel's gods, Baal and Ashera. Rooted in the Ancient Oral and Mystical Traditions Authors Dave Mason and Mike Feuer spent years researching the Oral and Kabbalistic traditions detailing the inner workings of prophecy and the world of Ancient Israel. The Epic Story Brought to Life Learn the inner story of the battle, in a way that will reframe all you've ever heard about the Israelite Kings and Prophets. Engage in a Battle of Ultimate Will

Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus: How the Torah Fulfills Its Goal in Yeshua


Seth Postell - 2018
    This book addresses the questions about the believer's relationship to the Torah (the five Books of Moses, or the Pentateuch) and its commandments (the Law):Since Jesus kept the Law, are believers (Jewish and Gentile) also obliged to keep the Law, or at least some portions of it (Sabbath, the food laws, etc.)? What about the Oral Law (rabbinic traditions)? How does the Torah point to the Messiah? How do we apply the Law of Moses today?Though this book is based on more than a decade of academic research, it is written with the non-academic reader in mind and provides easy-to-understand answers to the questions related to the Torah and does so in a manner thoroughly rooted in a careful reading of the biblical text.

Archangels of Magick: Rituals for Prosperity, Healing, Love, Wisdom, Divination and Success


Damon Brand - 2018
    No matter who has tried to stop you, no matter how badly things have gone, angelic power can make your life turn into the story you want it to be.The mightiest of archangels are easy to contact, and it is their duty to help you. Using a simple ritual process, you can make contact with these angels, and they will respond, even if you have never worked with magick before.This is a book of practical magick, requiring no special equipment. There are pathways to wisdom, healing, divination, love, success and prosperity. When you dare to ask for what you really want, you are more likely to see your desires become real.You will discover:Archangel Sigils of Power. With over sixty powers for rapid learning, easy sleep, deep insight, healing, stability, peace and prosperity. You can clarify your messages, find serenity and establish safe emotional boundaries. Become immune to stress and remove traumas from the body. Silence those who speak ill of you, shield against attacks and lift the curse of fear. There are rituals for courage, love, creativity, intuition and imagination. You can break habits, unleash your emotions safely and recover from loss.Archangel Talismans of Power. These nine visual talismans inspire admiration, encourage forgiveness and persistence, increase mental clarity, clarify your emotions, make you see your own gifts, accelerate a decision, benefit from changes in your life and bring general good fortune.The Circle of Power. Five archangels work in harmony. In The Basic Calling, there is a method for daily protection and spiritual contemplation. The Advanced Calling gives you mystical insight into yourself and your life.The Ladder of Ascent. This method is ideal for desires that are clouded by doubts and uncertainty. Your request ascends through ten archangels so that each of their qualities can provide solutions, relief and providence.The Ritual of Divination. This working enables you to see your potential future and also shows how you can alter the future with magick.Archangels of Invocation. There are twelve unique sigils that enable you to invoke the archangels, to take on over forty qualities such as Persistence, Wisdom, Tolerance, Abundance, Calm, Genius and Musicality. There are qualities of Self-Knowledge, Communication and Charisma, with Creative Invention, Inspired Teaching, Empathy, Ease, Courage and many more.The Evocation of Archangels. This is a more advanced technique to call an archangel into your presence to work on problems that require interaction with the archangel. It can also be an excellent way to understand, develop and communicate your desires.This book contains the Secret Names, Invocation Keys, Words of Power, Evocation Keys, and over fifty unique images that make this all possible. It does not cover every archangel ever described, but works with the twelve archangels that are easy to contact and most likely to bring effective results.Archangel magick is like no other magick. It can be subtle, dramatic, beautiful and profoundly moving. This is not a simple how-to book or a collection of spells, but that does not mean it is complicated or challenging. Read it, use it and you will get results.Damon Brand is the author of many best-selling books of practical magick, and this is his masterwork, revealing secrets and powers that have never been shared before. If you believe in the reality of magick, this is power that you can't afford to live without.

Fly Already: Stories


Etgar Keret - 2018
    His stories take place at the crossroads of the fantastical, searing, and hilarious. His characters grapple with parenthood and family, war and games, marijuana and cake, memory and love. These stories never go to the expected place, but always surprise, entertain, and move…In "Arctic Lizard," a young boy narrates a post-apocalyptic version of the world where a youth army wages an unending war, rewarded by collecting prizes. A father tries to shield his son from the inevitable in "Fly Already." In "One Gram Short," a guy just wants to get a joint to impress a girl and ends up down a rabbit hole of chaos and heartache. And in the masterpiece "Pineapple Crush," two unlikely people connect through an evening smoke down by the beach, only to have one of them imagine a much deeper relationship.The thread that weaves these pieces together is our inability to communicate, to see so little of the world around us and to understand each other even less.

My Country, My Life: Fighting for Israel, Searching for Peace


Ehud Barak - 2018
    He would propose two states for two peoples, with a shared capital in Jerusalem. He knew the risks of failure. But he also knew the risks of not trying: letting slip perhaps the last chance for a generation to secure genuine peace.It was a moment of truth.It was one of many in a life intertwined, from the start, with that of Israel. Born on a kibbutz, Barak became commander of Israel's elite special forces, then army Chief of Staff, and ultimately, Prime Minister.My Country, My Life tells the unvarnished story of his - and his country's - first seven decades; of its major successes, but also its setbacks and misjudgments. He offers candid assessments of his fellow Israeli politicians, of the American administrations with which he worked, and of himself. Drawing on his experiences as a military and political leader, he sounds a powerful warning: Israel is at a crossroads, threatened by events beyond its borders and by divisions within. The two-state solution is more urgent than ever, not just for the Palestinians, but for the existential interests of Israel itself. Only by rediscovering the twin pillars on which it was built - military strength and moral purpose - can Israel thrive.Praise for My Country, My Life:"A riveting memoir of war and almost-peace by Ehud Barak, one of Israel's wisest modern leaders. Barak describes his missions for Israel's toughest commando unit with the passion of a born soldier. The most poignant passages of this book describe Barak's unsuccessful struggle as prime minister to hammer out a peace deal with the PLO's Yasser Arafat — in what proved to be one of the Middle East's tragic 'near misses.' Barak's love for Israel animates every page of this book." — The Washington Post"Ehud Barak's My Country, My Life is a powerful, must-read for anyone interested in peace in the Middle East and, indeed, anywhere in the world. As a journalist who has covered the peace process for many years, I thought I was pretty well-informed. But I must say: I learned a great deal by reading this beautifully written and very candid memoir." — Wolf Blitzer, CNN

Lone Wolf in Jerusalem


Ehud Diskin - 2018
    Using drama, adventure, and romance, Diskin has created a colorful and captivating story that entertains and educates through the exploits of main protagonist, David Gabinsky. During the war, after losing his family to Hitler's ''final solution,'' young David leads a courageous group of Jewish resistance fighters against the Nazis. When Germany is defeated, he journeys to Jerusalem, to find a new battle brewing. British occupation forces are entrenched in Israel, blocking Holocaust survivors from immigrating to their Jewish homeland.Determined to help his people find freedom, David uses his guerilla skills to single-handedly wreak havoc on the British. As he begins his dangerous quest, David meets and falls in love with the beautiful Shoshana, a young Holocaust survivor whose spirit may have gotten damaged beyond repair. Recounting the tragic losses and heroic triumphs of the Jewish people during this critical stage in their history, Lone Wolf in Jerusalem brings these events to life in a new and inspirational way, making them accessible to a new generation. Originally written in Hebrew, this book quickly became a best seller in Israel.

Finding Jesus in Israel: Through the Holy Land on the Road Less Traveled


Buck Storm - 2018
    And as any traveler worth his salt knows, the real trip happens within. Most Israel books are presented with a political, theological, or social agenda. Some are simply tourist guidebooks. Finding Jesus in Israel isn’t driven by agenda but rather it is a traveler’s journey—a book for travel veterans, people with wanderlust, or individuals who just love a good story.

Sadness Is a White Bird


Moriel Rothman-Zecher - 2018
    But he is also conflicted about the possibility of having to monitor the occupied Palestinian territories, a concern that grows deeper and more urgent when he meets Nimreen and Laith — the twin daughter and son of his mother’s friend.From that winter morning on, the three become inseparable: wandering the streets on weekends, piling onto buses toward new discoveries, laughing uncontrollably. They share joints on the beach, trading snippets of poems, intimate secrets, family histories, resentments, and dreams. But with his draft date rapidly approaching, Jonathan wrestles with the question of what it means to be proud of your heritage and loyal to your people, while also feeling love for those outside of your own tribal family. And then that fateful day arrives, the one that lands Jonathan in prison and changes his relationship with the twins forever.Powerful, important, and timely, Sadness Is a White Bird explores one man’s attempts to find a place for himself, discovering in the process a beautiful, against-the-odds love that flickers like a candle in the darkness of a never-ending conflict.

In Search of Israel: The History of an Idea


Michael Brenner - 2018
    Yet for Israel's founders, the state that emerged against all odds in 1948 was anything but ordinary. Born from the ashes of genocide and a long history of suffering, Israel was conceived to be unique, a model society and the heart of a prosperous new Middle East. It is this paradox, says historian Michael Brenner--the Jewish people's wish for a homeland both normal and exceptional--that shapes Israel's ongoing struggle to define itself and secure a place among nations. In Search of Israel is a major new history of this struggle from the late nineteenth century to our time.When Theodor Herzl convened the First Zionist Congress in 1897, no single solution to the problem of normalizing the Jewish people emerged. Herzl proposed a secular-liberal New Society that would be home to Jews and non-Jews alike. East European Zionists advocated the renewal of the Hebrew language and the creation of a distinct Jewish culture. Socialists imagined a society of workers' collectives and farm settlements. The Orthodox dreamt of a society based on the laws of Jewish scripture. The stage was set for a clash of Zionist dreams and Israeli realities that continues today.Seventy years after its founding, Israel has achieved much, but for a state widely viewed as either a paragon or a pariah, Brenner argues, the goal of becoming a state like any other remains elusive. If the Jews were the archetypal other in history, ironically, Israel--which so much wanted to avoid the stamp of otherness--has become the Jew among the nations.

Jerusalem: A Biblical and Historical Case for the Jewish Capital


Jay Sekulow - 2018
    Whether it is the blatant and stated desire of ISIS, Hamas, Hezbollah, or Iran to wipe Israel from the face of the earth, or the more subtle but equally insidious aim to delegitimize Israel's existence through efforts at UNESCO, the goal is the same-to get rid of Israel.Here is the book that defends, Israel's right to exist as a sovereign nation. As Chief Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, Jay Sekulow has fought with Israel hand-in-hand in some of Israel's most strategic, international battles. Now, he has pulled together the definitive and comprehensive look at Israel-one of the world's most controversial nations- and its importance to us as Americans and as a key focal point to the future of the world.He looks at the legal case for its prominence, as well as the historical and political rationale for its existence as a sovereign nation and homeland for Jews today, and encourages readers to stand with him against the hatred, lies, and efforts to delegitimize one of the world's oldest nations.

Uprooted: How 3000 Years of Jewish Civilization in the Arab World Vanished Overnight


Lyn Julius - 2018
    Jews lived continuously in the Middle East and North Africa for almost 3,000 years. Yet, in just 50 years, their indigenous communities outside Palestine almost totally disappeared as more than 99 percent of the Jewish population fled. Those with foreign passports and connections generally left for Europe, Australia or the Americas. Some 650,000, including a minority of ideological Zionists, went to Israel. Before the Holocaust they constituted 10 percent of the world s Jewish population, and now over 50 percent of Israel s Jews are refugees from Arab and Muslim countries, or their descendants. This same process is now repeating in Christian and other minority communities across the Middle East. The book also assesses how well these Jews have integrated into Israel and how their struggles have been politicised. It charts the growing clamour for recognition, redress and memorialisation for these Jewish refugees, and looks at how their cause can contribute to peace and reconciliation between Israel and the Muslim world.

What Justice Demands: America and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict


Elan Journo - 2018
    What justice demands, he shows, is that we evaluate both adversaries—and America's approach to the conflict—according to a universal moral ideal: individual liberty. From that secular moral framework, the book analyzes the conflict, examines major Palestinian grievances and Israel's character as a nation, and explains what's at stake for everyone who values human life, freedom, and progress. What Justice Demands shows us why America should be strongly supportive of freedom and freedom-seekers—but, in this conflict and across the Middle East, it hasn't been, much to our detriment.

The Holocaust and the Nakba: A New Grammar of Trauma and History


Bashir BashirYochi Fischer - 2018
    While these two foundational tragedies are often discussed separately and in abstraction from the constitutive historical global contexts of nationalism and colonialism, The Holocaust and the Nakba explores the historical, political, and cultural intersections between them. The majority of the contributors argue that these intersections are embedded in cultural imaginations, colonial and asymmetrical power relations, realities, and structures. Focusing on them paves the way for a new political, historical, and moral grammar that enables a joint Arab-Jewish dwelling and supports historical reconciliation in Israel/Palestine.This book does not seek to draw a parallel or comparison between the Holocaust and Nakba or to merely inaugurate a "dialogue" between them. Instead, it searches for a new historical and political grammar for relating and narrating their complicated intersections. The book features prominent international contributors, including a foreword by Lebanese novelist Elias Khoury on the centrality of the Holocaust and Nakba in the essential struggle of humanity against racism, and an afterword by literary scholar Jacqueline Rose on the challenges and contributions of the linkage between the Holocaust and Nakba for power to shift and a world of justice and equality to be created between the two peoples. The Holocaust and the Nakba is the first extended and collective scholarly treatment in English of these two constitutive traumas together.

Jewish Law as Rebellion: A Plea for Religious Authenticity and Halachic Courage


Nathan Lopes Cardozo - 2018
    The book delves into the contemporary application and development of halacha and pointedly protests many accepted methods and ideals, offering new solutions to existing halachic dilemmas. Rabbi Cardozo discusses hot topics such as same-sex marriage, conversion, and religion in the State of Israel and presents a critical analysis and explanation of the application of halacha.

TLV: Recipes and Stories from Tel Aviv


Jigal Krant - 2018
    This lavishly photographed cookbook focuses on the colorful streets of this Middle Eastern city. Find recipes for Tel Aviv's unsurpassed fast food like hummus, falafel, shakshuka, and sabich, the popular Israeli sandwich. On these pages you'll also see dishes common to the city's infinite restaurants, where chefs make poetic use of the eating traditions of their immigrant population and Arab neighbors. The result of this creative freedom is a fusion kitchen without rules and taboos.Nowhere is life celebrated more exuberantly than in Tel Aviv, the happiest and most progressive city in the Middle East. This coastal city is paradise on earth: great weather all year round, beautiful beaches, leading museums, unique architecture, and a flourishing economy. The inhabitants are handsome, young, and creative, and radiate an unbridled zest for life. This zest is captured in the incredible location photography throughout TLV.This is a cookbook, narrative, and photo essay in one beautiful volume. One day with this book in your possession, and you'll be booking a ticket to TLV as soon as humanly possible.

Reigniting Spirit & Truth: The Call of the Bridegroom


PD van der Westhuizen - 2018
    This is a special place that looks like Jesus. A place of power, boldness, guidance in the Spirit; and holy obedience to His Truth. It’s the Kingdom on Earth. It fills, it satisfies, it sets free, and fills a hole within mainstream Christianity.It’s not the Truth without the Spirit or Spirit without the Truth, it’s the fullness of Messiah that drips with anointing. He is calling and enabling a radical bride, who for the first time in history will walk in the full measure of law and grace. For most of the denominations law and grace stand in opposition, but He is calling worshippers of Spirit & Truth.Can you hear the shofar blow?Spirit: Join this journey of discovering our identity in Spirit to see the blind see, the demon leave and the dead raise. Most are not walking in this because the pendulum has swung all the way to the side where the scripture is important yet the Spirit is suppressed.Truth: Many also live on the other side of the pendulum, where the Spirit is walked out, but the Truth the Spirit wants to testify of, is not. Many have all along been ignorant of what sin is, that the new covenant is much bigger than previously thought, and how your identity as God’s people (Israel) will change your life forever."The book boldly proclaims repentance and a restoration of God's word (remembering the law of Moses) and also the equally important need to be led by the Set Apart Spirit. The time has come for believers to leave behind a half baked faith and re-ignite a burning passion for both Spirit and Truth, leaving neither behind." - Jake Grant (Now You See TV)Book Length: 160 Pages

To Heal the World?: How the Jewish Left Corrupts Judaism and Endangers Israel


Jonathan Neumann - 2018
    Believers in this notion claim that the Bible asks for more than piety and moral behavior; Jews must also endeavor to make the world a better place. This idea has led to overwhelming Jewish participation in the social justice movement, as such actions are believed to be biblically mandated. There's only one problem: the Bible says no such thing.Tikkun Olam, an invention of the Jewish left, has diluted millennia of Jewish practice and belief into a vague feel-good religion of social justice. In To Heal the World, Jonathan Neumann uses religious and political history to debunk this pernicious idea, and to show how the bible was twisted by Jewish liberals to support a radical left-wing agenda.Neumann explains how the Jewish Renewal movement aligned itself with the New Left of the 1960s, and redirected the perspective of the Jewish community towards liberalism and social justice. He exposes the key figures responsible for this effort, shows that it lacks any real biblical basis, and outlines the debilitating effect it has had on Judaism itself.

Come and See a Catholic GD to the Holy Land: A Catholic Guide to the Holy Land


Charles K. Samson - 2018
    Contemplate the mysteries of Our Lord's earthly life and ministry with appropriate biblical texts and the testimonies of both Roman historians and early Christian witnesses and writers.Fr. Charles K. Samson's Come and See will be a welcome companion for all who journey to the Holy Land to better know and love Christ.

Our American Israel: The Story of an Entangled Alliance


Amy Kaplan - 2018
    Beginning with debates about Zionism after World War II, Israel’s identity has been entangled with America’s belief in its own exceptional nature. Now, in the twenty-first century, Amy Kaplan challenges the associations underlying this special alliance.Through popular narratives expressed in news media, fiction, and film, a shared sense of identity emerged from the two nations’ histories as settler societies. Americans projected their own origin myths onto Israel: the biblical promised land, the open frontier, the refuge for immigrants, the revolt against colonialism. Israel assumed a mantle of moral authority, based on its image as an “invincible victim,” a nation of intrepid warriors and concentration camp survivors. This paradox persisted long after the Six-Day War, when the United States rallied behind a story of the Israeli David subduing the Arab Goliath. The image of the underdog shattered when Israel invaded Lebanon and Palestinians rose up against the occupation in the 1980s. Israel’s military was strongly censured around the world, including notes of dissent in the United States. Rather than a symbol of justice, Israel became a model of military strength and technological ingenuity.In America today, Israel’s political realities pose difficult challenges. Turning a critical eye on the turbulent history that bound the two nations together, Kaplan unearths the roots of present controversies that may well divide them in the future.

Israeli National Security: A New Strategy for an Era of Change


Charles D Freilich - 2018
    Yet, despite its overwhelming preoccupation with foreign and defense affairs, Israel does nothave a formal national security strategy.In Israeli National Security, Chuck Freilich presents an authoritative analysis of the military, diplomatic, demographic, and societal challenges Israel faces today, to propose a comprehensive and long-term Israeli national security strategy. The heart of the new strategy places greater emphasis onrestraint, defense, and diplomacy as means of addressing the challenges Israel faces, along with the military capacity to deter and, if necessary, defeat Israel's adversaries, while also maintaining the resolve of its society. By bringing Israel's most critical debates about the Palestinians, demography, Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, US relations and nuclear strategy into sharp focus, the strategy Freilich proposes addresses the primary challenges Israel must address in order to chart its national course.The most comprehensive study of Israel's national security to date, this book presents the first public proposal for a comprehensive Israeli national security strategy and prescribes an actionable course forward.

How Young Holocaust Survivors Rebuilt Their Lives: France, the United States, and Israel


Françoise S. Ouzan - 2018
    Ouzan reveals how the experience of Nazi persecution impacted their personal reconstruction, rehabilitation, and reintegration into a free society. She sheds light on the life trajectories of various groups of Jews, including displaced persons, partisan fighters, hidden children, and refugees from Nazism. Ouzan shows that personal success is not only a unifying factor among these survivors but is part of an ethos that unified ideas of homeland, social justice, togetherness, and individual aspirations in the redemptive experience. Exploring how Holocaust survivors rebuilt their lives after World War II, Ouzan tells the story of how they coped with adversity and psychic trauma to contribute to the culture and society of their country of residence.

My Delicious Life: delicacies from my mother's fusion Israeli cuisine


Victoria Avilan - 2018
    Really made me feel like I was in your mama’s kitchen stealing tastes by the spoonful!” Historical romance author TTThomas. Miryam Levy of Haifa, Israel is a talented artist, fashion designer, natural linguist, writer, Cessna pilot, actress, fortune teller, and a magnificent cook, who can feed five or fifty with the same ease. Miryam is also my adored mother and a tough act to follow. This book is my gift to Ima on her 85th birthday and a tribute to her rich and beautiful life. For years Ima collected recipes from family members and friends of different ethnicities. Her handwritten collection survived three children, four wars in the Middle East, five grandchildren, and a succession of birds, dogs, cats, and pet lizards. Ima cooked for armadas, often with leftovers for the next day. In these recipes I venture to preserve the flavors and aromas of my insanely happy childhood among my food-loving and cheerful tribe. There’s no calorie count here, but rather the sweetness of maternal love wrapped in dough and fried in sticks of butter, lots of powdered sugar on top.

Gershom Scholem: Master of the Kabbalah


David Biale - 2018
    . . not only captures Scholem’s scholarship, but also his personal involvement in the major issues, conflicts, tragedies, and triumphs of Jewish life during the last century. . . . [An] excellent new book."— Reform Judaism Gershom Scholem (1897–1982) was perhaps the foremost Jewish intellectual of the twentieth century. Pioneering the study of Jewish mysticism as a legitimate academic discipline, he overturned the rationalist bias of his predecessors and revealed an extraordinary world of myth and messianism. In his youth, he rebelled against the assimilationist culture of his parents and embraced Zionism as the vehicle for the renewal of Judaism in a secular age. He moved to Palestine in 1923 and participated in the creation of the Hebrew University, where he was a towering figure for nearly seventy years. David Biale traces Scholem’s tumultuous life of political activism and cultural criticism, including his falling-out with Hannah Arendt over the Eichmann trial. Mining a rich trove of diaries, letters, and other writings, Biale shows that his subject’s inner life illuminates his most important writings. Scholem emerges as a passionately engaged man of his times—a period that encompassed two world wars, the rise of Nazism, and the Holocaust. About Jewish Lives:  Jewish Lives is a prizewinning series of interpretative biography designed to explore the many facets of Jewish identity. Individual volumes illuminate the imprint of Jewish figures upon literature, religion, philosophy, politics, cultural and economic life, and the arts and sciences. Subjects are paired with authors to elicit lively, deeply informed books that explore the range and depth of the Jewish experience from antiquity to the present. In 2014, the Jewish Book Council named Jewish Lives the winner of its Jewish Book of the Year Award, the first series ever to receive this award. More praise for Jewish Lives: "Excellent" –New York Times "Exemplary" –Wall Street Journal "Distinguished" –New Yorker "Superb" –The Guardian

The Zionist Ideas: Visions for the Jewish Homeland—Then, Now, Tomorrow


Gil Troy - 2018
    Building on Arthur Hertzberg’s classic, The Zionist Idea, Gil Troy explores the backstories, dreams, and legacies of more than 170 passionate Jewish visionaries—quadruple Hertzberg’s original number, and now including women, mizrachim, and others—from the 1800s to today. Troy divides the thinkers into six Zionist schools of thought—Political, Revisionist, Labor, Religious, Cultural, and Diaspora Zionism—and reveals the breadth of the debate and surprising syntheses. He also presents the visionaries within three major stages of Zionist development, demonstrating the length and evolution of the conversation. Part 1 (pre-1948) introduces the pioneers who founded the Jewish state, such as Herzl, Gordon, Jabotinsky, Kook, Ha’am, and Szold. Part 2 (1948 to 2000) features builders who actualized and modernized the Zionist blueprints, such as Ben-Gurion, Berlin, Meir, Begin, Soloveitchik, Uris, and Kaplan. Part 3 showcases today’s torchbearers, including Barak, Grossman, Shaked, Lau, Yehoshua, and Sacks. This mosaic of voices will engage equally diverse readers in reinvigorating the Zionist conversation—weighing and developing the moral, social, and political character of the Jewish state of today and tomorrow.

Beyond Today: Israel At 70, the Amazing Story


United Church of God - 2018
    What’s behind the ongoing turmoil in this deeply troubled region? Does Bible prophecy give us insight and understanding? Where are events here leading? Be sure to read this issue carefully to gain the understanding you won’t find in other sources!Inside this issue-- Israel at 70: The Amazing Story-- God’s Enduring Love for Israel-- Israel’s Amazing Accomplishments-- Jerusalem’s Temple Mount: Center of Conflict-- A Brief History of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount-- Another Temple Mount Battle: Where Was It Located?-- Who Are the Palestinians?-- Mini-Study: Focus on the Middle East-- Finds Confirm Scripture, Ancient Jewish History

Beyond the Nation-State: The Zionist Political Imagination from Pinsker to Ben-Gurion


Dmitry Shumsky - 2018
      In particular, Shumsky focuses on the writings and policies of five key Zionist leaders from the Habsburg and Russian empires in central and eastern Europe in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries—Leon Pinsker, Theodor Herzl, Ahad Ha’am, Vladimir Ze’ev Jabotinsky, and David Ben-Gurion—to offer a very pointed critique of Zionist historiography.

The White Magick Spell Book: Wiccan Spells for Healing, Blessing, and Protection


Didi Clarke - 2018
    Within the pages of The White Magick Spell Book, you’ll find the rituals, spells, and information you need to make this better world a reality!To some extent, we’re all born with a natural desire to practice compassion towards other living things. But you’ll find that as you delve deeper into this branch of witchcraft that your compassion will begin to grow even more, until being a help to others is second nature. White magick has many practical benefits, but I you’ll find that the most important one is the transformation that takes place within your soul! What You’ll Find Each of the spells you’ll find in The White Magick Spell Book are broken down into easy, step-by-step instructions with plenty of explanatory notes to guide you through the process. It’s important to understand the “why” of magick just as much as the “how.”However, it’s my hope that these spells and rituals will help to expand the spiritual horizons of even the most experienced witch. They’re all one-of-a-kind, original creations based on my own observations in the craft—you won’t find these spells anywhere else!When you read The White Magick Spell Book, you’ll find a wide variety of magick meant to spread light and life. These include: Home Protection Emotional Healing Banishing Negativity Communicating with Guardian Angels Building Friendships And Much More! The World of White Magick Awaits You! Are you ready to experience all the benefits that white magick has to offer? Then buy The White Magick Spell Book today and witness its power for yourself!

Freedom and Despair: Notes from the South Hebron Hills


David Shulman - 2018
    Every morning is now a ritual of scrolling through our Twitter feeds or scanning our newspapers for the latest updates on fresh horrors around the globe. Despite the countless protests we attend, the phone calls we make, or the streets we march, it sometimes feels like no matter how hard we fight, the relentless crush of injustice will never abate.   David Shulman knows intimately what it takes to live your beliefs, to return, day after day, to the struggle, despite knowing you are often more likely to lose than win. Interweaving powerful stories and deep meditations, Freedom and Despair offers vivid firsthand reports from the occupied West Bank in Palestine as seen through the eyes of an experienced Israeli peace activist who has seen the Israeli occupation close up as it impacts on the lives of all Palestinian civilians.   Alongside a handful of beautifully written and often shocking tales from the field, Shulman meditates deeply on how to understand the evils around him, what it means to persevere as an activist decade after decade, and what it truly means to be free. The violent realities of the occupation are on full display. We get to know and understand the Palestinian shepherds and farmers and Israeli volunteers who face this situation head-on with nonviolent resistance. Shulman does not hold back on acknowledging the daily struggles that often leave him and his fellow activists full of despair. Inspired by these committed individuals who are not prepared to be silent or passive, Shulman suggests a model for ordinary people everywhere. Anyone prepared to take a risk and fight their oppressive political systems, he argues, can make a difference—if they strive to act with compassion and to keep hope alive.   This is the moving story of a man who continues to fight for good in the midst of despair. An indispensable book in our era of reactionary politics and refugee crises, political violence and ecological devastation, Freedom and Despair is a gripping memoir of struggle, activism, and hope for peace.

Moment of Truth: Tackling Israel-Palestine's Toughest Questions


Jamie Stern-Weiner - 2018
    Amidst a growing sense that the Palestinians’ long struggle for self-determination has reached a crossroads, if not an impasse, this volume seeks to take stock, draw lessons from experience, and weigh paths forward.Moment of Truth seeks to clarify what it would take to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict, to assess the prospects of doing so, and to illuminate what is possible in Palestine. It assembles an unprecedented wealth of expertise—encompassing political leaders, preeminent scholars, and dedicated activists from Israel, Palestine, and abroad—in direct critical exchange on the issues at the heart of the world’s most intractable conflict. Has Israel’s settlement enterprise made a Palestinian state impossible? Can the Palestinian leadership end the occupation? Is Israel’s rule in the Palestinian territories a form of apartheid? Could the US government force Israel to withdraw? In a series of compelling, enlightening, and at times no-holds-barred debates, leading authorities tackle these and other challenges, exposing myths, challenging preconceptions, and establishing between them a more sober and informed basis for political action.Contributors: Musa Abuhashhash, As’ad Abukhalil, Mkhaimar Abusada, Gilbert Achcar, Ghaith al-Omari, Ghassan Andoni, Usama Antar, Nur Arafeh, Shaul Arieli, Arie Arnon, Tareq Baconi, Sam Bahour, Sari Bashi, Shlomo Ben-Ami, Suhad Bishara, Nathan J. Brown, Diana Buttu, John Dugard, Michael Dumper, Hagai El-Ad, Richard A. Falk, Norman G. Finkelstein, Neve Gordon, Ran Greenstein, Yoaz Hendel, Jamil Hilal, Khaled Hroub, Amal Jamal, Jan de Jong, Leila Khaled, Raja Khalidi, Rami G. Khouri, Lior Lehrs, Gideon Levy, Alon Liel, John J. Mearsheimer, Jessica Montell, Rami Nasrallah, Wendy Pearlman, Nicola Perugini, William B. Quandt, Mazin B. Qumsiyeh, Glen Rangwala, Glenn E. Robinson, Nadim Rouhana, Sara Roy, Bashir Saade, Robbie Sabel, Dahlia Scheindlin, Daniel Seidemann, Michael Sfard, Muhammad Shehada, Raja Shehadeh, Sammy Smooha, Mark Tessler, Nathan Thrall, Ahmed Yousef, Ido Zelkovitz.

The Man Who Sold Tomorrow; Solomon Trone; The worlds greatest and perhaps only revolutionary salesman


Evans - 2018
    This was the man who negotiated with the Bolsheviks on behalf of General Electric and J. P. Morgan Junior before the revolution of 1917. In doing so he created a conspiracy that would shape the course of the world for a century. The book follows Trone from the First World War, when he was an advisor to Lenin and a representative of GE, to his death in 1969 as an American exile and unrepentant revolutionary enemy of Capitalism.Once kept as a closely guarded state secret, buried in the archives of Russia and the United States, this story can for the first time be told. J. Edgar Hoover head of the FBI had hunted Trone for over forty years. He was stunned at the life of Trone and said, “This is an amazing story.” But even he was unable to capture him. Trone was able to escape time and again because he worked for both the Revolution and for the U.S. State Department. He was not a double agent; he worked for both in an unholy alliance that aimed at global power. Solomon Trone’s life was once a legend that could only be guessed at by academics and intelligence officers. Now with the help of new materials from the archives of Russia it is told for the first time.

The Outcast & Other Tales


S.Y. Agnon - 2018
    Agnon Library, this volume opens with "The Outcast," in a first-time English translation, an affecting novella about the clash within traditional Jewish civilization between Hasidism and its opponents, and how that historic confrontation plays itself out within the heart and mind of one sensitive young man. Ten additional stories paint lyrical portraits of traditional Jewish life in Europe and the Land of Israelworlds on the cusp of seismic shifts and historic transformations. The volume is rounded out with nine nightmarish and surrealistic selections from Agnon's classic Book of Deeds. Miniature masterpieces which caused a complete reevaluation of his art and helped his readers understand how profoundly modern the master of the old-world pietistic stories truly wasa writer of world-class stature, recognized with the Nobel Prize in 1966, Hebrew literature's only laureate.

CLOWN SECRET


Ira Seidenstein - 2018
    CLOWN SECRET will reveal those universal principles which are immediately useful and will place the secret within the readers graspThe secret held tight by the finest performers relies on universal principles. CLOWN SECRET will reveal those universal principles which are immediately useful and will place the secret within the readers grasp.

From Rose Bowl to Rashi: A Unique Journey To Orthodox Judaism


Emunah Vered Murray - 2018
    The Murrays tell the beautiful story of their spiritual journey from being youth leaders in a Christian church to choosing Torah and Judaism. Read of their challenges, frustrations, joys, and eventual fulfillment in becoming their true selves.

How Muhammad Inverted the Judeo-Christian Tradition (Mike Muluk's Muhammad Series Book 2)


Dr. Michael Ignatius Muluk - 2018
    All three religions worship the same God, revere the same prophets, and they all come from roughly the same corner of the world. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all feature a god who communicates to us humans through intermediaries called prophets. For Muslims, the line of prophets also includes Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. According to Islam, over the ages, god gave humanity iterations of the same divine laws. Laws which are ultimately enshrined in the Torah, Bible, and the Qur’an. Laws which are meant to bring peace, prosperity, and justice throughout the world. If we believe in such a narrative, it is quite hard to understand, why the bloodiest conflicts in the history of mankind are the ones waged between the World of Islam and the inheritors of the Judeo-Christian Tradition? And even in times of peace, the ethics that sprung out from both camps created two different seemingly incompatible civilizations. Why is there such a massive divide between the World of Islam and the Judeo-Christian West if both branches are founded based on the teachings of the same Creator God? What part of the puzzle have we missed? Here’s a crazy thought: Could it be that the teachings of Muhammad are the exact opposite of what the Bible teaches? What if Muhammad created an anti-theology to the teachings of the Bible? Born Fatih Hamza al-Muluk, Dr. Michael Muluk is an Ex-Muslim turned Evangelical Christian, who has studied and lived Islam for most of his life. Being a combat veteran and a security consultant, he had the chance to intimately know both moderate Muslims and also Caliphate supporters in Europe, the Middle-East, Africa, and South-East Asia. His answers on Islam, leaving Islam, and terrorism on the popular Q&A platform Quora have been read more than one million times, and he is currently doing consultancy work for several governments in their fight against terrorism. This book continues right where “How Muhammad Stole the Judeo-Christian Tradition” left off. In this book, Dr. Michael Muluk explores how Muhammad’s Islam is an anti-theology of the teachings of the Bible. Indeed, Islam is such a stunningly inverted version of the Judeo-Christian faith, so that anyone who studies both religions should come to the conclusion that this simply cannot be by accident. In our day and age, Islam is the religion which will have the most impact on our lives, our freedoms, and our liberties—no matter if you are a Christian, Jew, Buddhist, Hindu, Atheist, or Muslim yourself. Don’t believe me? Just turn on the news! Nobody can afford to stay ignorant of what Islam truly represents. So, let’s take a look at how Muhammad inverted the Judeo-Christian Tradition.

Traces of Racial Exception: Racializing Israeli Settler Colonialism


Ronit Lentin - 2018
    Governing through emergency legislation and through practices of exception, emergency, necessity and security, Israel positions itself outside domestic and international law.Deconstructing Agamben's Eurocentric theoretical position Lentin shows that it occludes colonialism, settler colonialism and anti-colonialism and fails to specifically foreground race; instead she combines the work of Wolfe, who proposes race as a trace of settler colonialism, and Weheliye, who argues that Agamben's western-centric understanding of exception fail to speak from explicitly racialized and gendered standpoints. Employing existing media, activist, and academic accounts of racialization this book deliberately breaks from white, Western theorizations of biopolitics, exception, and bare life, and instead foregrounds race and gender in analysing settler colonial conditions in Israel.