Zionism In An Arab Country

This book explores the relations between the Zionist establishment in Israel, and the Jewish community in Iraq.

In this work, first published in 1986, the author shows how the Zionists of the late Thirties related to the Arabs of Palestine and of the neighbouring countries, to what extent they perceived the existence of an ‘Arab Question’, how they defined it and how they dealt with it. The Arab question is as old as the Zionist movement itself. From the moment that Zionists began to immigrate to Ottoman Palestine in the last decades of the nineteenth century, it became apparent that they were not ‘returning’ to an empty land and that they could expect opposition to their enterprise from the inhabitants of the country they considered theirs. Comprising diplomatic, political, social, economic and cultural history, this book is a close analysis of the spectrum of views and opinions pertaining to Zionist relations with the Arabs.

Yosef Gorny examines the attitudes of Jewish settlers and Zionist intellectual and political leaders towards the Arab population in the period when Jewish settlement began in Palestine, and shows that the ideological principles of Zionism were a decisive influence throughout the world.

"Dr. Mazur's book is a must read! It will serve to uplift the young of our generation and strengthen their confidence and trust in the righteousness of the Zionist way " Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Moshe (Bogie) Ya'alon Vice Prime Minister & Minister of Strategic Affairs "Belongs in the permanent collection of core books owned by every person who loves Zion and cares about the welfare of the State of Israel " Zvi Hauser, Cabinet Secretary, Gov't of Israel "Definition of the problem is half the solution. Dr. Mazur's complete and comprehensive display of the core issues allows the reader to fully understand the Arab-Israeli conflict from the Zionist perspective and understand that world peace will not come from further Israeli concessions " Prof. Gabi Avital, former Chief Scientist, Israel Ministry of Education Chairman, Professors for a Safe Israel "With immense patience and the precision of a surgeon, Dr. Mazur allows the facts to speak for themselves which makes a refutation of Israel's right to exist practically impossible " Prof. Dan Meirstein, President, Ariel University Center "Dr. Mazur's book is the answer for anyone who wants to know the truth rather than the lies and distortions constantly hurled at the Jewish people and the Zionist enterprise " Dr. Yossi Achimeir, Director, Jabotinsky Institute "Dr. Mazur has revealed the secrets and dangers of post-Zionism and his stunning conclusions will contribute to the life-or-death discourse of our nation." Prof. Rafi Israeli, The Hebrew University

This book is about the social history of the Arab Jews—Jews living in Arab countries—against the backdrop of Zionist nationalism. By using the term "Arab Jews" (rather than "Mizrahim," which literally means "Orientals") the book challenges the binary opposition between Arabs and Jews in Zionist discourse, a dichotomy that renders the linking of Arabs and Jews in this way inconceivable. It also situates the study of the relationships between Mizrahi Jews and Ashkenazi Jews in the context of early colonial encounters between the Arab Jews and the European Zionist emissaries—prior to the establishment of the state of Israel and outside Palestine. It argues that these relationships were reproduced upon the arrival of the Arab Jews to Israel. The book also provides a new prism for understanding the intricate relationships between the Arab Jews and the Palestinian refugees of 1948, a link that is usually obscured or omitted by studies that are informed by Zionist historiography. Finally, the book uses the history of the Arab Jews to transcend the assumptions necessitated by the Zionist perspective, and to open the door for a perspective that sheds new light on the basic assumptions upon which Zionism was founded.

While Zionism and Arab Nationalism both have roots long preceding the interwar years, a turning point for both were the League of Nations mandates proclaimed after World War I. From European rule to the events of and leading up to World War II through to Israel's declaration of independence, this complicated and intertwined history is explored with the help of photographs, maps, details of key events, and profiles of the people involved.