The only solution to a land that is beloved to both the Israelis and Palestinians. Get rid of the borders and walls, the discriminations and differences. Love your neighbor.

Zionism is a racist, white-supremacist, colonialist ideology behind a racist, white-supremacist, colonialist program of terrorist, genocidal ethnic cleansing. There can't be anything as anti-Jewish, or "self-hating...," than the equating of Jews (as in being Jewish) with Zionism.

Joel Kovel's "Overcoming Zionism" is a well argued and timely book. The author argues that to achieve peace in Israel/Palestine the racist dogma of Zionism, as well as the founding myths of the state of Israel, must be cast aside. His is a vision for a one state solution which he calls Palesrael. The measure of the effectiveness of his argument can be judged by the hysterical wailing of the CAMERA/Front Page foot soldiers (see one star reviews).

Written by Clare Spark, Ph.D.

Not since Mein Kampf have I read such an incoherent diatribe against the would-be world dominating Jews, and he does mean Jews and Judaism, not just the utterly swindling, conniving, and ethnic cleansers of Israel (doing the dirty work of neoconservative-controlled late American capitalism). "Zionism," through exploiting the Holocaust and through its covertly racist belief system, is an illegitimate and expansionist state that should discard its "dark side" and cling to its higher ethical pretensions by giving way not only to the Right of Return, but in order to accommodate the returning (and reconciling) peaceful Palestinians it should adopt a socialist economy based on ecologically-sound small self-sufficient units of agriculture. Currently "Zionism" is not only murdering Palestinians and their homes as policy, but poisoning their livestock, and even sending their filthy sewage from the settlements into Palestinian water supplies. "Zionism" is also destroying the natural environment (like the Palestinians, nature is "Other"), and of course "Zionism" is utterly misrepresenting its own history and mistakenly calling the Palestinians (not themselves) terrorists. In fact, it is Zionism and its U.S. "Godfather" who have incited Muslim fundamentalism and hence instability in the region.

He even wants to reopen the case of the U.S. Liberty, thinks Jews were involved in 9-11, and on and on.

Now one might assume that Kovel is expressing the most extreme views of the anti-Zionist left, but it appears that many NGOs are advocating similar measures: boycotting all things Israeli, condemning Israel as an apartheid state, promoting the Right of Return, (and maybe establishing what Kovel describes as a secular-universal single state that would be determined by both its Jewish population and its now included and peaceful Palestinians?).

It should be noted by rational persons that Kovel holds that the right of self-determination does not in any way refer to "individuals," but to "communities." Yet he bases his whole moral argument on human rights and the dignity of the individual.

The psychoanalyst Kovel is not an historian or a political scientist, and his outrageous claims are not the result of archival research, but in those cases where his sparse footnotes exist, refer to the books of other anti-Zionists. The psychoanalytic part comes through in his characterization of the Zionists as delusional and paranoid. And did you know that the Nazis committed "atrocities" but the expropriation of Jewish property and jobs are not mentioned. His affinity group includes Norman Finkelstein, Noam Chomsky, Edward Said, Tony Judt, Ilan Pappe, Walt and Mearsheimer, but definitely not Benny Morris who remains attached to the ethnocentric and racist Jewish State. Ward Churchill is even in his bibliography.

Considering its author's background (a university professor) readers will likely be dismayed by Kovel's absence of critical thinking, its distortion of Zionist history and ideology, and the shrill tone that prevails throughout. Even for those on the left (as I am), this confused negation of every aspect of Israeli society, will prove highly unsatisfactory. Those seeking critical illumination on Israel or Zionism, from any political perspective, will do well to skip this wholly malicious and unhelpful work entirely.

This book is, indeed, a classic. It lies with such books as "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" and other blindly biased attacks on Zionism. Professor Kovel spoke at a bookstore recently and even a friend of mine who is sympathetic to the idea of a "one state solution" to the Israel-Palestinian conflict said he sounded "anti-Semitic." As he is Jewish by birth, I suppose this does make him a "self-hating Jew."

Hebrews, as a national entity, have a right to a homeland. Eretz Yisroel has been our homeland from early times, before Hebrews were driven out by the Romans. Jews have resided there, sometimes in small numbers, for all these centuries and Zion has resided in the minds, hearts and souls of Hebrews for all these same centuries. The language of Hebrew has been used as well; gravestones in Europe are written in Hebrew.

There is no argument that can deny these facts and there is no argument that can deny Hebrews their homeland.

Joel Kovel was a candidate for the Green nomination for US President in 2000. Given the Green Party's concern for the environment, I would expect such a person to show a little respect for the only nation on Earth that had more trees at the end of the year 2000 than it did at the end of the year 1900. But the author does not do so.

Kovel dedicates this book to his aunt, which is fine, and to Rachel Corrie, which isn't so fine. You see, Corrie died while interfering with Israeli counterterrorism operations, so such a dedication seems to me a little like dedicating a book to Horst Wessel.

Is Kovel a good Jew? Some people may care about such a question, but I certainly do not. Is Kovel right? No.

The author says that he loathes Zionism. Well, I am a Zionist, so there is a chance that we're defining Zionism somewhat differently. Kovel calls Zionism a bad idea. I, on the other hand, consider Zionism to be a component of human rights for all. If Zionism is a bad idea, then human rights are a bad idea, as well as Women's rights, rights for Pagans, and the anti-slavery movement.

What was Zionism all about? It was the idea to normalize Jews as human beings, allowing them to have rights of life, liberty, and property. Autonomy on land was simply one common and popular mechanism for helping to achieve this. It is neither arbitrary nor racist to say that people (including Jews, since Jews happen to be people) ought to have the right to live right here on this planet, purchase land from willing sellers, and live on their property. That's a general concept. It is arbitrary (and displays either bigotry, racism, or both) to say that people ought to have such a right unless they are Jews, or unless they are Jews who want to live in or near the Jewish capital of Jerusalem. And I think Kovel is displaying this arbitrariness rather flagrantly.

Jews, once they were emancipated and able to do so, did indeed pay high prices for land in the Levant, and they moved to the Levant in increasing numbers. Israel did indeed become a nation when the events of 1939 (in particular, the British White Paper) showed that Jews would not be able to have human rights in the region unless they had sovereignty there, the same sort of sovereignty that many dozens of other nations enjoy. Of course some nations are large, being sovereign over what could logically be called an Empire. Israel, on the other hand, is tiny and land-poor. Rather than find ways for Israel to purchase more land, some racists want to destroy the nation of Israel in order to get rid of human rights for Jews there. Kovel does not say this.

Since the author realizes that one function of Israel is to serve as a refuge for Jews of other nations, he boasts that Israel is a dangerous place for Jews. Of course, in World War Two, the Levant was less dangerous for Jews than Axis-controlled Europe, by far. I'm not too impressed with Kovel's argument here.

Kovel praises Rachel Corrie and the "International Solidarity Movement" (ISM) that she belonged to. I think this is misguided, and I think Marty Peretz (of the New Republic) and others have shown how counterproductive the ISM really is. Kovel does attack Peretz for saying such things, but I think this just makes matters worse.

Kovel then says that Zionism can only be "legitimated" in the basis of the Covenant. I think this is preposterous, and that the fact that Jews are human beings ought to legitimize any reasonable efforts by some of them to congregate in the region of their choice.

The author says that no nation has a right to exist. I might even agree with those words, but probably not with Kovel's meaning. That is, I think nations simply exist (and have reasons to exist rather than "rights" to exist), and that no one has a right to destroy them, especially in order to get rid of the human rights of their inhabitants. Kovel, on the other hand, is trying to come up with an excuse for doing just that, and doing it just to Israel (even though it happens to be one of the more useful and productive nations in the region and in the world).

Kovel claims that he favors respect for the dignity of the individual, but I sure don't see him display it. He claims to favor responsibility and justice, and I don't see him do that either. He says he is against special pleading, but this whole book is special pleading. He says he does not think past suffering ought to justify wrongdoing, but I'm not making an argument that has to do with past suffering nor one that tries to justify wrongdoing. He's the one who is regarding Israel as special, not me. And Kovel does advise us to speak the truth, something I'm doing my best to follow (and something I wish Kovel would be better at). I favor life, humans, civilization, truth, justice, and human rights. I see what Kovel advocates as being contrary to human rights and justice. And I think he's not being honest with his readers.

I do not recommend this book.

This book stands with, if not surpassing Uri Davis' Apartheid Israel, Akiva Orr's Israel, and John Rose's book The Myths of Zionism. With a unique combination of history, psychoalalytic insight, and truly excellent writing, it weaves so many important threads together, from the bad consicience that haunts the modern Zionist to the political machinations that have given rise to the state of Israel and the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.

As someone that has travelled to Occupied Palestine on a number of occaisons and volunteered with the ISM, this book should be read by activists and all who are concerned about the people of Israel/Palestine. Forget the usual political analysis, the dogmatic attachment to the 2 state solution, the never ending "peace (piece?) process," that never brings peace, this book identifies the illness which is Zionism, and the need for Justice for Palestinians, which will bring peace someday.

Kovel's book is the best survey of Zionism, its roots, its outcomes and why it is one of the most destructive ideologies today for Jews, Palestinians and the rest of the world. The primary conclusion that he draws is that the primary road to peace is the dismantling of Zionist ideology as a whole and putting in its place a construct based on Universal human rights and respect for the human dignity of all individuals.

What is unique about his analysis is that he looks at Zionism from all angles - including its psychological, sociological, religious, economic and geopolitical aspects. He then looks at the state of Israel and how the marriage of Zionism with all instutions of the state and society has created a haven for Jewish religious fanaticism, militancy, violence and racism. These aspects of the state and society are, because of the nature of Zionism, ever-increasing and becoming more and more dangerous, with no mechasims for self-correction.

For Zionists, hardcore believers or passive acceptors, reading this book will present them with a perspective that they have not likely heard before and a very important reality adjustment for their world view. For non-Zionists it will enable them to understand what exactly is so problematic with this Zionist ideology which has resulted in such strife for almost a century. Finally it presents a prescription for action to overcome Zionism both in Israel, the US and everywhere else.

I cannot recommend this book enough.

Kovel deepens the debate over Zionism. He writes powerfully, from a position fully cognizant and respectful of the highest ethical standards in Jewish tradition. He shows, more effectively than any other writer I know, the utter groundlessness of the the accusation that those who reject Zionism are thereby "antisemitic." He demonstrates that the Zionist project has been from its outset a colonial one, and thus an aberration from traditions of respect for human rights (including those of Judaisnm itself). It is important to note that when Kovel speaks of "overcoming" Zionism, he is not thinking of its being vanquished militarily; he is speaking of transcending it. His prose speaks to what is noblest in all of us. Transcending an agenda like that of Zionism means bringing about reconciliation: in this case overcoming not only the political conflict between two peoples claiming the same land, but also the differences within the Jewish community which, especially in the United States, have made the full and open airing of these underlying issues almost taboo.