Book review: Ari Shavit’s “My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel”

Here’s the part that I just posted on the Goodreads website:

“Ari Shavit pulls no punches. Settlers and peaceniks, Ashkenazim and Sefardim, young and old, military and civilian, business and recreation, not to mention a barely-functional government, are all scrutinized under his microscope. That said, "My Promised Land" reminds me of the Hebrew word "beinonim," possibly rabbinic in origin, meaning an individual who is neither a complete tzadik/righteous person nor a complete rasha/wicked person. This book is full of "beinonim." Ari Shavit loves his native Israel, and understands why some of the dirty little secrets of its origin took place. He's hoping that some semblance of sanity can be salvaged, so that Israel can continue to live, preferably in peace, for a long time to come.”

What I didn’t post there was my more personal reaction, as a non-Orthodox Jew living in the Galut/Diaspora—I found it discouraging, but not really surprising, that Shavit insisted that there was no future for secular Jews outside of the Jewish State because they’d all assimilate.  Sounds like some of the findings of the recent Pew Survey.  L