A Poor vehicle for Important Opinions
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Eva Figes has important things to say about the foundation of Israel and the position of secular Jews throughout the world. However, this little book is a poor vehicle for the things that this author has to say. The book begins with the history of her own family who fled from Berlin to Britain in 1939, and takes up the story of the reunion with their Jewish housekeeper Edith who managed to survive life under the Nazis in Germany and subsequently emigrated to Israel. The life Edith led in Israel was very unpleasant and she was subject to a good deal of prejudice for being a German Jew. A major structural fault then occurs in the narrative in that it becomes a polemic against the American role in the establishment of Israel and modern Israeli political attitudes. The stories of Edith and the author's family are now completely set aside. Figes expresses views that are important and not often heard in a Western world dominated by pro-Israeli opinion, but the quality of writing and construction in this book are so poor it cannot be recommended.
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