Table of Contents

Prologue - half forgotten memories. The long and winding road; the advocates of revolt; a Jewish state in the land of Israel; looking for partners - revisionism in transition; the end of the socialist zionist dream; the first Begin government; the cost of Camp David; Lebanon - the escape of the Golem; defeat from the jaws of victory; Begin's Holocaust trauma; the massacre at Sabra and Shatilla and its consequences; Shamir - the man from Lehi; above and below ground; outlawing the Palestinians; between information and propaganda; the year of reckoning; the Shamir plan; forward to the edge. Postscript - down but not out.

Promotional Information

A critical appraisal of the right-wing Likud government's rule in Israel from 1977-1992. The different ideological origins of both Begin and Shamir are examined, as well as how far they were influenced by pre-war nationalist models in Pilsudski's Poland and Mussolini's Italy.

About the Author

Colin Shindler is Fellow in Israeli Studies at SOAS at the University of London. He was formerly the editor of Jewish Quarterly and Judaism Today .

Reviews

"A solid historical account of the Likud movement..." --Political Affairs "The author possesses a gift of knowing how to preserve the sense of pace and excitement that is the mark of Israeli politics." --International Affairs