Benzion Netanyahu (1910–2012)
Author of The Origins of the Inquisition in Fifteenth Century Spain
About the Author
Image credit: Benzion Netanyahu
Works by Benzion Netanyahu
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Netanyahu, Benzion
- Legal name
- נתניהו, בנציון
- Birthdate
- 1910-03-25
- Date of death
- 2012-04-30
- Gender
- male
- Education
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Occupations
- historian
editor
professor
Zionist - Relationships
- Netanyahu, Benjamin (son)
Netanyahu, Yonatan (son)
Netanyahu, Iddo (son) - Short biography
- Benzion Netanyahu was born Benzion Mileikowsky in Warsaw, then part of the Russian Empire, to a Jewish family. His father was a rabbi and Zionist activist, and in 1920 took his family to the British Mandate of Palestine. It was common practice for emigrants to adopt Hebrew names after their arrival. Netanyahu attended a teachers seminary and Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he majored in history. He specialized in the history of medieval Spanish Jews and was the author of several books, including his magnum opus, The Origins of the Inquisition in Fifteenth Century Spain (1995). In the 1930s, Netanyahu became active in the Revisionist Zionist movement and moved to New York City to serve as the personal secretary of Ze'ev Jabotinsky, the "father" of the movement. He also served as executive director of the New Zionist Organization of America. In 1944, he married Tzila Segal, and the couple had three sons, including future Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Following Israel's declaration of independence in 1948, Netanyahu returned to Israel and became the chief editor of the Encyclopaedia Hebraica. In 1957, he went back to the USA to teach in the Hebrew Language Department of Dropsie College in Philadephia and the Hebraic Studies Department of the University of Denver. Later he became a professor of Judaic Studies at Cornell University.
In the late summer of 1976, the family returned to live in Israel permanently. - Nationality
- Israel
- Birthplace
- Warsaw, Poland, Russian Empire
- Places of residence
- Jerusalem, Israel
New York, New York, USA - Place of death
- Jerusalem, Israel
- Associated Place (for map)
- Israel
Members
Reviews
I dragged my feet on this review because, quite frankly and honestly, there's just too much to say. Prohibitively so. But the show, and the review, must go on, so please bear with me as I try to navigate what is a great, if more than a little incendiary book.
First, a little history: the writer of the book Benzion Netenyahu is/was (he died last April) the father of Israel's current Prime Minister Benyamin 'Bibi' Netenyahu. He, the father, was a staunch and unbending revisionist zionist from show more poland who worked closely with one of the subjects of this book Zeev Jabotinksy. That having been said, let me make it clear that this is a book that makes absolutely no effort at neutrality or impartiality. It and the author have a clear agenda and they make it known. And this is to the book's benefit. Because unlike many would be ideologues out there, Benzion backs up all of his assertions with facts and evidence. Though the facts and assertions can, as always, be debated or questioned, the fact that he so studiously and arduously builds up each of his arguments is a testament not only to his scholarly mind but also to the true respect he has for the cause he's championing.
Now, this passion can burn painfully though as, again, completely eschewing any sense of impartiality, Benzion casts more than a few judgments on people whom he seems to apparently know better than they know themselves. While people like Chaim Weizman and Ahad Ha'am may have made some questionable decisions in their time (and they certainly did) Benzion casts them down into the fires of historical irrelevance when compared to the five men of whom he's writing whom he, conversely at times, elevates to near god-like status. Hell, in writing about Herzl, Benzion makes a clear comparison between him and Moses which, I can only imagine, may come off as over the top to some and even somewhat blasphemous to others.
But more than anything this book was a surprising historical and cultural powerhouse, especially given it's relatively short 270 page length. Learning about the likes of Zangwill and Nordau was a revelation to me as it showed, once again, that one need not always be a soldier in the literal sense to truly and effectively fight for a worthy cause. The pen and the sword, indeed.
However, as with most books having to do with Judaism, Zionism, Israel, the final taste left is a bittersweet one. On the one hand we have these five men who gave themselves entirely to a cause and a people. They did this only to have said cause be hijacked by unworthy elements, short sighted fools from every side of the political, cultural, and religious spectrum. Jabotinksy did more for Israel and Jews than most could dare dream and only a few years ago an Israeli politician wanted his name removed from the school curriculum, to be 'de-emphasized' for something state and government approved. Disgusting.
One dictum occurred to me as I was reading this book, and one just now as I was writing this review. The first was the french proverb of 'The more things change, the more they stay the same'. How hard these men fought only to be pushed aside and shunted when the fighting, the hard part, was done, and how easily and even gleefully their messages have been misinterpreted and mishandled, twisted and contorted into something completely different. What a microcosm of not only Jewish history or even the history of any oppressed minority group, but of humanity in general, that those genuinely good who try to effect real change, are overcome by the apathy and iniquity of the majority. I don't know, I'm reminded of Bill Hicks when he spoke about those 'good guys' who try to actually do good, and then we, as a people 'kill 'em'.
The second dictum was this, a quote from the 1997 film Se7en: "Ernest Hemingway once wrote, 'The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.' I agree with the second part.". That sums it up as well as is possible, I think. show less
First, a little history: the writer of the book Benzion Netenyahu is/was (he died last April) the father of Israel's current Prime Minister Benyamin 'Bibi' Netenyahu. He, the father, was a staunch and unbending revisionist zionist from show more poland who worked closely with one of the subjects of this book Zeev Jabotinksy. That having been said, let me make it clear that this is a book that makes absolutely no effort at neutrality or impartiality. It and the author have a clear agenda and they make it known. And this is to the book's benefit. Because unlike many would be ideologues out there, Benzion backs up all of his assertions with facts and evidence. Though the facts and assertions can, as always, be debated or questioned, the fact that he so studiously and arduously builds up each of his arguments is a testament not only to his scholarly mind but also to the true respect he has for the cause he's championing.
Now, this passion can burn painfully though as, again, completely eschewing any sense of impartiality, Benzion casts more than a few judgments on people whom he seems to apparently know better than they know themselves. While people like Chaim Weizman and Ahad Ha'am may have made some questionable decisions in their time (and they certainly did) Benzion casts them down into the fires of historical irrelevance when compared to the five men of whom he's writing whom he, conversely at times, elevates to near god-like status. Hell, in writing about Herzl, Benzion makes a clear comparison between him and Moses which, I can only imagine, may come off as over the top to some and even somewhat blasphemous to others.
But more than anything this book was a surprising historical and cultural powerhouse, especially given it's relatively short 270 page length. Learning about the likes of Zangwill and Nordau was a revelation to me as it showed, once again, that one need not always be a soldier in the literal sense to truly and effectively fight for a worthy cause. The pen and the sword, indeed.
However, as with most books having to do with Judaism, Zionism, Israel, the final taste left is a bittersweet one. On the one hand we have these five men who gave themselves entirely to a cause and a people. They did this only to have said cause be hijacked by unworthy elements, short sighted fools from every side of the political, cultural, and religious spectrum. Jabotinksy did more for Israel and Jews than most could dare dream and only a few years ago an Israeli politician wanted his name removed from the school curriculum, to be 'de-emphasized' for something state and government approved. Disgusting.
One dictum occurred to me as I was reading this book, and one just now as I was writing this review. The first was the french proverb of 'The more things change, the more they stay the same'. How hard these men fought only to be pushed aside and shunted when the fighting, the hard part, was done, and how easily and even gleefully their messages have been misinterpreted and mishandled, twisted and contorted into something completely different. What a microcosm of not only Jewish history or even the history of any oppressed minority group, but of humanity in general, that those genuinely good who try to effect real change, are overcome by the apathy and iniquity of the majority. I don't know, I'm reminded of Bill Hicks when he spoke about those 'good guys' who try to actually do good, and then we, as a people 'kill 'em'.
The second dictum was this, a quote from the 1997 film Se7en: "Ernest Hemingway once wrote, 'The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.' I agree with the second part.". That sums it up as well as is possible, I think. show less
I gave this book five stars because Netanyahu takes the subject seriously and has done meticulous research. It ain't no easy read.
NO OF PAGES: 1384 SUB CAT I: Spanish Jews SUB CAT II: Anti-Semitism SUB CAT III: History DESCRIPTION: The Spanish Inquisition was responsible for one of the fiercest repressions in human history. It fused the triple evil of a police state, a totalitarian ideology, and racial persecution. This work is outstanding and thorough.NOTES: SUBTITLE: In Fifteenth Century Spain
Awards
You May Also Like
Statistics
- Works
- 7
- Members
- 444
- Popularity
- #55,178
- Rating
- 4.2
- Reviews
- 3
- ISBNs
- 17
- Languages
- 3
- Favorited
- 1