The Accidental Zionist: What a Priest, a Pornographer and a Wrestler named Chainsaw taught me about being Jewish, Saving the World and Why Israel Matters to Both

by Ian Pear

Has Judaism failed? Well, kind of. To be sure, Judaism has enriched the lives of billions of people over the millennia, Jew and non-Jew alike, providing profound wisdom, ethical guidance and comfort & community in every generation. However, fundamental to Judaism s core mission is the fulfillment of a messianic vision that entails the perfecting of the world. Evil is to be destroyed; pain and suffering are to be eliminated; peace and prosperity are to reign supreme. The lion is to lie down with the lamb. And that, unfortunately, has not happened or as Woody Allen once put it, The lion may lie down with the lamb, but the lamb won t get much sleep. Judaism, therefore, despite its many impressive accomplisments, has yet to succeed in the one thing it has deemed most important. Why? The Accidental Zionist suggests that the answer is to be found by exploring an essential and often overlooked aspect of the reborn State of Israel. By relying on traditional Jewish texts as well as a piercing analysis of modern political philosophy, international relations and major trends in statecraft not to mention an ample supply of hilarious stories and fascinating encounters with a motley crew of interesting characters this exploration (and the Israel it hopes to engender) might just offer the means to rectify this historic failure ... and lay the groundwork for the fulfillment of Judaism s most lofty goal. This is a book for anyone who ever wondered why Israel matters whether to him or herself as an individual, to the Jewish people as a whole, or to the world in general.

296 pages, Hardcover

First published November 16, 2008

Reviews

[Ron Palzur · Rating 2 out of 5]

הסופר משתמש בשפה נחמדה וסיפורית ונוגע בהרבה נקודות מעניינות, למדתי ממנו דברים חדשים על אתיקה יהודית וכמה כוח יש בה ובהפצה שלה. הרעיון הגדול של הספר הוא שמדינת ישראל היא אמצעי להפצה של האתיקה הזאת לשיפור העולם ושהשפעה על אומות העולם בעזרת ערכים יהודיים יממש את המשימה היהודית להפוך את העולם למושלם וצודק יותר.
כל זה נשמע טוב בתיאוריה והלוואי שהמדינה שלי הייתה מגדלור של צדק בעולם אבל הספר לא מזכיר שום דבר בנוגע לפלסטינים, המזרח התיכון, פשעי מלחמה שישראל ביצעה ועסקאות הנשק הלא מאוד מוסריות שלנו. כמעט כאילו הסופר מתעלם מזה בכוח במטרה למכור ליהודי התפוצות כמה חשוב לעלות לארץ ולקדם את הציונות גם כשכרגע החזון הציוני נגוע.
קריאה מעניינת גם כשהיא לא תואמת את העמדות הפוליטיות שלי, אבל הלוואי היו עוד מימדים לדיון בו.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Ian's thinking--have enjoyed hearing him speak as well as reading the book.

[Ayelet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the stories about his personal life. Overall, though, this is a book about philosophy and that's just not my thing. I followed his arguments but I think he's overly optimistic about the positive impact that Israel has on the world.

[Ray LaMontagne]

Recommended by Sarah “Iain pears: “an instance of the finger post” or the Giotto/Raphael art history mysteries “

[Craig Bolton]

"The Accidental Zionist: What a Priest, a Pornographer and a Wrestler named Chainsaw taught me about being Jewish, Saving the World and Why Israel Matters to Both by Ian Pear (2008)"