Yaacov Herzog: A Biography

by Michael Bar-Zohar

On September 24, 1963, Yaacov Herzog arrived for an appointment at a London clinic. He was not there to see the doctor, but "Charles"—the pseudonym of King Hussein of Jordan. These secret meetings continued for nine years, during which time Herzog also covertly negotiated a agreement with the Imam of Yemen during that country's civil war, wove a web of contacts with Lebanon's Christian community, and met other world leaders. A rabbi, erudite scholar, and gifted diplomat, Herzog was one of the shining stars in Israel's leadership. He served as a close advisor to four Israeli prime ministers, and was ambassador to Canada. Herzog became best known for his public debate with renowned British historian Professor Arnold Toynbee, who had described the Jews as a "fossilized" nation and compared Israel's military actions against Palestinians to Nazi atrocities. Herzog immediately invited Toynbee to a public debate, reminiscent of medieval debates between Jewish and Christian scholars. Herzog's performance bested Toynbee and won international accolades.

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Professor Michael Bar-Zohar (Hebrew: מיכאל בר-זהר) was a member of Knesset (Labour) and wrote the official biography of David Ben Gurion. He has written thirty non-fiction books, and has been translated into sixteen languages, winning many international prizes. He is currently working on a biography of Shimon Peres.

Has written under the pseudonym Michael Barak.

Reviews

[Seth J. Vogelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing and interesting figure a bit forgotten today.