A Threat from Within presents a history of Jewish opposition to Zionism, and challenges the myths that lie at the very root of contemporary or 'new' anti-Semitism. A principled and enduring opposition to Zionism has come from spiritual leaders of Judaism and has not died away despite the State of Israel existence as an imposing military power. The violence in Israel/Palestine acquires a different meaning when seen in the context of internal opposition to Zionism. Dire warnings voiced at the birth of Zionism now sound prophetic. The anti-Zionists have claimed all along that far from 'solving the Jewish question' and offering Jews a safe haven, Zionism would only fan hatred of the Jews. A Threat from Within and its seemingly paradoxical theme - Jews opposing Zionism in the name of Judaism - will fascinate a wide range of readers from different political and religious orientations. Yakov Rabkin's book has been translated into several languages and has been nominated for the 2006 Governor General's Literary Awards, Canada's most prestigious literary prize.

There's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in. These words by the poet Leonard Cohen could aptly describe this book, which takes history as a witness to the exceptional nature of Zionism in Jewish history. It explains many points of discord between the political ideology of Zionism and what most people consider Judaism. It also shows how Jewish traditional conscience offers a hope for the solution of the Middle East crisis. The conflicts in Israel/Palestine acquire a different meaning when seen in the context of Jewish opposition to Zionism. This book has attracted Jewish and non-Jewish readers alike who find this story inspiring in today $1 (Bs world of mobile identities.

Drawing on overlooked pages of history, including Jewish religious critiques of Zionism, Yakov Rabkin shows that Zionism was conceived as a break with Judaism and Jewish continuity. Israel's past and present must be seen in the context of European ethnic nationalism, colonial expansion and geopolitical interests, rather than as an incarnation of Biblical prophecies or a culmination of Jewish history. Dispelling the notion that every Jew is a Zionist and therefore a natural advocate for Israel, Rabkin also points to the Protestant roots of Zionism, explaining the particular support for Israel in the United States.