Synopses & Reviews
Despite consensus about the importance of multigenerational analysis for studying the long-term impact of immigration, most studies in Israel have focused on the integration of first-generation migrants, neglecting key changes (in economic, social, linguistic, and identity outcomes) that occur intergenerationally. Rebeca Raijman tackles this important but untold story with respect to Jewish South African immigration in Israel. By collecting data from three generational cohorts, Raijman analyzes assimilation from a comparative multigenerational perspective. She also combines both quantitative and qualitative evidence with in-depth interviews and participant observation, thereby providing a rich and more complete picture of the complex process of migrant assimilation.
While the migrant subpopulation of South Africa has not received the attention that immigrant populations from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia have, as English-speaking migrants they are a powerful and significant group. Given the status of English as an international language, this study has important implications for understanding the expected assimilation trajectories of Anglophone immigrants in Israel as well as in other non-English-speaking societies. South African Jews in Israel not only contributes empirical material concerning immigrants in Israeli society but also articulates theoretical understanding of the social mechanisms underlying the integration of various generations of immigrants into a variety of societal domains.
Review
and#160;andldquo;A must-read book for everyone interested in Soviet-American relations in the Middle East.andrdquo;andmdash;Douglas Little, Clark University and#160;
Review
"No one has done a better job than Craig Daigle to explain the origins of the October 1973 war. He skillfully draws on recently declassified documents to make a convincing case that U.S.-Soviet dand#233;tente had the paradoxical consequence of raising the odds of war in the Middle East."and#8212;William B. Quandt, University of Virginia
Review
and#160;andquot;A perceptive and detailed account of the origins of the 1973 war, especially useful for the Soviet dimension.andquot;andmdash;Wm. Roger Louis,and#160;University of Texas at Austin
Review
and#160;andldquo;This is the first work to explore fully the impact of the super-power rivalry on the 1973 Middle East war. It provides a meticulous reading of newly declassified documents and a judicious analysis of international relations at the height of dandeacute;tente.andrdquo;andmdash;Rashid Khalidi, Columbia University
Review
andldquo;This book will contribute to a better understanding of immigration and settlement in Israel, contemporary Israeli society, and Israel-Diaspora relations, as well as the general corpus of literature on immigration, diasporism, and transnationalism.andrdquo;andmdash;Uzi Rebhun, author of The Wandering Jew in America
Synopsis
In the first book-length analysis of the origins of the October 1973 Arab-Israeli War, Craig Daigle draws on documents only recently made available to show how the war resulted not only from tension and competing interest between Arabs and Israelis, but also from policies adopted in both Washington and Moscow.
Between 1969 and 1973, the Middle East in general and the Arab-Israeli conflict in particular emerged as a crucial Cold War battleground where the limits of dand#233;tenteand#160;appearedand#160;in sharp relief. By prioritizing Cold War dand#233;tente rather than genuine stability in the Middle East, Daigle shows, the United States and the Soviet Union fueled regional instability that ultimately undermined the prospects of a lasting peace agreement. Daigle further argues that as dand#233;tente increased tensions between Arabs and Israelis, these tensions in turn negatively affected U.S.and#8211;Soviet relations.
About the Author
Rebeca Raijman is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Haifa, Israel. She is the coauthor of a book published in Israel about the political economy of labor migration in Israel.and#160;