An incisive account of the foreign policy beliefs of American Jews
from the nineteenth century to the present How do American Jews
envision their role in the world? Are they tribal—a people whose
obligations extend solely to their own? Or are they prophetic—a
light unto nations, working to repair the world? The Star and the
Stripes is an original, provocative interpretation of the effects of
these worldviews on the foreign policy beliefs of American Jews since
the nineteenth century. Michael Barnett argues that it all begins with
the political identity of American Jews. As Jews, they are committed
to their people's survival. As Americans, they identify with, and
believe their survival depends on, the American principles of
liberalism, religious freedom, and pluralism. This identity and search
for inclusion form a political theology of prophetic Judaism that
emphasizes the historic mission of Jews to help create a world of
peace and justice. The political theology of prophetic Judaism
accounts for two enduring features of the foreign policy beliefs of
American Jews. They exhibit a cosmopolitan sensibility, advocating on
behalf of human rights, humanitarianism, and international law and
organizations. They also are suspicious of nationalism—including
their own. Contrary to the conventional wisdom that American Jews are
natural-born Jewish nationalists, Barnett charts a long history of
ambivalence; this ambivalence connects their early rejection of
Zionism with the current debate regarding their attachment to Israel.
And, Barnett contends, this growing ambivalence also explains the
rising popularity of humanitarian and social justice movements among
American Jews. Rooted in the understanding of how history shapes a
political community's sense of the world, The Star and the Stripes is
a bold reading of the past, present, and possible future foreign
policies of American Jews.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781400880607
Publisert
2016
Utgiver
Vendor
Princeton University Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter