Rating: 
Summary: enlightening open window
Review: Mr. Horovitz has succeeded in opening a window into life in Israel which only one sharing his hope for the dream of Jewish normalcy can fully appreciate. Living in Jerusalem for over ten years, as a Canadian immigrant, I too have been and continue to be challenged by the enormity of the task of Zionism. Mr. Horovitz has graciously invited us into his family to help us understand the dilemmas that Israel faces as it enters its second half-century of existence. Without a doubt, he has succeeded in elucidating the issues that make living in Jerusalem so challenging. Many of us who share his idealism also are becoming concerned with the deepening clefts in our society. For those who are actively participating in the Zionist dream, Mr. Horovitz has emerged as a powerful voice helping to express our concern with society's polarization, while at the same time continuing to hope that our dream will be fulfilled. Now that Israel's future existence is guaranteed by it's military and economic strength, and is de facto, if not fully de jure, recognized by its neighbors, our future challenge will be to define the nature of our internal society. Mr. Horovitz brings important insight into the challenges we face in defining our identity as a "normal" state. Serious reading for those concerned with the future of the Jewish state in these difficult times. A must for those concerned with the depth of the issues presented in world media.
Rating: 
Summary: New York Times Review of A Little Too Close to God
Review: Mr. Horovitz, the editor of the English-language Jerusalem Report, a sober, generally pro-peace-with-the-Palestinians newsmagazine, emigrated from England to Israel when he was 20, about 20 years ago. He is married with three young children, all of whom he knows will one day have to serve in the Israeli army, so he sees Israel from several perspectives: as a father and husband, as a journalist, as a Reform Jew in a country where Orthodoxy wields ever greater power, and, most important perhaps, as a moderate in a country in danger of being swamped by extremes. His various perspectives, and his writerly lucidity, make Mr. Horovitz's book one of the most informing about the state of the state of Israel we are likely to have. It also makes a powerful, convincing argument that Israel, having made semipeace with two of its neighbors and with the Palestine Liberation Organization, faces what might be its greatest danger. This is the rise of the sort of domestic fanaticism that led to the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the consequent loss of a common unifying purpose among an ever more fragmented population. There is no doubting Mr. Horovitz's love for his adopted country, the one place, he writes, where ''I care about what's happening with a passion that simply doesn't apply anywhere else.'' But he long since replaced the idea he brought with him from England -- that the Jews were good and the Arabs bad, that ''Jews couldn't possibly hate other Jews'' -- with a more sourly realistic assessment. Israel, in his portrait, is a place where a kind of pervasive rudeness makes everyday life unpleasant. It is also a country where 5-year-olds know about ''exploding buses and flag-draped coffins and ask, when it thunders, whether a war has started.'' The polemical heart of ''A Little Too Close to God'' comes in Mr. Horovitz's analysis of the peace negotiations with the Palestinians and the divisions that the agreements with Yasser Arafat have provoked among the Jews. He is unequivocal in his support of the peace process, not because of a love for Mr. Arafat (whom he portrays as mysterious, mercurial, savvy and opportunistic) but because it represents the least risky and most hopeful path toward a normal future. Mr. Horovitz makes no secret of his contempt for former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose policies, in his view, might have maintained the letter of the peace process but were carried out so grudgingly and meanly as to have wrecked its spirit. He sees the current prime minister, Ehud Barak, as Israel's last hope. For him, the cataclysmic Israeli tragedy, the annihilation of innocence, was the assassination of Rabin, an event that brought unmistakably to the fore the savage and irreconcilable nature of the intra-Israeli divisions. But he puts the assassination into a broader picture, one in which Israel's main strengths as a nation began slowly to be eroded, starting with the invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and following with the Palestinian uprising known as the Intifada. ''My worries are twofold,'' Mr. Horovitz writes: ''that the assumption of moral right, surely a key psychological factor in the successes between 1948 and 1973, has been blown away by the Lebanon war and the Intifada; and that the last of our military 'victories,' that turnaround from near defeat in the Yom Kippur War, . . . came a generation ago.'' The myth of Israeli invincibility, Mr. Horovitz argues, is just that, a myth, and the country's vaunted intelligence services have bungled their job disastrously several times in recent years -- by, for example, failing to predict the Intifada. Under Mr. Netanyahu especially, in this view, Israel succeeded in brutalizing its opponents without increasing its security. Meanwhile, Mr. Horovitz cites evidence that a kind of religious right wing is emerging in Israel that, on moral grounds, increasingly resembles the country's traditional enemies. Before the Rabin assassination, Mr. Horovitz attended anti-Rabin rallies sponsored by Mr. Netanyahu's Likud Party that he describes this way: ''I felt as if I were among wild animals, vicious, angry predators craving flesh and scenting blood. There was elation in the anger, elation bred of the certainty of eventual success.'' One of the elements that makes Mr. Horovitz's book persuasive is the richness of its detail, detail observed in his role as an Israeli citizen, as when, for example, he served as a guard at a prison for Palestinians in Gaza during an army tour of duty. Another element is Mr. Horovitz's open-mindedness toward opposing views, which he fully summarizes as he makes his own arguments. The anti-peace-movement position is represented by none other than Mr. Horovitz's brother-in-law, Natan, who is not an extremist but rather a West Bank settler convinced that the ultimate Palestinian objective remains Israel's destruction. In the end, the argument between the two men exemplifies Israel's growing division into two mentalities, two distinct Israels, with each side utterly convinced that the other is leading the country to perdition. Throughout, Mr. Horovitz writes elegantly, brightly and with a rather British self-deprecating sense of humor, which saves his book from heaviness even when he confronts the hardest questions. Many people will not like the views expressed here, and, indeed, Mr. Horovitz allows that a certain amount of invective has been hurled his way already, notably by American Jewish audiences he has spoken to on visits to the United States. But the worrisome portrait that he paints of his adopted country is too well balanced, too intelligent and too informed by love not to be given its due.
Rating:
Summary: The closest thing to living in Israel
Review: My friends and relatives often have an opinion about the ins and outs of Israel. However because they don't live in Israel themselves they can only voice what I call the "Two-week from inside a hotel opinion". Many times I find myself thinking or even saying, "You don't live here - so you will never understand". As one of the Characters in David's book, I now have a reference that touches all the right spots about living here. My 17 years experience in Israel has run parallel to many of David's experiences, reading the book made me laugh and nearly cry as I looked at my last 17 years. It also enhanced my worries about the future of this wonderful country. So to all the people with a "Two-week from inside a hotel opinion" please read this book.
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Account of Life in Israel Today!
Review: My two young children are wondering where mom has been for the past three days as I couldn't put down this Horovitz book! As a person who has had the opportunity to visit Israel many times, including a year in Jerusalem at the age of 20, and married an Israeli (he now is entranced by the book), reading this book brought back memories both happy and sad. Horovitz' personal style brings the reader into his home and onto the streets of Israel and surrounding countries. His stories had me at times laughing aloud as well as shedding tears. Through his explanations of the political and social situation of Israel, based on his front row seat as a senior journalist, he was able to bring the debate of left and right and concept of peace to life.Through out the book he also shares the views of close relatives with often differing and personal opinions. This honest account of Israel from the people who are there is a must read.
Rating: 
Summary: No Poetry with his Politics
Review: Sorry, but I couldn't get with this non-fictional narrative, too lacking in any poetics for my taste. Might be a fine book, just too loud and too little nuanced for this reader.
Rating:
Summary: Five Stars for Telling It Like It Is
Review: Thank you to David Horovitz for having the courage to present both sides of the internal Israeli debate cogently and, most impressively, sensitively. One need only visit Israel to know how passionately and fiercely people hold on to their arguments about just about anything. But Horovitz clearly is wrestling with the thousand and one challenges of living in Israel and raising a family there, recognizing the grays where others see only black and white. Kudos to him and to "A Little Too Close to God."
Rating:
Summary: A little too close to God
Review: The title of the book says it all. As a former resident of Israel for the best part of five years this book is a poigniant reminder of the ongoing ideological struggle and crisis of Israeli life. It reminds us that the crises of day to day life of those of us living in the 'West' are insignicant in comparison to those faced with trying to live up to their ideals at the same time as being responsible and loving parents. - All of this in a funny, readable and touching style - I thouroughly recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Chatty Book but....
Review: This book has some very strong points AND some very weak ones too, and on balance I think it is worth reading, but I definitely recommend that you proceed with caution!! Let's start with the strong points. For one, I found Horovitz's dialogues with his religious, West Bank-settlement-dwelling brother-in-law Natan to be totally fascinating. Horovitz does the reader a great service by allowing Natan's words and arguments to be presented so respectfully, and forcefully. By the end of their discussion (Chapter Seven - "On the Other Hand"), my head was spinning and I (a liberal, secular person through and through) actually felt torn between their two worldviews. I also couldn't help but like Natan, which really surprised me, especially since I honestly expected him to be a raving right-wing nutcase or something. But it's just not that simple! Similarly, I found Horovitz's conversation with his first cousin (Chapter Nine - "What Kind of Jewish State?"), the ultra-Orthodox ("with a less than Orthodox past") Shai, to be similarly fascinating. I guess my prejudices, and also conversations I have had with secular Israelis (when I studied in Israel back in the mid-80s), who seemed to hate the ultra-Orthodox as much or more than they hate the Arabs, had me prepared for Shai to be an intolerant religious zealot/drone with a simple, easy answer for everything, and a total rejection of secularism, democracy, and modernity. But nooooo, once again my preconceived notions were shattered, and Shai turned out to be a smart, worldly, highly educated, sophisticated, interesting guy. Very interesting, and once again, not that simple! Finally, I admired Horovitz's honesty throughout the book in discussing his feelings regarding living and raising a family in Israel, relations within his politically and religiously diverse extended family (almost a microcosm of Ashkenazi, Jewish Israel), and the pros and cons (from his perspective) of living in Israel vs. living in England or Dallas or something (in a humorous discussion with a recent Russian immigrant, it's the WEATHER, of all things, which turns out to be the most persuasive argument!). OK, so what did I NOT like about this book? Unfortunately, a fair amount. For starters, even though Horovitz admits right off that he doesn't really discuss the Israeli Arabs or the Sephardic Jews (not to mention the huge community of recent Russian immigrants), I still found it limiting and frustrating, especially since these three groups (Sephardim, Israeli Arabs, and Russian immigrants) account for a large majority of the Israeli population. A much worse flaw in the book is Horovitz's near-hysterical obsession with Benjamin Netanyahu. OK, I don't like Netanyahu either, but he WAS elected Prime Minister of Israel by hundreds of thousands of people, and I just don't see the need for page after page of Horovitz's rantings and ravings (sample: "Hate. Hate. Hate. That was Netanyahu...") about one individual. Then, there's the flip side, which is his POSITIVE obsession with Yitzhak Rabin and - to a far lesser extent - Ehud Barak. OK, I liked Rabin a lot too, and thought that he was leading Israel in the right direction, but c'mon, do we really believe that even Rabin could have solved ALL the problems which Horovitz points out (the religious-secular split, for instance?) Good luck!! At one point, Horovitz even admits bluntly that he had come to idolize and mythologize Rabin - but only since he was assassinated - and to view him as a symbol for the Israel he dreamed of. Does Horovitz have a right to do this? Sure! But does making Netanyahu and his supporters into "freaks," and Rabin and his supporters into martyrs and angels, accomplish anything? I don't see how; in fact, if David Horovitz is typical of the Israeli left, that country is in BIG trouble! What's scary is that if even an intelligent, worldly, political reporter like David Horovitz can become so hysterical, then what about the rest of Israel? Another problem with this book is Horovitz's apparent naivete (arrogance?) regarding the Arabs. OK, sure, I think that Israel somehow needs to make peace with its neighbors, but how on Earth does Horovitz know so much about the hearts and minds of Arab leaders he happens to have met or interviewed? For instance, based on having interviewed Palestinian leader Faisal Husseini "half a dozen" times, Horovitz comes to the conclusion that Husseini can't possibly desire secretly to destroy the state of Israel. Well, of course that MAY be the case, but how does Horovitz KNOW that for sure? And how can he be so "certain" that Bassam Abu Sharif, mastermind of several airline hijackings, is "genuinely committed" to a permanent peace with Israel? Who knows, Horovitz may be right, but as my Jewish grandmother might say: so, he's a mind reader no less? Finally, and I guess I shouldn't really criticize Horovitz for this, since I live in relative safety here in America (except for the violent crime, road rage, and even domestic terrorism here!), but the bottom line is that Horovitz is a privileged person, with all kinds of connections, and if the latest elections don't go his way (i.e., the latest election, in which the "hawk" Ariel Sharon defeated the "dove" Ehud Barak), he can leave Israel any time he wants. As he himself admits, he still has his English passport, his wife her US passport, and his kids one of each. Thus, for Horovitz, escape from Israel is just "a flight away." In a way, this actually makes the book MORE interesting, because knowing that he can leave at any time means that Horovitz can say things (or look at them more objectively) perhaps that those "stuck" there might have more difficulty doing. On the other hand, it also means that Horovitz is an Israeli with one foot always out the door, never totally "there." This almost makes me feel like I'm reading a book by someone on a (very) extended Foreign Service rotation or something, and leaves me with the uneasy feeling that the subtitle of his book is misleading. Horovitz may have been in Israel for 20 years, but he apparently still has never committed to a "life in Israel," just the "thrills and panic."
Rating:
Summary: Worth reading, but proceed with extreme caution!
Review: This book has some very strong points AND some very weak ones too, and on balance I think it is worth reading, but I definitely recommend that you proceed with caution!! Let's start with the strong points. For one, I found Horovitz's dialogues with his religious, West Bank-settlement-dwelling brother-in-law Natan to be totally fascinating. Horovitz does the reader a great service by allowing Natan's words and arguments to be presented so respectfully, and forcefully. By the end of their discussion (Chapter Seven - "On the Other Hand"), my head was spinning and I (a liberal, secular person through and through) actually felt torn between their two worldviews. I also couldn't help but like Natan, which really surprised me, especially since I honestly expected him to be a raving right-wing nutcase or something. But it's just not that simple! Similarly, I found Horovitz's conversation with his first cousin (Chapter Nine - "What Kind of Jewish State?"), the ultra-Orthodox ("with a less than Orthodox past") Shai, to be similarly fascinating. I guess my prejudices, and also conversations I have had with secular Israelis (when I studied in Israel back in the mid-80s), who seemed to hate the ultra-Orthodox as much or more than they hate the Arabs, had me prepared for Shai to be an intolerant religious zealot/drone with a simple, easy answer for everything, and a total rejection of secularism, democracy, and modernity. But nooooo, once again my preconceived notions were shattered, and Shai turned out to be a smart, worldly, highly educated, sophisticated, interesting guy. Very interesting, and once again, not that simple! Finally, I admired Horovitz's honesty throughout the book in discussing his feelings regarding living and raising a family in Israel, relations within his politically and religiously diverse extended family (almost a microcosm of Ashkenazi, Jewish Israel), and the pros and cons (from his perspective) of living in Israel vs. living in England or Dallas or something (in a humorous discussion with a recent Russian immigrant, it's the WEATHER, of all things, which turns out to be the most persuasive argument!). OK, so what did I NOT like about this book? Unfortunately, a fair amount. For starters, even though Horovitz admits right off that he doesn't really discuss the Israeli Arabs or the Sephardic Jews (not to mention the huge community of recent Russian immigrants), I still found it limiting and frustrating, especially since these three groups (Sephardim, Israeli Arabs, and Russian immigrants) account for a large majority of the Israeli population. A much worse flaw in the book is Horovitz's near-hysterical obsession with Benjamin Netanyahu. OK, I don't like Netanyahu either, but he WAS elected Prime Minister of Israel by hundreds of thousands of people, and I just don't see the need for page after page of Horovitz's rantings and ravings (sample: "Hate. Hate. Hate. That was Netanyahu...") about one individual. Then, there's the flip side, which is his POSITIVE obsession with Yitzhak Rabin and - to a far lesser extent - Ehud Barak. OK, I liked Rabin a lot too, and thought that he was leading Israel in the right direction, but c'mon, do we really believe that even Rabin could have solved ALL the problems which Horovitz points out (the religious-secular split, for instance?) Good luck!! At one point, Horovitz even admits bluntly that he had come to idolize and mythologize Rabin - but only since he was assassinated - and to view him as a symbol for the Israel he dreamed of. Does Horovitz have a right to do this? Sure! But does making Netanyahu and his supporters into "freaks," and Rabin and his supporters into martyrs and angels, accomplish anything? I don't see how; in fact, if David Horovitz is typical of the Israeli left, that country is in BIG trouble! What's scary is that if even an intelligent, worldly, political reporter like David Horovitz can become so hysterical, then what about the rest of Israel? Another problem with this book is Horovitz's apparent naivete (arrogance?) regarding the Arabs. OK, sure, I think that Israel somehow needs to make peace with its neighbors, but how on Earth does Horovitz know so much about the hearts and minds of Arab leaders he happens to have met or interviewed? For instance, based on having interviewed Palestinian leader Faisal Husseini "half a dozen" times, Horovitz comes to the conclusion that Husseini can't possibly desire secretly to destroy the state of Israel. Well, of course that MAY be the case, but how does Horovitz KNOW that for sure? And how can he be so "certain" that Bassam Abu Sharif, mastermind of several airline hijackings, is "genuinely committed" to a permanent peace with Israel? Who knows, Horovitz may be right, but as my Jewish grandmother might say: so, he's a mind reader no less? Finally, and I guess I shouldn't really criticize Horovitz for this, since I live in relative safety here in America (except for the violent crime, road rage, and even domestic terrorism here!), but the bottom line is that Horovitz is a privileged person, with all kinds of connections, and if the latest elections don't go his way (i.e., the latest election, in which the "hawk" Ariel Sharon defeated the "dove" Ehud Barak), he can leave Israel any time he wants. As he himself admits, he still has his English passport, his wife her US passport, and his kids one of each. Thus, for Horovitz, escape from Israel is just "a flight away." In a way, this actually makes the book MORE interesting, because knowing that he can leave at any time means that Horovitz can say things (or look at them more objectively) perhaps that those "stuck" there might have more difficulty doing. On the other hand, it also means that Horovitz is an Israeli with one foot always out the door, never totally "there." This almost makes me feel like I'm reading a book by someone on a (very) extended Foreign Service rotation or something, and leaves me with the uneasy feeling that the subtitle of his book is misleading. Horovitz may have been in Israel for 20 years, but he apparently still has never committed to a "life in Israel," just the "thrills and panic."
Rating:
Summary: Ghost Writer was probably Chris Rock
Review: This book was unbelievably hilarious. The paranoia and despair of the people of Israel over the suicide attacks cannot be reckoned with. You've just gotta read it to understand it!
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