The Arc of a Covenant, Walter Russell Mead
The Arc of a Covenant, Walter Russell Mead
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The Arc of a Covenant
The United States, Israel, and the Fate of the Jewish People

Author: Walter Russell Mead

Narrator: Josh Bloomberg

Unabridged: 26 hr 14 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/23/2023


Synopsis

In this bold examination of the Israeli–American relationship, Walter Russell Mead demolishes the myths that both pro-Zionists and anti-Zionists have fostered over the years. He makes clear that Zionism has always been a divisive subject in the American Jewish community, and that American Christians have often been the most fervent supporters of a Jewish state, citing examples from the time of J. P. Morgan and John D. Rockefeller to the present day.

He spotlights the almost forgotten story of left-wing support for Zionism, arguing that Eleanor Roosevelt and liberal New Dealers had more influence on President Truman's Israel policy than the American Jewish community—and that Stalin's influence was more decisive than Truman's in Israel's struggle for independence. Mead shows how Israel's rise in the Middle East helped kindle both the modern evangelical movement and the Sunbelt coalition that carried Reagan into the White House. Highlighting the real sources of Israel's support across the American political spectrum, he debunks the legend of the so-called "Israel lobby." And, he describes the aspects of American culture that make it hostile to anti-Semitism and warns about the danger to that tradition of tolerance as our current culture wars heat up.

About Walter Russell Mead

Walter Russell Mead is James Clark Chace Professor of Foreign Affairs and Humanities at Bard College, Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship at Hudson Institute, and the Global View columnist at the Wall Street Journal. He served as the Henry A. Kissinger Senior Fellow in American Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations and as a Brady-Johnson Fellow in Grand Strategy at Yale University. He is the author of four books, including God and Gold and Special Providence: American Foreign Policy and How It Changed the World. He lives in Washington DC.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Sherif on February 11, 2025

If I were to recommend a book that captures the depth of America's unyielding commitment to Israel, this would rank highly, albeit with some reservations. It stands out in both commendable and problematic ways, but there is no question that it’s nonetheless an extraordinary read for anyone looking t......more

Goodreads review by Umar on May 30, 2023

This is one of the best books I've read in the past few years. Sober, dispassionate, and very informative. Analyzing the roots of American foreign policy, the various camps and competing interests that have emerged over centuries, attitudes towards Jews in America, and a fair bit of both American an......more

Goodreads review by Elise on July 08, 2022

A must read for anyone truly interested in the history of the US-Israel relationship, the intertwine of realpolitik, the reality of the American experiment, US power politics, and that dogged hatred called antisemitism.......more

Goodreads review by Stetson on March 25, 2024

The Arc of a Convenant is a magisterial work and gripping read that covers the entangled histories of Israel and America. The book is not only provides jaunty and insightful coverage of important trends and policy changes over the 20th century in both nations, but also also engages in a thorough inv......more

Goodreads review by Jenni on December 19, 2023

In its capacity as a history book? Fascinating. Basically an analytic tour through US foreign policy from WW1 to 2022. Style reminded me of John Lewis Gaddis: he connects the big picture with academic theory, and it's readable but requires you already have a working background knowledge. In its capa......more