John Judis’ ‘Genesis’ in spotlight at Ivy Bookshop
John B. Judis’
Author John B. Judis’ book, “Genesis,” was center stage at the Ivy Bookshop in Baltimore on Thursday night. His book goes back in history to the founding of the Jewish state of Israel in the Middle East. This happened early in the post-WWII period. Judis claims that understanding of that period, along with the U.S.’ role in it and the rise of Zionism and other related factors, may hold the key to ending the current “stalemate” between Jews, Palestinians and Arabs.
The then-U.S. President Harry S Truman was very “conflicted” about supporting the creation of a state of Israel, on both moral and geopolitical grounds. He wanted to be “fair” to both the Arabs and the Jews and favored some sort of a federated state. But, in the fall of 1947, “Truman decided to back a Jewish state at the U.N.”
The following May, he went ahead and “recognized the new state of Israel.” The book, all 446 pages of it, promises to be a good read and to fill in a lot of details and insights that are missing from other history books on this controversial and volatile period.
Excerpts of Judis’ comments made at the Ivy Bookshop are found on this video. The full title of Judis’ book is: “Genesis: Truman, American Jews, and the Origins of the Arab/Israeli Conflict.”
He also penned articles for “The New Republic” and “Mother Jones.”
Bill Hughes is an attorney, author, actor and photographer. His latest book is “Byline Baltimore.” It can be found at: https://www.amazon.com/William-Hughes/e/B00N7MGPXO/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1