Israel’s Declaration of Independence: Review of a Timely New Book

Israel’s Declaration of Independence: The History and Political Theory of the Nation’s Founding Moment, by Neil Rogachevsky and Dov Zigler (Cambridge University Press, 300 pp., $39.99)

The Israeli Declaration of Independence is historically significant, though historians have long held that it was not intended to be a foundational text of political theory. Unlike America’s renowned Declaration of Independence, which lays out a detailed philosophical argument for self-governance, republicanism, and natural rights, Israel’s has long been seen as little more than a pragmatic statement of intent. Even David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s preeminent founding father, who served as the county’s first prime minister and authored the final draft of the document, assumed that it would not be studied by future generations. And so the principles articulated in the Declaration have not been thoroughly examined — until now.

About the Author

Bobby Miller

Bobby Miller is an ISI Fellow at National Review and a graduate student at Georgetown University.

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Israel’s Declaration of Independence: The History and Political Theory of the Nation’s Founding Moment, by Neil Rogachevsky and Dov Zigler (Cambridge University Press, 300 pp., $39.99)

The Israeli Declaration of Independence is historically significant, though historians have long held that it was not intended to be a foundational text of political theory. Unlike America’s renowned Declaration of Independence, which lays out a detailed philosophical argument for self-governance, republicanism, and natural rights, Israel’s has long been seen as little more than a pragmatic statement of intent. Even David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s preeminent founding father, who served as the county’s first prime minister and authored the final draft of the document, assumed that it would not be studied by future generations. And so the principles articulated in the Declaration have not been thoroughly examined — until now.