Review: ‘Israel and Civilization’, by Josh Hammer  

This is another excellent book written in the aftermath of the Hamas attack of October 7th and one which in part draws upon the author’s own visits to Israel. Hammer is an experienced journalist, the senior editor-at-large of Newsweek, and is also trained as a constitutional attorney. His expertise comes through in the ‘Civilisation’ part of the book. The subtitle, The Fate of Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West, indicates Hammer’s belief that the Jewish people and the State of Israel are on the frontline of the West’s battle against Islamism. 

Origins and values of Western civilisation

There is clearly much here in common with the writings of Melanie Phillips, also a Jewish writer with an understanding of how Judaic principles relate to Christianity. For Hammer, he is concerned that contemporary young Americans become aware of the origins and values of their civilisation and are prepared to stand up for them. He argues the same for the West in general, Western civilisation being defined as the broader Judeo-Christian order which began at Mount Sinai with God’s revelation to the Israelites and the formation of Israel as a people under God. In short, it is Jewish morality and the subsequent distinction between right and wrong which is the bedrock of Western societies. 

A couple of chapters may be a little tedious for those already well aware of the facts he is expressing but even here there are some useful historical summaries of Jewish nationalism. He concludes that the battle for Jewish nationalism is only partially about the Jews. It is really a battle for the soul of the West. 

As he writes:  “Just as Christians should appreciate the value and utility of their Jewish allies in the broader struggle to ward off the subjugation of Western civilisation at the hands of homogenizing global liberalism, cancerous wokeism, and imperial Islamism, so, too, should Jews reciprocate in kind to their Christian allies engaged in the same struggle. ”

He concludes that the battle for Jewish nationalism is only partially about the Jews. It is really a battle for the soul of the West. 

Although written in the aftermath of the Hamas massacre of October 7th, the book was produced before the recent US/Israel v Iran war, which makes some of his comments in this area of world politics particularly prescient. 

One criticism might be that in general he sees things in terms of black or white, but this can be useful in sorting through a lot of the misinformation and confusion that is often produced when discussing Israel in the modern world. 

A call to Jews

Hammer spends much time towards the end of the book exhorting Jews today to break out of the shell of weak secular assimilation and become a modern Maccabee, ready to resist and fight back if necessary. He clearly sees himself in this role, and although he is primarily a writer he affirms the need to do more than think, speak or write on such matters, but be prepared to act and do. 

This is a worthwhile book for anyone interested in the matter of Israel in the modern world. It is well researched with many end notes, though it lacks an index.