Book Description

“Based on interviews with dozens of people and research in more than twenty archival collections, [this] cleareyed biography deserves to be called definitive.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Born in South Africa, educated in England, and ultimately a major figure in Israeli history, Abba Eban was a skilled debater, a master of multiple languages, and a passionate defender of the Jewish state. But his diplomatic presence was in many ways a contradiction unlike any the world has seen since. While he was celebrated internationally for his exceptional wit and his moderate, reasoned worldview, these same qualities painted him as elitist and foreign in his home country. The disparity in perception of Eban at home and abroad was such that both his critics and his friends agreed that he would have been a wonderful prime minister—in any country but Israel. In Abba Eban, Asaf Siniver paints a nuanced and complete portrait of one of the most complex figures in twentieth-century foreign affairs. We see Eban growing up and coming into his own as part of the Cambridge Union, and watch him steadily become known as “The Voice of Israel.” Siniver draws on a vast amount of interviews, writings, and other newly available material to show that, in his unceasing quest for stability and peace for Israel, Eban’s primary opposition often came from the homeland he was fighting for; no matter how many allies he gained abroad, the man never understood his own domestic politics well enough to be as effective in his pursuits as he hoped. The first examination of Eban in nearly forty years, this is a fascinating look at a life that still offers a valuable perspective on Israel today. “Siniver’s principal achievement is his artful documentation of the tension between Eban the intellectual and Eban the politician. Such lofty thoughts do not distract Mr. Siniver from listing the indiscretions and dishonesty to which Eban, in his politician’s guise, occasionally succumbed.” —The Wall Street Journal “Siniver’s levelheaded account looks at the history of Israel through the life of the country’s eloquent defender.” —TheNew York Times Book Review (Editor’s Choice)