Book Review: Israel and Civilization by Josh Hammer

Book Review: Israel and Civilization by Josh Hammer

In the wake of the battle against antisemitism being waged across the nation’s campuses and the continuing attacks on Western Civilization, the timing for the release of a new book on the subject of Israel and its role in history could not be more timely.

Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West by Josh Hammer is a tour de force that seamlessly blends personal narrative, historical analysis, and a passionate defense of the Judeo-Christian underpinnings of Western civilization. This fascinating book, slated to be published on March 18th, beacons both Jews and Christians to recognize their shared heritage.

Hammer (editor-at-large of Newsweek, a highly experienced constitutional attorney, and prominent conservative pundit) brings his both personal experience and intellectual analysis to every page. Israel and Civilization is not just a scholarly endeavor but a deeply moving testament to resilience and faith.

From the outset, Hammer captivates readers with a visceral recounting of his visits to Treblinka and Kfar Aza—sites of tragedy that frame his exploration of Jewish perseverance and today’s challenges. His vivid descriptions, such as the haunting reflection, “These people knew—and they did nothing,” set the tone for a narrative that refuses to shy away from hard truths.

The book’s opening chapter, “Our Perilous Moment,” masterfully ties the horrors of the Holocaust to the Simchat Torah Massacre of October 7, 2023, illustrating the persistent vulnerability of the Jewish people and the indifference—or outright hostility—of the “civilized” world. Yet, amid this darkness, Hammer finds light in the enduring spirit of Am Yisrael Chai (“the people of Israel live”), a refrain that echoes throughout the text as both a rallying cry and a source of hope.

What sets Israel and Civilization apart is its ambitious scope. Hammer doesn’t merely chronicle contemporary anti-Semitism or the geopolitical significance of Israel; he delves into the philosophical and theological foundations of Western civilization, tracing them back to God’s revelation at Mount Sinai. In chapters like “The People of the Book and the West,” he argues persuasively that the Jewish nation’s covenant with God introduced concepts of human dignity, moral law, and societal purpose that remain the bedrock of the Judeo-Christian tradition.

As I do with all books, I like to provide a snippet of the work to give Legal Insurrection readers a glimpse of the contents. I thought this passage would suit, as it deals with the Jewish experience after leaving Egypt.

The Jewish people have had an uninterrupted presence in the Land of Israel ever since the Joshua-led conquest of Canaan that followed the death of Moses. Even after the destruction of Herod’s Temple in 70 CE and the beginning of the Jewish Diaspora, Jewish communities remained scattered throughout the Land of Israel. The town of Yavneh, for instance, thrived in ensuing centuries as a Talmudic center under the leadership of Yochanan ben Zakkai and Rabban Gamliel II. Maimonides, perhaps the single greatest medieval Jewish sage, briefly lived

in the Land of Israel and likely prayed at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.8 The Shulchan Aruch, Joseph Karo’s sixteenth-century codification of Jewish law that has today reached near-universal acceptance among observant Jews, was composed in the holy city of Safed. All throughout the many centuries of Ottoman control of the Land of Israel and the pre-1948 era of British-controlled Mandatory Palestine, there continually existed the yishuv—Jews living in the Land of Israel.

At the center of this fascinating and intriguing work is Hammer’s call for a Jewish-Christian partnership that is stressed in the book’s final chapter, “The Jewish-Christian Alliance to Save the West.” He exhorts Jews to shed outdated mistrust of Christians and urges Christians to embrace their debt to Jewish tradition, advocating for a united front against the forces attacking the pillars of Western Civilization found in its philosophy, faith, laws, and approach to science and reason.

For anyone who enjoys history, especially those who would like a better understanding of Israeli history, I highly recommend this captivating book. It is another 5-star read, and would be great gift for anyone who enjoys politics mixed with inspiring personal perspectives.

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