When future historians study the roots of the United States' strong relationship with Israel, few books will be more helpful than What Israel Means to Me (John Wiley and Sons, 2006).
Edited by one of Israel's most ardent and prolific advocates, Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz, the volume is a collection of 80 essays by people with strikingly little in common.
It transcends political and cultural barriers, featuring the thoughts of Jews and Gentiles, Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals. It's hard to imagine another book that could draw contributions from both evangelist Pat Robertson and Monty Hall, who became famous as the host of the television game show "Let's Make a Deal."
Aside from displaying the pro-Israel movement's diversity, Dershowitz's book also demonstrates the depth of support the Jewish state enjoys in America.
Sharing stories that alternate from heartbreaking to hilarious, the 80 authors identify as many reasons for their love of Israel.
Some see its existence as a divine promise kept. Others view the country as a symbol of the Jewish people's survival, or as a fulfillment of universal ideals of democracy and human rights.
The writers convey these ideas in essays notable for their brevity. None of the entries exceed 10 pages, and one could digest three to five of them in less than an hour.
Having previously authored incisive defenses of Israel's right to exist, Dershowitz has now produced an entertaining and lively summation of what motivates the majority of Americans to support their nation's alliance with the Jewish state.
