From Babylon to Jerusalem: Memories & Reflections of a Wandering Jew

These memories and reflections of one of the few survivors from Prime Minister Ben-Gurion’s entourage in the early years of Israel, Aharon Nathan, written with him by his friend Andrew Edwards, combine his own extraordinary life-story with other intriguing stories from those years and the final years of the Jewish community in Iraq. Developing from an early age an enduring affection for Jewish, Arab and British cultures alike, Aharon grew up in Iraq, escaped to Israel in 1949 and served in the Army and the Prime Minister’s Office there, before coming to the UK in 1960, founding and losing control of a successful PLC, and then focusing on Israel again. The early Chapters bring vividly to life a lost world in which Jewish communities lived happily, for the most part, in the Arab world, and the hazards of escaping from Iraq via Iran to Israel. The Israel chapters pour much light on the new State’s tumultuous early years, especially the massive immigrations and emigrations which populated Israel and transformed the Middle East, the early post-holocaust tensions, the German reparations, the Suez War of 1956, the occupation of Gaza in 1956-57, where the author was Civilian Governor at age 25, and (not least) the treatment of the Palestinian Arabs inside and outside Israel. Also included are new and fascinating insights about Israel’s early leaders, many of whom Aharon knew, especially Ben-Gurion and Sharet. The final chapters explain how since 1961 Aharon has combined a full life in Britain with continuing involvement in Israel’s affairs. Stressing the paramount need to replace enmity with friendship, these chapters set out in a compelling way, and with specific solutions, how Israel can and must forge new relationships with the Palestinian Arabs, inside Israel and outside, if this remarkable country, hugely successful as it has been, is to survive in the longer-term. Coupled with this are telling proposals for much-needed democratic reforms in the UK as well as Israel.