The Imaginary Voyage: With Theodor Herzl in Israel

Peres takes Herzl on an imaginary tour through Israel, a century after Herzl's first visit to Palestine. The author makes astute observations about Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and the spectacular changes these and other cities in Israel have undergone throughout the years. Peres evaluates the predictions made by Herzl in his utopian novel, Old-New Land, in light of present-day realities. Of course, some of them were totally off-base, but others are amazingly prescient. And, in discussing the character of the Jewish state and how it ought to deal with its neighbors, Peres quotes extensively from Herzl's writings and the works of other Zionist thinkers (e.g., Ahad Ha'am). Despite the mediocre editing job, there is plenty of keen insight on issues ranging from cultural/religious/ethnic diversity to the water problem in the Middle East that make this book a good read.