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A review by leahsbooks
Spies of No Country: Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel by Matti Friedman
4.0
This was an intriguing read. I listened to the audiobook, and Simon Vance did a wonderful job with the narration and the many terms in both Hebrew and Arabic, as well as smatterings of Yiddish, Russian, and the other languages that popped up throughout the story.
While I'm aware of what the Mossad is, I had no idea of the roots of it. And after watching a show about Eli Cohen, I was curious about the organization's roots. Today, I'm aware that more than half of the population of Israel is made up of Mizrahi Jews, but have only recently learned of the way that they were treated in the early days of the formation of the state, and this book certainly doesn't gloss over that. The Mizrahi Jews weren't treated equally and were definitely discriminated against in the early days, and that's described quite clearly in this story.
However, Jews from Arab countries offered immense value to what would eventually become the IDF and the Mossad, since they were fluent speakers of Arabic and were also well aware of Arabic customs in their own country, allowing them to easily pass amongst their neighbors as Arabs, something Ashkenazi Jews couldn't do. This was an important distinction, allowing them to pass as spies, a dangerous but vital function as Israel was struggling for its independence.
These brave men faced many struggles. Cut off from their families and communities, set adrift in countries hostile to them, far from the agency who had sent them off with little to no support, they were living lives were they weren't just pretending to be other people, but were also forced to disavow their own beliefs and profess hatred and murderous intent towards their own people. They had limited knowledge of what was actually happening in the burgeoning state of Israel, relying on only the Arab news reports of the war, and often witnessing open acts of violence towards fellow Jews.
In addition, they also saw some of their own fellow spies caught, tortured, and murdered in the line of duty. The material is well-researched, but aside from the interviews with the surviving member, it felt a little bit disconnected and dry. I struggled to feel a connection with the narrative, although the interviews made it feel more relatable, inserting the unique voice of the man behind the story.
While I'm aware of what the Mossad is, I had no idea of the roots of it. And after watching a show about Eli Cohen, I was curious about the organization's roots. Today, I'm aware that more than half of the population of Israel is made up of Mizrahi Jews, but have only recently learned of the way that they were treated in the early days of the formation of the state, and this book certainly doesn't gloss over that. The Mizrahi Jews weren't treated equally and were definitely discriminated against in the early days, and that's described quite clearly in this story.
However, Jews from Arab countries offered immense value to what would eventually become the IDF and the Mossad, since they were fluent speakers of Arabic and were also well aware of Arabic customs in their own country, allowing them to easily pass amongst their neighbors as Arabs, something Ashkenazi Jews couldn't do. This was an important distinction, allowing them to pass as spies, a dangerous but vital function as Israel was struggling for its independence.
These brave men faced many struggles. Cut off from their families and communities, set adrift in countries hostile to them, far from the agency who had sent them off with little to no support, they were living lives were they weren't just pretending to be other people, but were also forced to disavow their own beliefs and profess hatred and murderous intent towards their own people. They had limited knowledge of what was actually happening in the burgeoning state of Israel, relying on only the Arab news reports of the war, and often witnessing open acts of violence towards fellow Jews.
In addition, they also saw some of their own fellow spies caught, tortured, and murdered in the line of duty. The material is well-researched, but aside from the interviews with the surviving member, it felt a little bit disconnected and dry. I struggled to feel a connection with the narrative, although the interviews made it feel more relatable, inserting the unique voice of the man behind the story.