Benjamin Moser published a book titled Anti-Zionism: A Jewish History, which profiles 12 Jews who opposed Zionism. The 50-year-old author, who was raised in the Reform tradition in Houston, Texas, is the grandson of Holocaust survivors.
Moser defended his work against critics who called it overly simplistic, stating, "I do think it’s black and white!" Critics in the New Yorker and the New York Times took issue with his portrayal of Zionism.
The book highlights figures such as Edwin Montagu, who sought to derail the 1917 Balfour declaration, and Aaron Samuel Tamares, who began inveighing against Jewish nationalism in the late 19th century. Moser has previously won a Pulitzer Prize for an 800-plus page biography of Susan Sontag and published works including The Upside Down World and a biography of Clarice Lispector.
Other publications by the author include a personal essay in the inaugural issue of Equator magazine last year and a Substack post in 2021.
