The Seventh Million Summary of Key Points
The Seventh Million: The Israelis and the Holocaust, by Tom Segev, is a seminal work that explores the complex and often painful relationship between the state of Israel and the Holocaust. Segev meticulously examines how the Holocaust’s legacy has shaped Israeli society, politics, and identity from the formation of the state to the late 20th century. Through extensive research and personal testimonies, the book reveals how Holocaust survivors were initially received with ambivalence in Israel and how their experiences were later integrated into the national consciousness. Segev delves into the political use of the Holocaust in Israeli politics, the establishment of Yad Vashem, and the trials of Nazi war criminals, most notably Adolf Eichmann, to illustrate the multifaceted impact of the Holocaust on Israeli society.