Yakov M. Rabkin

Who is Yakov M. Rabkin?

Yakov M. Rabkin is a professor of history at the Université de Montréal, author and public intellectual. His book A Threat from Within: A Century of Jewish Opposition to Zionism was nominated for best French to English translation for "an important and timely work" at the 2006 Governor General's Awards. It has also been listed as one of the three best books of the year by Japan’s leading daily Asahi Shimbun in 2010. This book is currently available in twelve languages.

His book A Threat from Within: A Century of Jewish Opposition to Zionism has drawn both praise and criticism. While the book has been praised for its detailed examination of the history of opposition of Ultra-Othordox Jews to Zionism and its documentation of "ideas with which all Jews – secular to religious, anti-Zionist to Zionist – should be familiar" it has also been criticised for its "combative writing style and a selective use of history." One critic wrote that: "Rabkin can't resist from widely citing people who name-call and painting all Zionists as evil" and that this style of writing "diminishes the credibility of his argument."

His other published works include studies of relations between science and technology, research on cultural aspects of science, including studies of Jews in the scientific profession,Science Between the Superpowers, a study of programs for the exchange of U.S and Soviet Union scientists, as well as works on the fate of Soviet science and scientists after the dismemberment of the USSR and, more generally, on science and political freedoms. Over the course of his career, he has given several hundred public lectures to academic and general audiences in over thirty countries.