Despite the central place of Israel in Diaspora Jewish life, the ancestral country still has to compete with other influences on identity. Ben-Moshe (community, ethnicity, and policy alternatives, Victoria U., Melbourne) and Segev (Jewish history, U. of Haifa) introduce 18 chapters pairing an Israeli and Diaspora commentator on issues relevant to this complex identity and the future of Jewish peoplehood in specific countries/regions. Issues discussed include Zionism vis-à-vis the current wave of anti- Semitism, the relationship between the different streams of Judaism and Israel, Diaspora views of Israel's foreign/defense policy, and gender as a factor in this identification. The book includes a glossary. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)