Rafael Medoff's "Militant Zionism in America: The Rise and Impact of the Jabotinsky Movement in the United States, 1926-1948" examines the rise of Revisionist Zionism in the U.S., focusing on Vladimir "Ze'ev" Jabotinsky—an orator, writer, and leader of Zionism’s maximalist wing. Arriving in New York in 1926 to a modest reception, Jabotinsky embarked on a five-month U.S. tour to promote his vision of militant Zionism, which emphasized immediate Jewish immigration to Palestine, a Jewish army, and a sovereign state on both sides of the Jordan. While his opening lecture drew large crowds, many other events were poorly attended, and American Jews—facing pressure to "Americanize" and skeptical of foreign nationalist movements—remained largely indifferent. Despite this, Jabotinsky’s ideas gained traction among Eastern European Jews and a small but fervent American following, though the ZOA’s leadership initially showed no overt hostility, even publishing his speeches in New Palestine. His break with mainstream Zionism, marked by frustration with British policy and WZO’s cautious diplomacy, led him to establish the Revisionist movement (including Betar) advocating bold public pressure for Zionist goals. Though his 1926 tour had limited immediate impact, it laid the groundwork for future Revisionist influence in American Jewry.

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