Welcome

In 2020 I established Lean Forward Publishing, my publishing imprint for writing about the people and history of Israel and the splendor of Jackson Hole because both contain strong, determined people who inspire me and remind us we can always do more than we think.

Israel is the fulfillment of the Zionist mission and a testament to the willpower and sacrifice of common people in extraordinary times. Jackson Hole reminds us of the beauty of nature, the joy of the wild, and life stripped of complications. Together, they teach us much about what is important and what we can accomplish.


I am excited to announce 

my new book, Israel’s Struggle with Hezbollah: A War Without End, is now available on Amazon in eBook and hardback format. The book begins with a harrowing hypothetical, but all too likely scenario that encompasses the opening moments of a war with Israel started by Hezbollah. Following that, the book explores Hezbollah’s origins, its cancerous growth, Israel’s response, and its present readiness to meet Hezbollah’s challenge. It concludes with specific recommendations for what Israel, and we, can do to ensure that Hezbollah fails. Here is what three experts I interviewed think about the book and a short description of it.

Israel’s Struggle with Hezbollah is a “terrific read, insightful and interesting. A worthwhile addition to the much-needed discussion on the threat Iran poses and the price Lebanon and the region have paid.”
— Erez D. Maisel, Brigadier General (IDF Military Reserve)

A comprehensive yet highly readable account of the Hezbollah threat to Israel’s security. Critical reading for all those to whom Israel’s security is precious—and who want to do something about it.
— Prof. Chuck Freilich, former deputy national security advisor, Israel, and author of Israeli National Security: A New Strategy for an Era of Change

A fierce battle looms between the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah and the state of Israel. While past wars have been grueling, the next one promises to be far more painful—for both sides. Lurking behind all of this is the Islamic Republic of Iran, the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism, which has worked overtime for the last several decades to hasten the demise of the Jewish state. Drawing upon countless hours of interviews with Israeli officials and top analysts, author Clifford Sobin’s book draws out the contours of this looming battle in great detail.
— Dr. Jonathan Schanzer, Senior Vice President for Research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies


My previous book, Living in Heaven, Coping with Hell: Israel’s Northern Borders—Where Zionism  Triumphed, the Kibbutz is Evolving, and the Pioneering Spirit Prevails  chronicles how Jews settled Israel’s northern borders, illuminates the challenges they face, and Living in heaven, Coping with Hellexplores why they remain despite the danger. There, along those borders, I found the soul of a nation. It is where I rediscovered the Israel I grew up loving, and an Israel that binds rather than divides.

David Leach, author of Chasing Utopia, the Future of the Kibbutz in a Divided Israel), wrote about the book:

Clifford Sobin seamlessly combines the big picture about the region’s history, politics, economics and culture with detailed profiles of individual Israelis who have built their homes and lives on the nation’s “periphery”. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in the transformation of the legendary kibbutz movement, or about this often-misunderstood region of Israel in general.