The Founding Myths of Israel
by Zeev Sternhell
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The well-known historian and political scientist Zeev Sternhell here advances a radically new interpretation of the founding of modern Israel. The founders claimed that they intended to create both a landed state for the Jewish people and a socialist society. However, according to Sternhell, socialism served the leaders of the influential labor movement more as a rhetorical resource for the legitimation of the national project of establishing a Jewish state than as a blueprint for a just show more society. In this thought-provoking book, Sternhell demonstrates how socialist principles were consistently subverted in practice by the nationalist goals to which socialist Zionism was committed. Sternhell explains how the avowedly socialist leaders of the dominant labor party, Mapai, especially David Ben Gurion and Berl Katznelson, never really believed in the prospects of realizing the "dream" of a new society, even though many of their working-class supporters were self-identified socialists. The founders of the state understood, from the very beginning, that not only socialism but also other universalistic ideologies like liberalism, were incompatible with cultural, historical, and territorial nationalism. Because nationalism took precedence over universal values, argues Sternhell, Israel has not evolved a constitution or a Bill of Rights, has not moved to separate state and religion, has failed to develop a liberal concept of citizenship, and, until the Oslo accords of 1993, did not recognize the rights of the Palestinians to independence. This is a controversial and timely book, which not only provides useful historical background to Israel's ongoing struggle to mobilize its citizenry to support a shared vision of nationhood, but also raises a question of general significance: is a national movement whose aim is a political and cultural revolution capable of coexisting with the universal values of secularism, individualism, and social justice? This bold critical reevaluation will unsettle long-standing myths as it contributes to a fresh new historiography of Zionism and Israel. At the same time, while it examines the past, The Founding Myths of Israel reflects profoundly on the future of the Jewish State. show lessTags
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Nascita d'Israele. Miti, storia, contraddizioni è un libro di Zeev Sternhell. È stato pubblicato in ebraico nel 1995, in francese nel 1996, in inglese nel 1998, in italiano nel 1999.
Nov 25, 2022Italian
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Books Referenced by Khalidi's The Hundred Years' War on Palestine
181 works; 1 member
Author Information
13+ Works 407 Members
Zeev Sternhell is Leon Blum Professor of Political Science at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Aux origines d'Israël. Entre nationalisme et socialisme
- Original title
- Aux origines d'Israël. Entre nationalisme et socialisme
- Original publication date
- 1996 (1e édition originale française ∙ L'espace du politique ∙ Fayard) (1e édition originale française ∙ L'espace du politique ∙ Fayard); 2004 (Réédition française ∙ Folio histoire ∙ Gallimard) (Réédition française ∙ Folio histoire ∙ Gallimard)
- Original language*
- Français
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, History, General Nonfiction, Politics and Government, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality, Literature Studies and Criticism
- DDC/MDS
- 320.54 — Society, government, & culture Political science Types of Government Political ideologies Nationalism, regionalism, internationalism
- LCC
- DS149 .S69513 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania Asia History of Asia Israel (Palestine). The Jews Jews outside of Palestine
- BISAC
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- 62
- Popularity
- 500,901
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.50)
- Languages
- English, French, Italian
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 9
