Abstract
Let us begin with a paradox: social complexity is often best presented and grasped in this way. At the heart of the questions of Zionism lie two seemingly contradictory sets of facts, and a question, ‘Why?’. To the broad lay public of outsiders with liberal or socialist sympathies, Zionism is the guiding ideology of Israel. This state emerged some decades ago as the Middle East’s chief bully, an oppressor of Arabs and a global ally of most reactionary regimes. The 1982 bombing of Beirut and other conduct sustain this image. But then, how does one fit into it the Tel Aviv demonstration of 400 000 who shouted their fury against the Lebanese war and blocked its further unfolding? What about the 2000 Israelis who pledged to go to military prison rather than serve in the army of occupation? After all, the mass of them were Zionists by self-definition, and indeed believed themselves to be defying their government becaus. of Zionism.
‘Until a people confronts its own past, it has no future.’.
(E. Genovese)
‘Hic Rhodus, hic salta.’.
This chapter is based on an early version published as ‘The Price of Suspension’ in U. Davis, A. Mack and N. Yuval-Davis, Israel and the Palestinians (London: Ithaca Press, 1975). The considerable changes introduced represent another decade of experience, and some new conclusions.
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Notes and References
The relevant sources are too numerous to be quoted in full. To name a few of the most significant (all of which will be of importance insofar as the next paragraph is concerned): W. Laqueur, A History of Zionis. (London, 1972)
I. Cohen, A Short History of Zionis. (London, 1951)
N. Lucas, The Modern History of Israe. (London 1974);
S. Avineri, The Making of Modern Zionis. (New York, 1982).
And more critical of Zionism, M. Selzer, Zionism Reconsidere. (New York, 1950);
A. Buber, The Other Israe. (New York, 1972);
I. Ilam, Introduction to a Different History of Zionis. (Hebrew) (Ramat Gan, 1973)
N. Chomsky, Peace in the Middle Eas. (New York, 1974).
Laqueur, History of Zionis., ch. 6; Lucas, Modern History of Israe., ch. 3; Avineri, Making of Modern Zionis. pts 13, 14, 15. Also P. Merchav, A Short History of the Israeli Labour Movemen. (Hebrew) (Marchavia. 1967). chs B. C and D.
Laqueur, History of Zionis. chs 5 to 9; Ilam, Introduction to a Different History. Chomsky, Peace in the Middle Eas. Introduction. Also J. B. Schachtman et al., History of the Revisionist Movemen. (Tel-Aviv, 1970).
S. H. Sankovsky, A Short History of Zionis. (New York, 1947), pp. 153–9;
E. Luttwak et al., The Israeli Arm. (London, 1975), pp. 12 and 13;
T. Lamm, Zionism’s Path from Realism to Autis. (Jerusalem, 1974); Lucas, Modern History of Israe., p. 178.
J. de Raynier, A Jerusalem Un Drapeau Flottait sur la Ligne de Fe. (Neuchatal, 1950), pp. 69–74. Also a declaration of the Haganah commander of Jerusalem in Dava., 12.4.48. For the Altalen. affair, see Luttwak, The Israeli Arm., p. 38.
Introduced as emergency regulation 1949 and made law in March 1950, see S. Jiryis, Arabs in Israe. (Hebrew) (Tel-Aviv, 1966), ch. 2, especially pp. 62–7.
A. Kapeliuk, ‘Generals in Demand’, Le Monde/Guardian Weekl., 6 November 1973.
See P.Y. Medding, Mapai in Israe. (Cambridge 1972) who related depoliticisation of the Labour Party membership to its social characteristics.
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© 1988 Teodor Shanin
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Shanin, T. (1988). The Zionisms of Israel. In: Halliday, F., Alavi, H. (eds) State and Ideology in the Middle East and Pakistan. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-19029-4_9
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