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Near & Middle East

History Of Zionism

Course Code:
155901168
Unit value:
1 unit

This course covers the history of Zionism from Genesis up until the present day, exploring the historical and political dimensions of Zionism within a religious and cultural context and focusing on the ideological sources of Zionism.

Qualification for entry

None

 

Workload

Two hours per week

Scope and syllabus

The syllabus will include:

  • Biblical concepts of Zion -- a comparison with modern Zionist ideology
  • The influence of the French revolution and nineteenth century romantic nationalism
  • The national movements in Italy, Poland, Ukraine and Ireland 
  • Jewish theological opposition to Zionism
  • Jewish theology emerging from assimilationism: Herzl, Nordau and Jabotinsky 
  • Zionist ideology as a response to modernity: Ahad Ha'am v Marxism and Zionism: Marx; Moses Hess; Dov Ber Borochov; Nachman Syrkin 
  • Labour Zionism: David Ben-Gurion; Yitzhak Tabenkin; Berl Katznelson; Chaim Arlosoroff 
  • A.D. Gordon and the origins of the Kibbutz movement
  • Religious Zionism: Zvi Hirsh Kalisher; Yehuda Alkalai; Meir Berlin; Avraham Yitzhak Kook 
  • Revisionist Zionism: Vladimir Jabotinsky and the NZO 
  • The Far Right: Menachem Begin, Avraham Stern and the ideology of military Zionism 
  • Intellectual endeavour and the influence of the inter-war etatist regimes: Abba Achimeir; Uri Zvi Greenberg; Yontan Ratosh 
  • Israel's Defence Ideology: Ben-Gurion, Dayan and the Labour Hawks 
  • Moshe Sharett and the development of the peace camp
  • Zvi Yehuda Kook, Gush Emunim and the religious ideology of the settlers
  • The Politics of Ultra-orthodoxy: Between anti-Zionism and Zionism
  • Christian Zionism v Ovadia Yosef, Shas and the Sephardim 
  • Ideology and the Peace Process 

 

Method of assessment

Assessment will be by two term essays of 2500 words each, submitted by the first days of Terms 2 and 3 respectively (20% of the total mark), and one three-hour written examination in May-June (80%).

Required reading

Basic bibliography:
  • Avineri Shlomo, The Making of Modern Zionism: The Intellectual Origins of the Jewish State, London 1981 
  • Shimoni, Gideon, The Zionist Ideology, London 1995 
  • Hertzberg, Arthur, The Zionist Idea, New York 1959 
  • Kornberg, Jacques, Theodor Herzl: from Assimilation to Zionism, Indiana 1993 
  • Zipperstein, Steven, Elusive Prophet: Ahad Ha'am and the Origins of Zionism, London 1993 
  • Ravitsky, Avi, Messianism, Zionism and Jewish Religious Radicalism, Chicago 1996 
  • Sheffer, Gabriel, Moshe Sharett, London 1997 
  • Sofer, Sasson, Begin: An Anatomy of a Leadership, Oxford 1988
  • Heller, Joseph, The Stern Gang: Ideology, Politics, Terror 1940-1949, London 1995 
  • Shindler, Colin, Israel, Likud and the Zionist Dream, London 1995