Zionism: Critical Perspectives (PG)

Zionism is one of the most fascinating political and cultural projects of the twentieth century – and one whose enduring legacy and current meaning have long been, and still are, fiercely contested.

Zionism is seen by some as a movement of national liberation, while others consider it a manifestation of settler-colonialism. This module approaches Zionism analytically, and examines its changing meaning and praxis. We look at a wide selection of sources and secondary literature, by sympathisers, opponents and critics of Zionism. The class will look at the main debates regarding the Zionist movement, both historically and current: the meaning of Jewish statehood; Jewish nationhood and its different interpretations; race and anti-Semitism; Zionist approach to the Orient and Arab Palestinians; Zionism as a European movement, and Jews of the Middle East and North Africa (Mizrahim); the gendered aspects of the Zionist political project, and the transformation of Jewish masculinity and femininity; Zionism as a colonial movement; Arab Palestinian conceptualisation of Zionism; the relation between Zionism and the Jewish diasporas, from the “negation of the diaspora” to the current position of Israel as a locus of Jewish identity.

Our approach to Israeli Studies emphasises the regional context, local perspectives, and critical perspectives. We aim to situate Israeli Studies against larger questions in Asian/African/global political, cultural and historical dynamics.

Objectives and learning outcomes of the module

On successful completion of this module a student will be able to:

• Have read a range of primary and secondary material on the background, development and implications of the various strands of Zionist ideology and culture, placing a special emphasis on the relation of Zionism to Palestine and the Middle East.
• Situate Zionism within theoretical and historical frameworks, such as nationalism and colonialism.
• Have a good understanding of the key questions and debates of and about Zionism, among supporters, opponents and critics.

Workload

Total of 10 weeks teaching with 2 hours classroom contact per week consisting of a 1 hour lecture and a 1 hour tutorial.

Scope and syllabus

• Introduction: a historical overview
• The Jewish State: from Herzl to Israel
• Zionist factions: labour and right wing
• Zionism as Colonialism
• Jewish Nationalisms
• Gendered Readings
• The “Arab Question“
• Zionism and Mizrahim
• Arab perspectives on Zionism
• Homeland and diasporas

Method of assessment

• 30% - Digital assignment (1,000-word Wikipedia page or 10-minute podcast/video)
• 70% - Essay (2,500 words)
• Exact assessment deadline dates are published on the relevant module Moodle/BLE page.

Suggested reading

• Avineri, S., 1981. The making of modern Zionism : intellectual origins of the Jewish state, New York: Basic Books.
• Shimoni, G., 1997. The Zionist Ideology Hanover: Brandeis University Press.
• Shafir, G., 1989. Land, labor, and the origins of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, 1882-1914, Cambridge [England];;New York: Cambridge University Press.
• Eyal, G., 2006. The disenchantment of the Orient: expertise in Arab affairs and the Israeli state, Stanford University Press.
• Bernstein, D., 1992. Pioneers and homemakers: Jewish women in pre-state Israel, SUNY Press.
• Almog, O., 2000. The Sabra: the creation of the new Jew, University of California Press.
• Shenhav, Y.A., 2006. The Arab Jews: a postcolonial reading of nationalism, religion, and ethnicity, Stanford University Press.
• Kimmerling, B., 2001. The Invention and Decline of Israeliness: State, Society, and the Military, Berkeley, CA and London: University of California Press.
• Beinart, P., 2012. The Crisis of Zionism First Edition., Times Books.
• Said, E.W. 1979. “Zionism from the Standpoint of Its Victims.” Social Text, no. 1:7–58.

Disclaimer

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