Emotion lies at the heart of all national movements, and Zionism is no exception. For those who identify as Zionist, the word connotes liberation and redemption, uniqueness and vulnerability. Yet for many, Zionism is a source of distaste if not disgust, and those who reject it are no less passionate than those who embrace it. The power of such emotions helps explain why a word originally associated with territorial aspiration has survived so many years after the establishment of the Israeli state.
Zionism: An Emotional State expertly demonstrates how the energy propelling the Zionist project originates from bundles of feeling whose elements have varied in volume, intensity, and durability across space and time. Beginning with an original typology of Zionism and a new take on its relationship to colonialism, Penslar then examines the emotions that have shaped Zionist sensibilities and practices over the course of the movement’s history. The resulting portrait of Zionism reconfigures how we understand Jewish identity amidst continuing debates on the role of nationalism in the modern world.
Contents
Introduction
Part I: Terms of Debate
Chapter One: Staging Zionism
Part II: State of the Question
Chapter Two: Zionism as Colonialism
Part III: In a New Key
Chapter Three: Zionism to 1948: Passion and Solidarity
Chapter Four: Zionism since 1948: A Great Romance
Chapter Five: Zionism and the International Community: From Gratitude to Betrayal
Chapter Six: Hating Zionism
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Notes
For Further Reading
Index
Height:229
Width:152
Spine:20
Weight:454.00