Abstract
The theme of the 62nd issue of the Israeli Affairs Quarterly Journal is Israel’s relations with Jewish Groups outside of Israel.
The notion of “the negation of exile” constitutes a central keystone in Zionist thought: It is a degrading state of being that must end, because the meaning of collective Jewish existence is only fulfilled in the land of Israel. He needs the land and the land needs him, she is his and he is hers, he is lacking without her and she is lacking without him. This is the logic that made immigration and colonization the ideological and practical foundations of Zionism (Aliyah in Hebrew – as in immigration – means “ascent”).
More than a century has passed since the inception of Zionism, and it seems today that the mission of bringing Jews into Israel is no longer feasible nor desirable. There is not one Zionist leader in Israel who endorses the immigration of American Jews to Israel to the point where Israel loses the support of AIPAC, a powerful Zionist Jewish lobby that protects Israel’s interests through the strong influence it exerts on decision-making in the most important capital in the world. Within this context, it is clear today that until Zionism establishes itself as a tangible and material reality in the land of Palestine, limits must be placed on the doctrine of “the negation of exile,” meaning that its logical ending should not be realized. Zionism needs “the negation of exile” but it equally needs ‘the exile’ in order to manifest itself. Thus it is not odd how Zionism has attacked proponents of Canaanite trends amongst Jewish Israelis.
If this is the case, then it becomes necessary to understand the nature of the Zionist
project as one with two heads and two centers at the same time: a center in Palestine/Israel and another in the capital of the West – Washington; and Zionism as a dynamic project with multiple sides and centers.
The existence of two centers –in addition to being sources of power- means that
coordination between them becomes pivotal, for while there is a symmetry of interests there are cases where conflicting dynamics develop. This coordination and relationship are at the heart of this issue’s theme. Journalist Saleem Salameh, Avraham Burg, Dov Waxman, and journalist Barhoum Jraisi contributed to this issue.
The issue also features an interview with novelist and critic Nir Baram, who is known for his views and activities against the policies of the Israeli government.
The articles section encompasses an article for the lecturer Neve Gordon where he
analyzes the specificity of settler-colonialism in Palestine as a process of ethnic cleansing that has not ended yet. Yousef Shayeb continues his reviews of Israeli cinema, focusing on the works of Simone Bitton. As for recurring affairs, Hisham Naffaa’ exposes the controversial debates regarding the Israeli Army.
Dr. Honaida Ghanim reviews an old novel by Sami Michael titled “All Men are Equal – But some are More” that sparked discussion on the positionality of Mizrahi Jews. Ali Haydar reviews a book for Talia Sasson on the settler-colonialist project called “At the Edge of the Abyss”.
In the reporting section, we’ve published a report on B’Tselem’s decision to stop cooperating with the Israeli Army as it has become apparent to the Israeli rights group that the Israeli military justice system acts only to cover up unlawful acts.
The Zionist Archive presents a text written by Ze’ev Jabotinsky’s in 1919 where he proposes a plan to establish “temporary rule” over Palestine following its omplete occupation by Britain that same year. We conclude the issue with a brief overview of the latest Israeli publications.
