"The Arab Jews: A Postcolonial Reading of Nationalism, Religion, and Ethnicity" by Yehuda Shenhav, translated into Arabic by Yaseen Al-Sayyed, is a substantial work comprising 372 pages. This book serves as a preeminent and authoritative reference in the exploration of the identity and existence of Jews, who are often designated by Zionism as "Mizrahim" or Orientals. Notably, Shenhav consistently refers to these Mizrahi Jews as Arab Jews.

Shenhav's use of the term "Arab Jews" challenges a fundamental dichotomy that has been perpetuated by Zionist discourse—the presumed dichotomy between Arabs and Jews. He aptly positions this discourse within the colonial context of the Zionist movement, unveiling new insights into the Orientalist perspective adopted by Zionist elites towards Arab Jews.

This book not only presents a fresh narrative regarding the interplay between social groups and the historical construction of their relationships but also employs history as a tool to dissect the core tenets of Zionism itself.

Drawing upon correspondence and historical documents, Shenhav reveals that secular Zionists aimed to emphasize the religious dimension among Arab Jews to "purify" them from their Arab identity. This strategy had far-reaching consequences during the early years of Israel's establishment. The attempts to suppress Arab identity and construct an Israeli identity among Arab Jews paradoxically strengthened their attachment to their Arab roots. This, in turn, sowed the seeds of internal contradictions within Zionism, both in theory and practice.

About the author:

Yehouda Shenhav-Shahrabani is a professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University. He currently serves as the editor-in-chief of the Maktoob series for translating Arabic at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute. From 1999 to 2009, he was the editor of the Theory and Criticism journal, which was published by Van Leer.