Framing the Zionist Movement: The Effects of Zionist Discourse on the Arab-Israeli Peace Process.
Abstract
The Zionist movement resulted in the establishment and recognition of Israel as a Jewish state on May 14, 1948, granting the movement its primary goal: "the creation of a home for the Jewish people in Palestine secured by public law."[1] Given the current prospect of Israeli disengagement from occupied territories and an uncertain Arab-Israeli peace, a review of Zionism's evolving framing processes can aid in analyzing the various discursive processes that shape the present Israeli predicament. Social Movement Theory (SMT) will be applied here to Zionism with an emphasis on competing frames prior to state independence and up to the current disengagement debates. By using SMT to analyze the Zionist movement, I argue that because Zionism is and has been the dominant discourse for Israeli Jews, a critical factor impeding the Arab-Israeli peace process is the ongoing framing of Israeli identity through a particular Zionist discourse. Originally framed within biblical contexts and dominated by passive, orthodox discourse which dismissed any notions of non-messianic Redemption, Zionism required continuous reframing over time to gain legitimacy in the modern era. With increasing anti-Semitism and nationalism throughout Europe, a minority of Jewish elites adapted secular and nationalistic frames to Zionism. Zionism became more offensive, coordinated, and inclusive within Palestine spawning several institutional and armed components to facilitate mobilization. With statehood, Zionism became exclusionary and defensive as the Israeli center sought to legitimate itself from its external advocates and as surrounding Arab states became increasingly aggressive. Despite the dominance of secular Zionist frames after independence, competing but subordinate religious frames lingered within Israel and reemerged in dominant fashion due to reclamations of sacred land during the Six Day War.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA521547
Entities
People
- Nichole M. Harris
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School