Israel in History The Jewish State in Comparative Perspective

The comparative dimension is, all too often, missing from writing on Israeli history. Zionist ideology restricts comparisons between Zionism and other forms of nationalism. At the same time, Zionist claims to have initiated a rupture with the Jewish past mask continuities between Israel and the experiences of modern diaspora Jewry. Some scholars have presented Israel as a variant of settler-colonialist societies such as the United States and South Africa. This framework of continuity across space commands attention, but it lacks nuance and is often built upon politicized foundations. Besides, it neglects areas of continuity across time, between Israel and the Jewish past. Israel in History: The Jewish State in Comparative Perspective seeks to address these issues. The essays in this book combine a variety of comparative schemes, both internal to Jewish civilization and extending throughout the world. These frameworks include: modern Jewish society, politics and culture historical consciousness in the 20 th century Colonialism, anti-colonialism and postcolonial state-building. The benefit of comparison is not limited to a richer understanding of the circumstances under which Israel was born and has developed. Rather, an open-ended, comparative approach offers a useful means of correcting the biases found in so much scholarship on Israel, be it sympathetic or hostile. Israel in History: The Jewish State in Comparative Perspective will appeal to scholars and students with research interests in many fields, including Israeli Studies, Middle East Studies, and Jewish Studies. Derek Penslar is the Samuel Zacks Professor of Jewish History and Director of the Jewish Studies Program at the University of Toronto. His books include Zionism and Technocracy: The Engineering of Jewish Settlement in Palestine, 1870-1918, Shylock's Children: Economics and Jewish Identity in Modern Europe, and Orientalism and the Jews (co-edited with Ivan Kalmar, 2004). Middle East Studies/Middle East History/IsraelPenslar, Derek J. is the author of 'Israel in History The Jewish State in Comparative Perspective', published 2007 under ISBN 9780415400374 and ISBN 0415400376.