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ABSTRACT
Over the past decades, neo-Zionist discourse has gain prominence in Israel. This approach, which gives preference to the definition of Israel as a Jewish state over its definition as a democracy, is a specific version authoritarian populism. This paper explores how educational discourses, policies and curricular changes are being shaped by right-wing populist organization and politicians to strengthen New-Zionism, while delegitimising liberal-democratic values.
The paper draws on three examples. The first focuses on the campaign to ban the activist groups ‘Breaking the Silence’ – a group of army veteran who collect testimonies on Israel’s misconducts in the occupied territories – from entering schools. The second example is the case of ‘Im Tirtzu’, a right-wing organization, and their campaign against left-wing influences in the academy. A third example focuses on the changes to the compulsory civic curriculum – an example to the ways in which education is used to perpetuate a particular notion of Jewish nationalism.
These cases help reveal the reactions of academic institutions to such actions, and the partial acceptance they have gained in recent years. They also show how the boundaries of the political were redrawn and the role education policy and institutions play in delegitimizing left-wing critique.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 I chose to focus here only on key characteristics that are most relevant for this paper. For further discussion on populism please see, for example, Biskamp Citation2019; Cohen Citation2019; Wodak Citation2019.
2 For more about these campaigns, please see: Gordon Citation2014; Jamal Citation2018; Lamarche Citation2019; and Waxman Citation2016.
3 Under the state, education in Israel there are four educational sectors: the general school sector, serving the majority secular Jewish population, the Arab state school sector serving the Arab minority, the national religious sector that serves the national-religious population and the recognised but not official independent school sector which attended mostly by ultra-orthodox Jewish communities and has more freedom when it comes to curriculum, but also enjoy different level of state funding.
4 The Jewish Home since then has split into different parties, representing different section of the religions-national Jewish community in Israel.
5 Hebron is a major Palestinian city in the West Bank. In 1979, a group of Jewish settlers have ‘reestablished’ the Jewish presence in Hebron (Hebron is considered to be a biblical Jewish city and had a Jewish community since antiquity and until 1947). In February 1994, Baruch Goldstein a Jewish settler entered the mosque at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, opened fire and massacred 29 people and wounded 125. Following the massacre, the Israeli government tightened the restriction of movement of Palestinians in areas around the Jewish settlement and closed the Palestinian market. This area remains closed till today, as are the restrictions on the movement of Palestinians. The main street where the market used to be is divided into two, one part in which Palestinian can move in, subject to checks, and another in which Jews can move freely. As part of the BtS tours people are exposed, often for the first time, to this policy of separation and restriction.
6 Army service is compulsory to all Jewish citizens who turn 18, and are not part of the ultra-orthodox Jewish community. The IDF (Israel defence forces) is considered to be the people’s army, and the image of the soldiers and especially combat soldiers is celebrated.
7 Although the amendment itself is not focused on BtS and in fact can easily be used also against right-wing organizations, it is seared into public consciousness as the BtS Bill, which in turn contributed to its delegitimation.
8 The name – Im Tirtzu (if you will) derives from Theodore Hertzel’s, the visionary and the founding father of Zionism, famous quote “If you will it, it is not a dream” – referring to the dream of having a Jewish state.
9 The second part of the report lists events and conference in Israeli university which IMTI classified as ‘anti-Zionist’ and the third part, started a practice that IMTI picked up later on, of blacklisting ‘anti-Zionist’ professors.
10 Professor here is used not to denote a certain academic rank but rather, in the American meaning of the term – those teaching in HE institutions.
11 The analysis of the current curriculum and the revised official textbook is discussed in length in my other publications (Author, 2013, 2016, 2016; Author and other, forthcoming).