Sport, Zionist ideology and the State of Israel

Abstract

Sport has been a central element of the Zionist ideal to create a new Jew, even though the meaning of the term did not necessarily include physical activity and was perceived differently in the Diaspora and in Eretz Israel. As this essay explains, within the establishment of the State of Israel sport turned into an instrument for recruiting diverse streams of Zionist ideology, both on a political and on a national level and as a means of internal and external Zionist propaganda, as well as collective identification in the society taking shape in Eretz Israel. The social, economic and political changes the State of Israel has undergone since the 1980s have led sport to lose its function as a political tool and a tool for spreading propaganda. Instead, sport has become one of the few forms of collective identification that can unify the Israeli public. Still, this identification is not necessarily related to Zionist ideology, but rather to civilian identification with the State of Israel.

Notes

¹ Colet, Jewish Existence.

² Barzilai, The Bund Movement in Poland.

³ Gechman, ‘Socialist Mass Politics’, 326. Belking, ‘Marxism in the Face of Muscle Judaism’, 149.

⁴ Nordau, Zionist Writings, 126; Kaufman, ‘The National Elements’, 261; Sorek, ‘Body Culture’, 9; Zimmerman, ‘Muscle Judaism’, 56.

⁵ Glosman, The Zionist Body.

⁶ Almog, The Tzabar.

⁷ Yogo Mayer, ‘Equality-Egality’, 221: Eisen, ‘Zionism, Nationalism’, 247.

⁸ Zimri and Gil, eds, ‘An Anthology’, 91.

⁹ Ram, ‘The Ideational Foundations of Physical Education’, 51; Dar, ‘And When Is There Time to Exercise?’, 73. The first Jewish sports union in the East was established in Lódz in 1921 followed by the establishment of unions in Odessa (1913) and Warsaw (1914). Aluf and Galblum, A Memorial Book for ‘Maccabi’ Warsaw; Miller, ‘“Maccabi” Organization in Russia’, 79.

¹⁰ Davar, February 8, 1926; Nadav, ‘Half a Body Gone’, 150.

¹¹ Naor and Giladi, Eretz Israel in the 20th Century; Eliav , The Settlement.

¹² Kaufman, ‘The Conflict during the Mandate’, 52.

¹³ Kaufman, ‘Maccabi vs. Hapoel’, 89.

¹⁴ Resnik, ‘The Beitar Sports Union’, 159; on Elizur ibid., 184.

¹⁵ Kaufman, ‘The Ideational Link’, 56. Alparovich, ‘Israel and the Olympic Movment’ 302.

¹⁶ Harif, ‘International Sports and Politics’; Kaufman, ‘The Beginning of Hebrew Football’, 37; Zameret, ‘The Maccabias’, 113.

¹⁷ Kaufman, ‘The National Elements’, 101.

¹⁸ Naor, Olim and Ma'abarot; Zameret and Yablonka, The First Decade.

¹⁹ Harif, this volume.

²⁰ Wingate Archives 1.10/23; Gil, The Worker's Story; Ben-Porat , From a Game to Commodity.

²¹ Ben-Porat, ‘Football and Nationalism’, 142.

²² Maguire, Global Sport; Almog, ‘From “Conquering the Mountain”’, 32; Ben-Porat, From a Game to Commodity.

²³ Harif, ‘The Shadow in the Field of National Pride’, 62.

²⁴ Wiler, Jewish Theocracy; Haraben, One of Every Six Israelis; Reches, ed., Arabs in Israeli Politics.

²⁵ Sorek, ‘Identities on the Field’.