Lexington Books Victimhood Discourse in Contemporary Israel

This book deals comprehensively with different aspects of collective victimhood in contemporary Israel, but also with the wider implications of this important concept for many other societies, including the Palestinian one. The eight highly-diverse, scholarly chapters included in this volume offer analysis of the politics of victimhood (viewing it as increasingly dominant within contemporary Israel), assess victimhood as a focal point of the Jewish historical legacy, trace the evolution and changes of Zionist thought as it relates to a sense of national victimhood, study the possibility of the political transformation of victimhood through changing perceptions and policies by top Israeli leaders, focus on important events that have contributed to the evolvement of the victimhood discourse in Israel and beyond (e.g. the 1967 Six-Day and 1973 Yom Kippur wars in the Middle East), examine the politics and ideology of victimhood within the Palestinian national movement, and offer new ways of progressing beyond national victimhood and toward a better future for people in the Middle East and beyond. The insights of the eight authors and their conceptualization of Israeli victimhood are of immediate relevance for numerous other national groups, as well as for a variety of disciplines in the humanities and the social sciences. This volume has been inspired by the universality of victimhood among humans, reflected in King Lear's words ("I am a man more sinned against than sinning"), as well as by the words of the late Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, telling the Knesset in Jerusalem: "No longer is it true that the whole world is against us". While the book sums up the state of the field in regard to collective victimhood, it invites the readers to engage in contemplating the far-reaching implications of this important concept for our lives. Review Victimhood Discourse in Contemporary Israel offers a rich interdisciplinary analysis of a critical obstacle to progress in settling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It will be valuable to students and scholars of Israel Studies, as well as those of other societies trapped in a conflict so generously fueled by victimhood narratives.--Israel Studies ReviewThe idea of collective victimhood exists in many cultures, but the idea has made a particularly strong impression on Israeli politics. These studies take a close look at how victimhood has (or has not) impacted the history of Zionism and the rhetoric of various Israeli prime ministers both internally and externally. There are also crucial ramifications connected with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the treatment of refugees. Highly recommended for academic collections.--AJL NewsletterThis important and highly informative interdisciplinary collection brings together some of the foremost scholars on what has long been a central feature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - the "politics of victimhood". Shedding new light on this complex and multifaceted phenomenon, the editors and the contributors have accomplished an exceptional feat, demonstrating how the interaction between historical, ideological, psychological, and environmental factors have engendered a highly entrenched sense of victimhood that feeds into the intractability of the conflict. The essays in this book will be a highly valuable addition to many course syllabi on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.--Oded Haklai, Queen's UniversityNo understanding of the complexities of the Israeli society, or of the seemingly intractable conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, can be complete without an analysis of the deep sense of victimhood that is so pervasive among the citizens of the state. Peleg put together a set of unusually informed and well written chapters analyzing the various dimensions of this emotion, and the result is a compelling text that is essential for the understanding of Israel and the region in general. The introductory cha