Victimhood Discourse in Contemporary Israel

The 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 Newsletter *

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 Review *
This is a fascinating collection of essays, and I can see it being a very effective way to generate student interest and classroom discussion, at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Ilan Peleg notes at the outset that “victimhood is a rather universal theme among human beings,” and arguments offered by the contributing scholars support this assertion. After a very effective opening chapter by Peleg that sets out the analytic framework of the volume, the contributors address a wide range of topics related to victimhood, including its relationship with Zionism, the way that Israeli prime ministers have dealt with the issue, how Holocaust memory was affected by the outcome of the 1967 War, and even victimhood in the Palestinian national identity, among other very interesting chapters.



This is a well-written and well-organized book, and it will find its way into many classrooms and research projects. -- Gregory Mahler, Earlham College
No 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 chapter provides a valuable tool for the understanding of victimhood in conflicts among nations. -- Jonathan Mendilow, Rider University
This 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 University
This important book surveys the psychological and political ramifications of victimhood. While it focuses primarily on the Israeli and Palestinian conflicts, it provides a general theory of how victimhood affects the national consciousness and international images of any given population and their visions of history and memory. Its essays detail the ways in which victimhood is used politically and ultimately, how individuals may transform to get beyond such narratives. These profound insights not only apply to the Middle East, but to numerous other political narratives that dominate other areas of the world. As such, this is a valuable contribution to the general analysis of comparative politics and international studies -- Frank Louis Rusciano, Rider Univer