Decolonising palestine: Jewish identity after the genocide in gaza

Abstract

The article examines the sociopolitical dynamics of Zionist identity construction, and their effect on the identity Jews in Israel and the diaspora. It argues that in order to create the ‘New Jew’ required by Zionism, it was necessary to transform identity parameters of Israelis and diaspora Jews. Both in Israel and in the diaspora ‘Zionising’ Judaism was a rupture with Jewish history. Humanist values and precepts of Judaism were replaced by the militarism of the IDF and the masculinisation of the ‘New Israeli Jew’, widely projected as the new identity of most Jews, who still support Zionism. Following the ongoing genocide in Gaza the article argues that future decolonisation of Palestine must include decolonising Israeli minds, separating Judaism from Zionism and liberating Jews from Zionism.