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The Politics of Denial: Israel and the Palestinian

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The Politics of Denial: Israel and the Palestinian The Politics of Denial Israel and the Palestinian Refugee Problem Masalha Nut STERLING, VIRGINIA LONDON Historians' 'New Israel's 2 Critique Nakba: A the and Discourse of Zionist combined been has 1948 of history a the of rewriting the of Much with scholars, Palestinian and Israeli several by undertaken effort historiography, revisionist This outsiders. from contributions minor small by initiated group 1990s, early a by the acclaimed was critically period following immediate the researchers in and historians Israeli of by the partly Stimulated Lebanon. of invasion Israeli 1982 the revisionism historical national consensus, Zionist the of shattering and the archives Israeli of opening by the huge boost given a was then, 1 Since documents. of astonishing new array of discovery an Palestinian by contributed been also have 1948 works major on Kana'ana Sharif Khalidi, Rashid Khalidi, Walid including authors, and Palestinian memory central to nakba is 1948 2 myself. The and exodus 1948 the of although the issue However, today. of society the small only history, Palestinians' a the point in turning critical is a investigated have academics and historians Palestinian of number debate the ironical since rather 3 is This and actual roots causes. its the reflected in also exodus is of the and circumstance the causes over problem. refugee the proposed solutions to of array 1991 and 1988 published was between articles I of number In a of the assessment critical provide historian to Arab a first the fact in draw and exodus to refugee historiography' the of Israeli 'new on.4 phenomen scholarly this of significance the new attention to 1948 the debates the historiography' on are 'new this Central to of impact flight), the (expulsion exodus versus refugee Palestinian societies, (Yishuv) Jewish and Arab Palestinian mandate British the on regional the 1940s, and 1930s the of alliance Zionist-Hashemite the Zionist of questionable nature the 1948, in of balance power the and partition resolution, new UN 1947 the of acceptance Arab and Israeli between negotiations early about peace revelations other each against league in leaders Arab while 1948, were leaders. In Israelis the were Palestinians, the assisting in interest little had and state's Jewish beyond the far conquests their consolidating new from that picture emerges The UN. envisaged by the boundaries as 49 50 The Politics of Denial Israel's 'New Historians' and theNakba 51 the 1948 for example, Israeli war, 'new historian' Shlaim Avi as has books challenged that accepted the Israeli of version 1948 the War. shown, is mythical the (still not repeated by Israeli orthodox one books, these In accused expelling Israel of indigenous the we historians spokespersons) and of Israel standing alone against the population destroying of and the villages Palestinian neigh- and might combined of the entire Arab world. It rather is of bourhoods. Although early one works hesitant and cautious, our were between the convergence interests of Israel those and Hashemite of and mine translated Hebrew, not into possible still it were even was Transjordan against other members bickering the of coalition, Arab gather them from Jewish the that State to built the ruins was on especially and against Palestinians.S the indigenous the of people palestine, of whose livelihood, houses, The Israel rise in influential, of though controversial, 'new an his- cultures land had and systematically been destroyed. 8 toriography' phenomenon. remarkable On the was whole, a the the of terms debate history early the of the Israeli on the and liberal state A interpretation Zionist phenomenon, the of however, is birth of the Palestinian refugee question have been transformed by found Refugees Palestinian and in the Middle (1993) East Peace Process the works of the Israeli historians', 'new including Benny Morris, by Peretz, leading Don Jewish American the Palestinian expert a on Flapan, Simha Segev, Tom Avi Papp6 Ilan and Shlaim. Containing refugee problem, who that concluded the •revisionist' Israeli remarkable revelationsbased Hebrew and archival material, these highlighted historians on the Israel's of 'shared issue accountability for closely works the scrutinised conduct (Labour of the Zionist) [refugee] flight'. the 9 also Peretz believes that the of issue moral founding fathers of the Israeli thus contributing state, responsibility the refugee tO for the 1948 exodus has majorramifications for demolition of long-held of the misconceptions surrounding some refugee the including question, 'right the of return', compensation Israel's birth. Several foundational myths surrounding property.!° 1948 have and of restitution been examined discredited and being of Israeli disinforma- part By the as history mid-1990s the an debate great Israel, remorselessly in campaign. tion highly of Most these innovative works appeared aired in Hebrew the media, in had divided generations driven and the late the 1980s early and 1990s, sparking internal debate within guard old of establishment academics an better defence their of turf to a Israel well keen interest worldwide. as also It as became a against the encroachments of the 'new historians'. soon latter The were that historiography' the Israeli apparent 'new the of described part much 'self-hating Jews', subjected and was relentless abuse and to as phenomenon wider development of the of perspectives, critical personal attacks, resembling often They new witch-hunts. accused were encompassing disciplines several within the social sciences, with of history rewriting the of Zionism image the of in con- its and enemies tributions long from list of authors, of whom teaching held dedicating a most themselves the destruction of the by to of Israel state positions Israeli in universities. These Israeli authors legitimacy. sapping guard not The its old the turned Israeli are media a to to monolithic they from the liberal group; Zionist 'post- the range public mobilise to opinion by the against manipulating 'traitors' public Zionist', from good old:fashioned the positivist historian fears the 11 apprehensions. and attacks The to them only involved not on 'post-modernist' 6 relativist. orthodox historians and partisans labour of (Shabtai many Zionism The Palestinian nakba, however, become has central the Teveth, Shapira, Anita Shlomo to Aharonson, Rabinowich, Itamar new Israeli discourse only 1948 of contributors on among Efraim the Karsh, Gelber) Yoav some but to popular also and writers some historiography'. Israeli 'new Papp6, Ilan for instance, provides (Aharon journalists Megged, Bar-Tov, Hanoch lz David Bar-Ilan). a critical an•d of the 'old historiography assessment Israeli new' Karsh, of particular, the responded by in waging bitter campaign against a refugee by exodus noting Benny in contrast Morris the historians', 'new that to designed which (in the Benny of words was expulsion dominant feature of the Palestinian Karsh 1948'.•3• nakba was a Morris) and 'refabricate and other to orthodox academics 7 experience the Papp6 1948. in had this in to article accused entitled: say 'new recent destroying historians' :of a the foundations of the 'Demons the of Nakbah': threatening of Israel legitimacy. and state its old guard, The themselves responsible for the foundational myths, demanded a academics, For short while the of end 1980s, the at a several (Zionist) 'committed' scholarship; to return the their contrary, a on including myself, caught public publishing by attention scholarly (especially Benny Morris) argued, opponents precisely it because was 52 The Politics of Denial Israel's Historians' 'New and the Nakba 53 Israel had of enough strong right and its age, by large, really come historians, because 'Israel's and exist was old to not now were by recognised Arab its enemies, that 'non-ideological' history produce historians, reality they history. real and did In new, a not were 14 born. '17 apologetic. was chroniclers, often this 'old' and Morris examines Ideological (Zionist) mobilisation always has presented historiography ond Israeli social opening official the orthodox of 1948 in essay scientists historians and professional with and ethical After, dilemmas. referring produced and the historians who three it to over Faced the with competing demands professions of their is candid', 'misleading'. and the decades after 1948 'less 'deceitful' and As as requirements the of Zionist-Jewish examples, provided by (ret.) created state the he Lieutenant-Colonel the state rains cites accounts a on Palestinian of society Israeli academics opted have (IDF) Often, for Elhanan the former officer Defence Force Israel many at a 'committed' (Zionist) scholarship 'official' and City), History of (On Branch, Baderech el Road the versions Ha'it the It his in events. to a hardly surprising, therefore, is that both political academic published by Operation Dani, and detailed the estab- of IDF Press in account lishments historiography' reacted the 'new dismay. They Hakomemiyut to (History with 1976, Toldot and Milhemet of the of War did everything they could early these stifle Staff/History signs Independence), produced by Branch, to of General self- Israeli the as the and recognition Israel's of role the Yisrael Hamehudeshet Medinat Palestinian Ben-Ourion's well 'histories' in awareness as own catastrophe. Departments Yisrael.19 Middte of Eastern Studies Behilahem Israeli and at continued universities and having academics mainstream myself first, examined Israel order have here: in Two remarks in to many are Clea the
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