Ben Gurion’s Dichotomy: The Creation of the Israel National Ethos

Year 2020, Issue: 7, 18 - 36, 21.06.2021

Melis Özdemir

Abstract

Proclaiming the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the founding father of modern Israel, David Ben-Gurion, was not only the primary figure for the creation of Jewish state but also the main leader for constructing nation state building of Israel. As a Jewish state, Israel’s self-identification was constructed on the intertwined relation amongst religious and historical narratives of Judaism. Commenced with the Zionist ideology-national movement then followed by the aliyot, all through the re-establishment of Jewish state, religion and historical narratives played a fundamental role whilst building the Jewish identity and the nation state. Correlation between religion, state and Jewish identity had been used as a discourse by many leaders to fulfill the ambition of returning back to promised lands, re-establishment of the Jewish state and Ben-Gurion was one of them. Ben-Gurion was known by his contradictory statements and pragmatic politics during his leadership. Throughout his political career, first as a labour leader of the Histadrut, chair of the Jewish Agency and then later as the founding father, first prime minister and minister of defence, Ben-Gurion’s rhetoric on key matters like the socialist Zionism, the formation of Israeli identity, his design on the social construction and nation of Jewish state were amended from time to time. His ideological and intellectual activities aimed at state and nation building of Jewish state, he was aware of the necessity for extended education for the creation of national ethos and need for the historical and religious narrations to form the collective Jewish identity. This article will examine Ben-Gurion's changing discourses on his nation state building policies, starting with his early career as a Histadrut leader and following his establishment of the State of Israel. In his early leadership era, he was inspired by the labour Zionism and Ben-Gurion's idea of Zionism was pragmatic and focused on the future, was not longing for the past. He strongly believed in the plausible harmony of Jewish and Arabs communities, sharing an equal right to work and live in Palestine with mutual interest against the landlords. He imagined the viable integration of Jewish and non-Jewish community for the larger prosperity of Palestine. Nevertheless, during his second period as the founding father of Israel, his discourse was enthused more by the religious and historical narratives, converging more on the past sorrowing experiences Jewish people had to go through in order to achieve what was promised to them, the right of the Jewish people to return back to the promised land. Inevitably this article aims to analyze Ben-Gurion's rhetoric in his strong nation-state building, invigorating Jewish culture and identity to secure what was earned after great struggle and suffering for the redemption of Israel.

Keywords

Israel, Ben-Gurion, Nation State Building, Zionism

Ben Gurion’s Dichotomy: The Creation of the Israel National Ethos

Abstract

Yahudi Devleti” mi “İsrail’in Tüm Vatandaşlarının Devleti” mi?: İsrail Milli Kimliğini Yeniden Tanımlamaya Yönelik Filistin Talepleri ve Buna Yönelik Tepkiler

Öz: Devletin fiili anayasası yerine geçen “İnsan Onuru ve Özgürlüğü” temel yasasının İsrail’i bir “Yahudi devleti” olarak tanımlaması, ülkedeki tüm diğer Yahudi olmayanların eşit vatandaşlık haklarının sorgulanmasına yol açıyor. Devletin Yahudi doğası gereği vatandaş olsun ya da olmasın tüm Yahudiler diğerlerine göre daha ayrıcalıklı bir konuma yükseltiliyor ve hükümetler özellikle göçmenlik yasaları, arazi tahsisi ve askerlik hizmeti gibi konularda Yahudi çoğunluğa kurumsal ve yasal imtiyazlar sağlıyorlar. Fakat 1990’lı yıllardan itibaren İsrail’in Filistin kökenli vatandaşları Filistinli ve İsrailli kimlikleri arasında bir denge sağlayarak, “tarihsel anavatanındaki ulusal bir azınlık” statüsü ve bu statüye bağlı olarak kolektif hak taleplerinde bulundukları bir siyasi mücadele yürütüyorlar. Yahudi hegemonyasına meydan okuyarak “Yahudi” olarak tanımlanan devleti “İsrail’in tüm vatandaşlarının devleti”ne dönüştürmeyi böylece özyönetim ve eşit temsil hakkı da dâhil olmak üzere kolektif haklara sahip bir ulusal azınlık olarak tanınmasını sürekli savunuyorlar. İsrail devletinin bu taleplere yanıtı ne oldu? Bu çalışma, Aralık 2018 ve Ocak 2020 tarihleri arasında Tel Aviv, Kudüs ve Hayfa’da 12 İsrailli politika yapıcı ile derinlemesine nitel görüşmeler kullanarak İsrailli politika yapıcıların sınır ötesi etnik ilişkileri nedeniyle İsrailli Filistinlilere yönelik “güvenlik odaklı” bir politika izlemeye devam ettiğini savundu. Sonuç olarak, devletin Yahudi doğasına meydan okuyan “tüm vatandaşları için bir devlet” kurma Filistinli talebi, İsrail'in var olma hakkının inkar edilmesi veya Yahudilerin devlet olma hakkının tartışılması olarak görüldü.

Keywords

: Etnik Azınlıklar, Ulus Kimlik, Dışlama, Vatandaş Filistinliler, İsrail

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