Israel's National Identity

 

Israel’s National Identity

Israel, more officially referred to as the “State of Israel '' is a country with rich history and religion. Known as the official Jewish state, Israel’s core identity lies within its ability to create a strong sense of pride within its nation and inhabitants. This ranges from sharing the same ancient ancestors who claimed their land centuries ago to individuals who share the same religion and pride for the territory they stand upon. The nation of Israel is distinctive by consisting of specific topography and sites, and more importantly, the people contribute to Israel’s uniqueness as a nation. From being born throughout generations or sharing the same faith, we can see how Israel’s national identity is influenced by its shared religion, history, and territory. More importantly, we will dive deeper into how threats to Israel’s national identity can cause decades of violence between nations.

Influences on National Identity: Religion

One core factor influencing Israel’s national identity it’s strong affiliations with different faiths. In Israel, people live by the phrase “religion is everything.” This is shown through the many holidays, and religious events people participate in due to their loyalty to various faiths. We can also define religion as one of the most influential factors in increasing a sense of national identity. By sharing the same ideologies and values defined as a religion, individuals will have a stronger bond and sense of loyalty to their nation-state. One of the most celebrated and practiced faith is Judaism which accounts for 74% of the Israelis, 18% of Muslims, 1.9% of Christians, and the last 6% of other religions. Since Israel is the only country with such a high

volume of Jewish inhabitants, the country’s identity lies in the religious ideologies that the people of Israel share. According to a report by the Pew Research center (2016),

Jews in Israel feel a strong sense of belonging to the Jewish people and are proud to be Jewish. Fully 93% say that they are proud of their Jewish identity, and 88% say that they feel a strong sense of belonging to the Jewish people. (pg. 4)

So, what is Jewish or, more specifically, this religion of Judaism? Judaism can be defined as a monotheistic religion originating from the ancient Hebrews. In this context, Israel is tied to Judaism because Jews have a “role in the divine economy” since their ancient ancestor was a chosen member to embody God’s will. With scriptures and rabbinic traditions, Judaism is not only a belief but a way of life and purpose for the Jews, especially those in Israel. The significance of religion is not only integrated into the culture of the Israeli people but maintains roles within the government, society, politics, and family systems.

Influences on National Identity: History

Another factor that influences Israel’s national identity is its history. From simply observing the culture and interactions between the people of Israel, you can see that they all function as a collective family. The traditions, culture, and heritage shared between the individuals from these communities have a foundational base created throughout history. One example of a historical event in which the identity of the Israeli people was strengthened as a collective nation was through a movement called Zionism. From the late 19th century and the beginning of the 10th century, this movement was known to be a mass emersion of Jews to reestablish their homeland in Palestine. It was said that thousands of Jews immigrated to Palestine, approximately about 75,000. This historical context is important in what led to the deceleration of the Jewish state, Israel. Jew’s immense pride in their land paid off in May of 1948 when they declared independence and finally identified themselves as an independent nation. Through this declaration, the people of Israel can further identify themselves as a nation different from their surrounding nations. Therefore, they can further their shared ideologies and culture, which acts as their national identity.

Influences on National Identity: Territory

Lastly, the importance of territory plays a significant role in Israel’s national identity. This is because the nation’s identity is based upon the creation of ancient Israel back to King David’s reign. If we were to look back to around 1000 BC, the region was ruled by no other than King David, whose son King Solomon created the first holy temple in Jerusalem. According to (Gaster et al., 2022), the Jewish people saw themselves as messengers for god’s purpose on earth. Therefore, the building of The Temple Mount by King Solomon is seen as a major landmark, in which the Jewish deemed it the holy site where their “destiny” was founded upon. This idea of trying to fulfill their religious purpose on earth through the ties to their territory and holy temples keeps their national identity rooted in the land they reside upon. Since the Jews and Arabs had religious ties to the land and the city of Jerusalem, conflict was inevitable between both religious nations. This shows just how important the land of Jerusalem and Israel influence the identity of Israelis today.

Threats to the National Identity of Israel: Othering Types

According to Triandafyllidou, national identity can be the pushing force behind a country’s social and political actions, which is why this idea can be dangerous. Firstly, she states that the

“double-edged character of national identity, namely its capacity of defining who is a member of the community but also who is a foreigner, compels one to ask to which extent it is a form of inward-looking self-consciousness of a given community... namely through defining who is not a national and thorough differentiating the in-group from others.” (Triandafyllidou, 1998, p. 593),

Trianfyllidou refers to nations or groups of people who do not fit within the cultural norms of the in-group nation. She brings up this idea of the out-group, which is the “other,” and the in- group, which is a particular nation, to show how a nation’s identity and sense of self can be empowering but also conflicting in many ways. If we were to apply this information/theology to the nation of Israel, you would see that there are multiple ‘others’ that exist such as both internal and external othering. Since Arabs are an ethnic minority within Israel, they are considered an internal threat or ‘internal other’. This is because their difference in cultural ideals can be perceived as a possible replacement for Jews which is the majority ethnicity in Israel. Secondly, the nation of Palestine can be seen as external significant ‘other’ because they have its own political unit and does “challenge the territorial and/or cultural integrity of the nation from without” (Triandafyllidou, 1998, p.603). Evidence of this is through the Israel- Palestinian war in which both nations fought for the right to practice their monotheistic religions on the land claimed by Israel in November of 1948-1949. As a series of uprisings continued to progress into more violence, both parties refused to give up on their nation and lose sight of their national identity.

Although a strong bond between the people of a nation and its identity runs deep within the country of Israel, this sense of nationalism is a conflicting factor to have in a prideful nation. We have seen through this blog that Israelis share a common identity: their religion, culture, territory, and history, which supports who they are today. But they also lack diplomatic relations with many of its Arab neighbours. However, it is time to put aside our pride in our communities and come together to celebrate the one thing we all have in common: our humanity.

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