The Wretched of the Earth

Culture and Interpersonal Communication

The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, 1947-1949, by Benny MorrisThe Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, 1947-1949, by Benny Morris. New York, Cambridge University Press, 1987. xx, 380 pp. $39.50 U.S.

Palestinian Citizens in an Ethnic Jewish State: Identities in Conflict, by Nadim N. Rouhana. London and New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1997. x + 231 pages. Appends. to p. 243. Notes to p. 273. Bibl. to p. 288. Index to p. 300. $30. Reviewed by Sheila H. Katz In the summer of 1997 in Jerusalem, a meeting took place in which lawmakers, judges and academics discussed the contradictions between Israel as a Jewish state and Israel as a democratic one. Hours of Orwellian "doublespeak" produced only ethereal platitudes. When the meeting ended, the main problem was that there was no longer any problem. In contrast, Nadim Rouhana's Palestinian Citizens in an Ethnic State elaborates clearly and precisely the critical elements of the problem. The book focuses on the Palestinian Arabs who stayed in Israel after 1948. It examines the national component of the collective identity of the Arab Israeli minority and the forces that have shaped it: Israeli policies. regional developments and changes within the group itself. The book's conclusion discloses both the sharp differences and the common ground between the majority Jewish and the Arab minority populations of Israel, Identity is a slippery subject of study. When one pins down the historical aspects of the development of identity, the psychological aspects beg examination. When one dissects the psychological dimension, the neglected economic elements plead for attention. Furthermore, all individuals and groups have many distinct and overlapping (even opposing) badges of identity. From a poststructural constructivist perspective, using the methodology and theoretical framework of social psychology, Rouhana isolates and analyzes the national aspect of collective identity. The author's research and observations expose the nuances of, and challenge beliefs about, the spectrum of Arab and Jewish "left" and "right." Relying on interviews with political leaders and professionals, Rouhana questions the Arab and Jewish Israelis about their positions on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and their views about the inequality of Arabs and Jews in Israel. In particular, he explores whether they define Israel (1) as the State of the Jewish people, but not of Arab citizens; (2) as the State of the Jewish people and Arab citizens; (3) as the State of Jewish and Arab citizens; or (4) as the State of Arab and Jewish citizens. and of Palestinian people. Rouhana finds that, in certain respects, there is a national consensus among Arab Israelis. as there is among Jewish Israelis. The latter's concerns are focused on preserving the State's Jewish character, democratic attributes and security. In contrast, Israeli Arabs' concerns are focused on establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, ensuring equality between Arabs and Jews in Israel, and gaining legal protection to conduct protests and participate freely in other political activities in Israel. …

Palestinian Citizens in an Ethnic Jewish State: Identities in Conflict

modern. Kaya stresses the critical role o f the mod ernizing age nts and the way in which these agents have defined the project of modernity in different ways. If the indigenous modernizers, as in the case of Turkey, want to imitate the West, would it still be a case of "later modernity?' Isn't the origin of modernizers a weak way of differentiation? This distinction between these two forms of modernity is not convincing and very problematic. Moreover, what does Kaya mean by Turkey as a "particular model of modernity?" Despite its generally valuable contribution, Kaya's book has a number of problems. It is very thin as far as the case of Turkey is concerned. He prefers to cite secondary sources rather than utilizing original Turkish sources. He makes some sweeping and unnecessary statements such as Edward Said's reducing of modernity to "the imperialist power dimensbns of the West" (p. 8). However, this work is a significant for succinctly summarizing the debate on modernity and culture wars in Turkey. It is easy to read and engaging. M. Hakan Yavuz The University of Utah

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/E967A5B3AA54606D217D6EDDC768D5A9/S0026318400048501a.pdf/div-class-title-span-class-italic-epic-encounters-culture-media-and-u-s-interests-in-the-middle-east-1945-2000-span-by-melani-mcalister-american-crossroads-university-of-california-press-berkeley-2001-358-pages-index-bibliography-notes-illustrations-us-19-95-cloth-isbn-0-520-22810-3-div.pdf

Epic Encounters: Culture, Media and U.S. Interests in the Middle East, 1945–2000 , by Melani McAlister. American Crossroads. University of California Press: Berkeley, 2001. 358 pages, index, bibliography, notes, illustrations. US$19.95 (Cloth) ISBN 0-520-22810-3

With the objective of outlining a decision-making process for the selection, evaluation, and application of films for invigorating Palestinian-Israeli dialogue encounters, this project researches, collates, and weaves together the historico-political narratives of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict, the artistic worldviews of the Israeli and Palestinian national cinemas, and the procedural designs of successful Track II dialogue interventions. Using a tailored version of Lucien Goldman’s method of homologic textual analysis, three Palestinian and three Israeli popular film texts are analyzed along the dimensions of Historico-Political Contextuality, SocioCultural Intertextuality, and Ethno-National Textuality. Then, applying the six “best practices” criteria gleaned from thriving dialogue programs, coupled with the six “cautionary tales” criteria gleaned from flawed dialogue models, three bi-national peacebuilding film texts are homologically analyzed and contrasted with the six popular film texts. This exercise is designed to implement a method for identifying “which, why, how, and when” filmic communication is best paired with dialogic communication to buttress the effects of Israeli-Palestinian Track II peacebuilding mediations. It is proposed that a synergized approach of film plus dialogue will contribute to the re-mediation of ethnonational imaginaries and the re-imagining of the violent parameters of the conflict. INDEX WORDS: Palestinian Cinema, Israeli Cinema, Film, Dialogue, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, National Identity RE-MEDIATING THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT: THE USE OF FILMS TO FACILITATE DIALOGUE

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Elana Shefrin

Papers

Re-Mediating the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: The Use of Films to Facilitate Dialogue