Selling Israel: Zionism, Propaganda, and the Uses of Hasbara

In this incisive study, English literature scholar Malinowitz (Textual Orientations) examines foundational myths of Israeli history. She deconstructs “oft-told tales” that justify historical seizures of Palestinian land and expulsions of Palestinians, including claims that the land was “nonarable” under Palestinian ownership—she points to the past flourishing of the Jaffa orange trade as a counterargument—as well as claims that it was Arab radio stations that convinced Palestinians to flee during the Nakba, the 1948 mass displacement of Palestinians; she dates the first appearance of such claims to a year later. She also delves into Israel’s post-WWII treatment of Holocaust survivors, who, she finds, were “scorned” and even segregated as “too downbeat” until the wars of 1967 and 1973 rendered them useful for reframing the nation’s militarism as an effort to “stave off future victimhood.” Dissecting how such myths are sold to the public, Malinowitz touches on spin tactics from greenwashing to restricting journalistic access to hasbara, the Hebrew name for the “public diplomacy” that’s carried out by Israeli spokespeople in the U.S. and Britain, where they disseminate pro-Israel narratives. Malinowtiz writes persuasively of the strength of hasbara, recalling how, as a Jewish American, she grew up with “stories, aphorisms, and creeds” that “recirculated” and self-reinforced within her community. It makes for an impressive and meticulous challenge to established narratives. (Sept.)