Elvis in Jerusalem: Post-Zionism and the Americanization of IsraelAs the Middle East conflict enters its most violent phase, Tom Segev offers a lively, contentious polemic against cherished and rigid notions of Israel's national unity and culture. In his many works of history, Tom Segev has challenged the entrenched understanding of crucial moments in Israel's past. Now, in a short, sharp, polemical book, Segev has turned his sights from Israeli history to confront some revered assumptions about the country today. Drawing on personal experience as well as all kinds of artifacts from Israeli popular culture -- shopping malls, fast food, public art, television, religious kitsch -- Segev offers a controversial point of view: the sweeping Americanization of the country, rued by most, has had an extraordinarily beneficial influence, bringing not only McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts but the virtues of pragmatism, tolerance, and individualism. And, in the fierce battle over the future of Zionism, Segev welcomes the diffusion of national identity and ideology that has taken place in the last decade as a harbinger of a new spirit of compromise and openness. At a time of crisis, as Israelis and Palestinians retreat to their most embattled positions, Segev's colorful, provocative book is sure to spark heated debate. |
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American anti-Zionist Arab citizens army Aviv Avneri Barak Bartal became began Benjamin Netanyahu British broadcast community in Palestine country's culture Darwish David Ben-Gurion debate declared defense Diaspora dream establishment Europe Exile fact force Gavison goal Ha'aretz Hazony Hebrew historians Holocaust homeland identified immigrate to Israel Independence intentionally left blank Israel's Arab Israeli identity Israeli society Israeli Zionism Jerusalem Jewish Agency Jewish and democratic Jewish community Jewish majority Judaism kibbutz kibbutzim Knesset labor Land of Israel Law of Return leaders Likud live Mapai ment military Mimouna murder Nazi Palestine Palestinian party patriotism peace political population post-Zionism post-Zionist prime minister protest Rabbi refugees religious rule secular Sephardic settle settlements Shas Shas's Six Day Six Day War Soviet Union state's status story struggle survivors symbol Tel Aviv television territories Theodor Herzl tion ultra-Orthodox United wrote Yishuv Yitzhak Rabin Yuval Zion Zionist movement