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In this talk, Professor Arie Dubnov will explore the multifaceted perception of Gaza within Israeli culture, revealing the complex dynamics within Israeli responses to October 7th.
Taking examples from cultural history he will show how, on the one hand, the Gaza Strip was conceived by Israelis as the site of the archenemy, whose existence is diametrically opposite to the Jewish-Israeli identity and was subject to repression. Yet, simultaneously, it emerged as a source of desire, embodying unfinished aspirations and a place of profound longing. Professor Dubnov’s analysis uncovers a society sharply divided.
Arie M. Dubnov is Associate Professor of History and the Max Ticktin Chair of Israel Studies at The George Washington University. He is a historian of twentieth century Jewish and Israeli history, with emphasis on the history of political thought, the study of nationalism, decolonization and partition politics. His publications include the intellectual biography Isaiah Berlin: The Journey of a Jewish Liberal (Palgrave, 2012) and an edited volume (with Laura Robson) Partitions: A Transnational History of Twentieth-century Territorial Separatism (Stanford University Press, 2019).