Israeli nationalism

Israeli nationalism seeks to promote the unity, independence, and well-being of the Israeli people. It usually manifests as civic or cultural nationalism, promoting the cultural unity of Israel. It asserts that the Israelis are a nation, in a definition of Israeli that includes citizens of Jewish, Arab, Druze, Bedouin, or of any other ethnic, racial, or religious background. Israeli nationalism is closely associated with Zionism, which seeks to preserve the land of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people and all others who wish to live peacefully in the western-style, pluralistic democracy.

History[edit]

Israeli nationalism emerged during the Ottoman occupation, when Jews and Arabs living in the region were second class citizens, below the Turks.

Jewish immigrants often forged close friendships with the local Arabs, Druze, and other groups and sought to improve living conditions for everyone through public works projects including irrigation, reclaiming swampland, planting trees, and building roads other infrastructure. They opened schools and hospitals that served the entire community.

A common identity was further forged during the twenty year British occupation known as the Palestine Mandate. The sometimes capricious and arbitrary rule of the British led to pro-independence feelings among almost the entire population.

Israeli nationalism was strengthened when the nascent nation-state survived assaults in the Israeli War of Independence, the Six Day War, and the Yom Kippur War.

Israeli nationalists feel common identity and seek self-determination for everyone who lives in the land of Israel.

Present day Israel is the only country to have a revived official language, Hebrew. Its culture comprises Jewish, Arab, and Jewish diaspora elements. Israel has one of the biggest economies in the Middle East and among the highest GDP per capita and standards of living in Asia. One of the most technologically advanced and developed countries in the world, it spends proportionally more on research and development than any other and is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons.

Israel's Basic Laws confer equal civil rights on all citizens, and it is unusual in the Middle East for being a highly diverse and egalitarian society. Israel is also a world leader in women's rights and LGBTQ rights. Israel's government includes representatives from every religious and ethnic group, and it is one of the longest established democracies in the Middle East.

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