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Elvis in Jerusalem: Post-Zionism and the Americanization of Israel

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Is VAPID Americanization bad for Israel? Is national unity a pejorative? According to Segev, social collectivism is dead, Americanism is thriving in Israel. Private parties now supplant group celebrations. If Paul Newman were to reprise his role as Ari Ben Canaan from the 1961 film, "Exodus," he might portray a capitalist in Ramat Aviv Gimmel, and not a committed Kibbutznik. Segev feels that more Israeli's pay homage to the Elvis statue at an Elvis Diner on the road to Jerusalem, than to a Herzl statue that stands outside of Herzliya, that beachside bastion of prosperous capitalism. Personally, aside from this post-Zionist's thesis, the book is worth reading if only for the bounty of tidbits of Israeli social history and the voices of Israel's scholars that are included. Segev smartly uses a recurring theme of statues, and the reader is left with a fresh look at the future of Israeli society.

Tom Segev, PhD historian turned journalist, produces a series of fantastic commentaries for this extremely short work. Those familiar with Segev's other work will notice that Elvis lacks one of the trademarks of his previous works: extensive (almost mindnumbing) footnotes.

After reading Segev's three other mammoth works (One Palestine, Complete; 1949: The First Israelis; and The Seventh Million), I was immediately struck by the simplicity of the book. Using his journalistic skills he produces a fascinating look into the changing society that is modern Israel.

While his other works may have broken new ground with his theses, this book mostly rehashes many of the ideas he writes about in his other books. Nevertheless I found the book immensely interesting. He writes it almost as if it is a non-fiction black comedy, weaving in obscure stories into a rich history.

As far as readability goes, this is probably Segev's best. It may not be for those who are beginners to the subject, but if you have already read a bit about Israel, the Palestinians, and the Middle East in general, it will give you a whole new insight into Israel.

ELVIS IN JERUSALEM is less about the "Americanization" of Israeli society than it is about the "de-Zionization" of Israeli culture.

Segev, one of the foremost Israeli "New Historians" (i.e. revisionists) sees the liberation of Israel from its drab, early, khaki-colored socialist-collective Pioneer culture as necessarily a good thing, and treats the resultant influx of American products, values, norms and even language as an amicable step toward globalization and Israeli normalization.

Segev is correct, to an extent. The severe and essentially narrow views of Israel's founders have fallen further and further out of step as the State of Israel has matured. As early Zionist philosophies have withered, pluralism has flourished. Where Ben-Gurion and his fellows wanted to create a socialist "New Hebrew" human being and a parochially secular yet all-Jewish state out of the disparate elements of European, Oriental and New World Jewry, Israel today embraces a diversity of practices, and has re-embraced Yiddish and Ladino culture, as well as that of Jews from other lands.

As the State has grown politico-emotionally there has been an increasing tendency to treat with the resident Arabs---Israeli Arabs and Palestinians both---on a more evenhanded basis. This is all to the good.

Segev addresses (but of course cannot resolve) the inherent contradictions of living in a democratic, secular State in which Jewish clergy or Zionist philosophers control certain key social structures. These contradictions affect all Israelis, no matter their ethnicity or faith, and create the dynamic tensions which drive Israeli society forward (or back, depending on one's views).

Segev views the American model as key. He revels in an open, pluralistic, multicultural society, but seems too close to the issue to see that these elements can also cause profound social schisms as they do in the U.S.. He never acknowledges the "Wal-Mart-ization" of this consumer culture, the substitution of instant gratification and cheap junk for quality and bedrock values, as in the least destructive.

Segev seems to view most Israeli schisms as overwhelmingly political ("Palestine" versus "West Bank" for example) or religious ("Who is a Jew?"), rather than directly addressing the sea change in Israel from Pioneer Culture to Organization Man Culture, which, in effect, is the same sea change that has altered the American social fabric.

Segev's "New History," in which he questions and debunks the accepted institutional mythos of the re-establishment of the Jewish Homeland, is thought-provoking. It would have been better and stronger had Segev bothered to document the majority of his statements and sources.

Although Elvis, a Melungeon of Sephardic Jewish descent, has long since left the building, Segev provides the American reader with a view of an Israel profoundly altered from the day of CAST A GIANT SHADOW, a modern, vibrant, complex and confused place full of living, breathing human beings.

I came to appreciate Segev after reading his writing in Ha'aretz, an Israeli daily newspaper, and his book, "One Palestine Complete". While the latter was an impressive historical work, "Elvis in Jerusalem", is more closely related to his work as an editorial journalist. It is not a comprehensive or academic look at Israeli society.

I have studied the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in considerable depth and have lived in the West Bank, where I gained the kind of intimate knowledge of Palestinian society that is usually ignored in literature on the conflict. I lack this understanding of Israeli society, though, so I picked up this book hoping for a little glimpse into the evolution of Israeli society. In this, Segev succeeds.

"Elvis in Jerusalem" is full of great insight, consistently interesting and perceptive. Divided into four sections, Segev first tackles the development of Zionism prior to the establishment of Israel and during its early years. He then presents the slow shift of Israel from its collective and essentially socialist roots towards the predominately American ideal of the individual. Next he talks about several of the increasing divisions within Israel, including its conflict between secular and religious attitudes and the ethnic tensions involved in a country based largely on culturally diverse immigrants. His fourth and final section details a decreasing faith in Zionism and an increase in post-Zionist attitudes and policies in Israel. While these sections are outlined with a historian's eye, they are entirely different in content, focusing heavily on not just the ideology developed, but the way those ideas lived and moved in the people.

All of this is put together in a tight package. Segev structures his writing in concise arguments and logical sequences, and Haim Watzman has done a fantastic job translating this work into engaging and accessible prose, never meandering or obfuscating the message (for instance, he doesn't use words like "obfuscating").

I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as long as they have considerable knowledge of the conflict's history and at least some knowledge of the Israeli social/political map (can you identify some of the political parties besides Labor/Likud?). In addition, familiarity with concepts or events such as aliyah, Greater Israel, the difference in Israeli perception of the wars of 48 and 67 vs. Yom Kippur and Lebanon, and the political shift from Labor to Likud will aid the reader tremendously.

[...]

Tom Segev is one of Israel's leading `new historians'. These scholars have rattled the cage of traditional Zionism, challenging mainstream interpretations surrounding Israel's early history.

In this slim, highly readable and provocative book, Segev views Zionism as, on the whole, a notable success. He concedes it has come at a price, particularly for the Palestinians, but believes it is now time to embrace post-Zionism.

Bearing in mind that one needs to be cautious of any word with `post' attached as a prefix (the vagueness and multiple meanings of `post-modernism' are a case in point), Segev, to his credit, clearly spells out the key elements of post-Zionist Israel after a brief overview of Zionism's troubled beginnings. Primarily, it is an acknowledgment that `Zionism has done its job ... and that Israel must now move on to the next stage.'

This `next stage' is a recognition that Israel's existence is no longer in question. While individual Israelis may sometimes be in danger (for example, as a result of random bombings), Israel as a state is not under threat in any meaningful sense of the term. It has a strong military to defend itself, is a nuclear power (despite official denials), has a viable economy, and is a robust democracy.

Other key post-Zionist developments in Israel identified by Segev are the arrival of approximately one million immigrants from the Soviet Union who have not brought with them Zionist ideology; the powerful and growing Orthodox religious sector within Israel (many of whom are not Zionists, with a few on the fringe who are vehemently anti-Zionist); the 20 per cent of Arab Israelis who, of course, are not Zionists; and the three of every five children who do not enter the Zionist system of education in Israel.

The acceleration towards post-Zionism has been nudged along by the Americanisation of Israeli society, hence the title of this book. According to Segev, this has permeated almost every strata of Israeli society from politics to sport to culture. Surprisingly, he argues that whereas Americanisation is a pejorative term in much of the world, in Israel, it has largely had beneficial consequences. For instance, it has delivered more accountability and professionalism, and greater pluralism and tolerance of multiculturalism. Moreover, Americanisation has brought into sharp focus the rights of minorities such as Israeli Arabs, women, gays and foreign workers within Israel.

What is lacking in this otherwise incisive account is Segev's failure to fully explore the pitfalls of Americanisation, and his seemingly uncritical endorsement of individualism for Israeli society (and, for that matter, any society). His use of the term `Americanisation' is also puzzling. Does he really mean `Westernisation', or even `modernisation'?
What Segev candidly admits, however, are the political implications of post-Zionism. Benjamin Netanyahu and other conservatives in Israel have spoken of `post post-Zionism' arguing that there has been a backlash against these revisionist interpretations - sentiments that have gained momentum with the rise of the latest intifada and wave of suicide bombers over the past few years.

Segev grants that these events have indeed scared `Israelis back into the Zionist womb'. In subsequent interviews discussing his book (see, for example, http://jewishbookweek.com/archive/030303d/transcripts2.php), he is not sanguine about resurrecting the moribund peace process which has, so far, yielded such meagre results. Instead, he believes Israel's conflict with the Palestinians can only be `managed' at this time. Like Segev, we all hope that this is done without the cycles of terror, reprisals and bloodshed that have been part of the Middle East political landscape for so long.

"Elvis in Jerusalem" is not a good title for this collection of reflections on present-day Israeli society. It is, in my opinion, a direction-less appendix to his more substantial (and more laudable) works: "One Palestine Complete", "The Seventh Million", and "The First Israelis." (I would love Segev to tackle the settler movement next, or perhaps secret relations between Israeli and Arab governments over the years, or maybe the complex and evolving identity of Palestinian citizens of Israel.)

As for this piece, it is enjoyable but has a "snack food" quality to it. Anything Segev is better than your run-of-the-mill work by a journalist-cum-sociologist; nonetheless, I would have preferred this to be an outline for a meatier book on conflicts between Zionism, Modernism, Judaism and Americanization.

Fascinating, and he's among the best, but this was an afterthought at best and a retread of covered ground otherwise.

I enjoyed reading this book about how Israel is becoming more modern. It was interesting to see how American aid has turned into American influence on
Israeli culture. I am pleased to learn that Israel is turning away from Socialism and becoming more capitalistic. I am proud to learn how Israel is becoming a leader in the Technology fields. It is amazing how many computer related products now come from this tiny land.

On our first-ever trip to Israel last month, our bus captain told us one day he was going to take us to "one of the most culturally-significant sites in Israel." It turned out to be the Elvis American Diner on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway. So it turned out he was joking (on the other hand, he *is* from Mississippi, so who knows?).

And yet, the place obviously has enough cultural significance to have inspired the title of this fascinating little book by Tom Segev (it's mentioned on page 49). I readily admit that, as someone who's only starting to familiarize himself with the tensions and polarities within Israeli society, I can't really comment on the completeness of all Segev presents to his readers. What I can say, however, is that he gives the reader -- particularly and especially one like me -- a tremendous amount to think about.

In just 150 pages or so, he recounts the history of Zionism as the founding principle of the State of Israel and the many attacks that principle has absorbed both before and since Israeli independence. Once a defining aspect of the labor-Left, Zionism is now clung-to most fiercely, it seems, by the religious and political right. The collectivist emphasis of the kibbutz (and in fact the collectivist emphasis of the whole idea of a "Jewish State") is being abandoned, particularly by many *sabra* in favor of an "Americanized" emphasis on the individual, including personal achievement and personal happiness. Does this foreshadow -- even require -- a redefinition of what it means to be an Israeli?

For someone new to the topic, "Elvis in Jerusalem" suggests many leads for further reading and research. For me, these include, but are not limited to, the history of Zionism, the importance of the "Land of Israel" to the "State of Israel" ("For his part, [Herzl] didn't think the State of Israel necessarily had to be established in the Land of Israel" [p. 16].), and, fundamentally, the strengths and weaknesses of establishing a political structure on the basis of collectivist religious and ethnic bases -- particularly when that political structure includes people who are not part of those collectives. For a small book, there are some pretty big ideas here, and I think Tom Segev did an excellent job addressing the fundamental tensions modern Israel is being forced to confront.

Historian and columnist Tom Segev contributes to the long series of books on the Middle-East with a book that fascinates and thrills. It made me look at Israel and the country's near history with new eyes. This small book makes you reflect on accepted truths and myths about the country and it's inhabiltants. Segev's book represents someting new and different, and inspired me to buy a couple of other of his books on the subject. Consider "Elvis in Jerusalem: Post-Zionism and the Americanization of Israel" an appetizer for further reading of this "new historian's" books.

Not only does Tom Segev talk about Israel's future, he also talks about its past. He tells facts as they are including some shocking facts regarding Zionism that are unattractive and brutal. This book provides important insights -- only the truth will set people free to pursue peace.