The Relationship Between History and Nationalism in the Arab-Israeli Conflict
- October 13, 2020
- Posted by: RSIS Team
- Categories: IJRSI, Social Science
International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VII, Issue IX, September 2020 | ISSN 2321–2705
The Relationship Between History and Nationalism in the Arab-Israeli Conflict
Chloé Bernadaux
France
Abstract: Adopting an “historical sociological” approach, this piece investigates the role of historical narratives in the formation of identities in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict. As a “linguistic device”, traditional narratives are framed within a specific paradigm, according to which the “nation” is seen as the only valid expression of senses of belonging. Why and how historical narratives have played a major role in the formation of collective identities in both national movements is the core question of this study. This piece investigates both the “positive” historical narratives as well as the negative identity elements at the core of the building of the national Self. This research shows that the formation of a hegemonic narrative by the conventional Israeli historiography has prevented the reconciliation of both nationalist processes and any future prospects for the resolution of the conflict.
Key words: Arab-Israeli conflict, nationalism, historical sociology, New Historians.
I. INTRODUCTION
“The problem of history” paradigm has shaped the debate on the role of history for understanding social reality. Researchers such as Nick Vaughan-Williams have argued that a shift shall be operated towards a deconstructive approach posing the “radical indeterminacy of historical meaning as object of analysis” .
Analysing history through the concept of narratives is often disregarded, since it implies that the specific meaning of each historical facts does not derive from the general, as advocated by the constructivist conception of history . However, a new conception of history developed under the name “historical sociology” refutes the possibility of objective assessments of historical events and acknowledges the role of interpretation in our processing of historical facts. This conception reconciling the radical, traditional and constructionist visions of history acknowledges the centrality of narrative as unavoidable process carrying a potential emancipatory function. Recognizing that historical facts are knowable but subjected to diverse interpretative frameworks, leads us to identify the opportunity an extensive study of historical narratives bears: the opportunity to challenge political discourses.
