Defining Neighbors: Religion, Race, and the Early Zionist-Arab Encounter: Religion, Race, and the Early Zionist-Arab Encounter

307 Pages·2014·4.48 MB·English

by  Gribetz

Defining neighbors
Jews, Christians, and Muslims
from the Ancient to the Modern World
Edited by Michael Cook, William Chester Jordan, and Peter Schäfer
A list of titles in this series appears at the back of the book.
Defining neighbors
Religion, Race, and the Early
Zionist- Arab Encounter
Jonathan Marc Gribetz
PRinCEton UnivERsity PREss
PRinCEton And oxfoRd
Copyright © 2014 by Princeton University Press
Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William street,
Princeton, new Jersey 08540
in the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, 6 oxford street,
Woodstock, oxfordshire ox20 1tW
press.princeton.edu
detail of map: Hans fischer, Palästina, 1890. Eran Laor
Cartographic Collection, the national Library of israel.
All Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data
Gribetz, Jonathan Marc, 1980– author.
defining neighbors : religion, race, and the early Zionist-Arab
encounter / Jonathan Marc Gribetz.
pages cm. — (Jews, Christians, and Muslims from the ancient
to the modern world)
includes bibliographical references and index.
isBn 978-0-691-15950-8 (hardcover)
1. Zionism—History—20th century. 2. Palestinian Arabs—History—
20th century. 3. Jewish-Arab relations. 4. Khalidi, Ruhi, 1864–1913.
5. Ben-yehuda, Eliezer, 1858–1922. 6. Palestine—History—1799–1917.
7. Palestine—History—1917–1948. i. title.
ds149.G738 2014
320.54095694—dc23
2013040012
British Library Cataloging-i n- Publication data is available
this book has been composed in Charis
Printed on acid- free paper. ∞
Printed in the United states of America
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
To Sarit, Sophie, Daniela, and Max

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Note on Transliterations xiii
Introduction 1
Chapter 1
Locating the Zionist- Arab Encounter: Local, Regional,
imperial, and Global spheres 15
Chapter 2
Muhammad Ruhi al-K halidi’s “as- sayūnīzm”: An islamic
theory of Jewish History in Late ottoman Palestine 39
Chapter 3
“Concerning our Arab Question”? Competing Zionist
Conceptions of Palestine’s natives 93
Chapter 4
imagining the “israelites”: fin de siècle Arab
intellectuals and the Jews 131
Chapter 5
translation and Conquest: transforming Perceptions
through the Press and Apologetics 185
Conclusion 235
Bibliography 249
Index 269

Acknowledgments
am indebted to many for their assistance and support as i wrote this
i
book, and it is a pleasure to have this opportunity to express my
appreciation.
i began this project as a doctoral candidate at Columbia University,
where i came to study Jewish history with yosef Hayim yerushalmi,
of blessed memory, and Michael stanislawski. in seminars with
yerushalmi and stanislawski, i observed how great historians read and
analyze texts; i hope that their influences are recognizable here. As my
graduate studies progressed, my research interest in Zionism led me to
Middle Eastern history. Rashid Khalidi, through his research, mentor-
ship, and generosity, sent me on a journey into the fascinating world
of Late ottoman Palestine from which i have yet to emerge. Khalidi
also kindly shared with me Muhammad Ruhi al-K halidi’s unpublished
manuscript, a text that sparked many of the questions that drive this
book. My committee also included two scholars from other universi-
ties, derek Penslar and Ronald Zweig, who treated me— and have con-
tinued to treat me— as their own.
As i was completing my dissertation, i had the privilege of spending
a year at the Center for Advanced Judaic studies at the University of
Pennsylvania, where i was welcomed by the center’s director david
Ruderman. My conversations there with other scholars interested in
secularism and modern Jewish history— including Annette Aronowicz,
Ari Joskowicz, david Myers, Amnon Raz-K rakotzkin, daniel schwartz,
scott Ury, and yael Zerubavel— were most helpful as i considered some
of the implications of my work. At the CAJs i also gained a dear col-
league and friend, Ethan Katz, who has read and critiqued many parts
of this book multiple times.
After i finished my doctorate, the indefatigable Hindy najman gra-
ciously invited me to the University of toronto. i had the opportunity
there to work more closely with my mentor derek Penslar, who took
me under his wings and has wisely and selflessly guided me intellectu-
ally and professionally ever since. in toronto, i also benefited greatly
from the intellectual friendships of doris Bergen, sol Goldberg, Jens
Hanssen, Jeffrey Kopstein, Alejandro Paz, Robin Penslar, natalie Roth-
man, and Harold troper.