Abstract

The debate within Israel on the country's future and characteristics, known as Post-Zionism, challenges fundamental myths surrounding the early history and contemporary identity of the Israeli State. The argument is voiced by individuals and groups with different political agendas, and drawn from the Israeli media, intellectual circles and academia. It seeks to downplay the influence of Judaism in the definition of the state, and to move towards the idea that Israel should become a secular state of all its citizens. This argument has profound implications for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for Israeli politics. The contributors to this volume present the debate, examine Post-Zionism's meanings and prospects, place it in its political context, and explore its implications for out groups, including Palestinians, Israeli women and Jewish people outside Israel.