Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., May 21, 2008 Iyyar 16, 5768 | | Israel Time: 17:05 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 17:03 21/05/2008 Hiistory Redeeming the Jews By Hanna Herzig Tags: Albert Londres, French  Hayehudi hanoded higia: Itonai tzarfati be'ikvot hayehudim (Le Juif Errant Est Arrive), by Albert Londres (Hebrew translation by Michal Ilan) Nahar Publishing, 215 pages, NIS 84 The English title of Albert Londres' book, "The Jew Has Come Home? (a translation, by William Staples, was published in 1931, but is long out of print), is one that, with a question mark appended to it, might encapsulate the controversy that has attached itself to Israel's existence since Zionism's early days. What makes his insights all the more riveting and amazing is that Londres himself had nothing to do with Jews or Judaism and held no preconceptions about them. A French journalist who covered injustice in obscure regions, Londres (1884-1932) found in the Jews only an unknown, intriguing topic, whose investigation sent him in the late 1920s on a journey to the far reaches of Eastern Europe and then to Palestine of the British Mandate days. And so, the voice speaking here is not that of an "insider?; rather, in this book, all of us, "the Jews,? are an object of scrutiny, a strange, alien other. This is a rare chance to look at ourselves from the outside. The travelogue genre is supposed to be exciting, suspenseful and funny, and Londres indeed provides all of these qualities amply, especially in the early part of his journey, as he travels to Prague, Galicia and the depths of the Ukraine. There is a great deal of material here for an anthropological tale about an odd species that follows an exotic religion and lives in unimaginable poverty. Alongside the exaggerations that are meant to satisfy his French readers, Londres' descriptions of the "savage Jews? contain a great deal of fascinating, surprising information (at least for the non-expert). And yet the book's most important aspect is the contemporary relevance of the author's impressions and their implications for the essence of our modern-day political controversies. The insights Londres presents organize the "Jewish story? within a narrative that remains contested to this day: Schematically put, it is the hackneyed narrative that unfolds the history of Jews in modernity as a transition from a "lachrymose exile? to a redeeming Zionism, from the humiliated "Jew of exile? to the proud, upright "new Jew.? But this is actually a schematic portrayal of Londres' positions, which are far more complex and ambivalent. The complexity lies primarily in the way he penetrates the roots of the Jewish soul and the conditions of living that led to the "lowness? of life in exile. He is impressed with the Jews' stubborn, irrational adherence to their majestic religion; he admires their endless inquisitiveness and love of books. He analyzes, like a master historian, the controversies surrounding what might be phrased as the question of "Who is a Jew? -- Judaism as a religion, a nationality, a race. He is an enthusiastic supporter of Zionist thinking, but does not reject the religious fervor of the anti-Zionists or the solution that Western Jews find in assimilation. Londres is even an expert on anti-Semitism, in his subtle distinction between "the bloodless, the bloody and the cruel and sadistic.? He clearly grasps the nature of "clean? murderousness, like that of Nazism (not yet born at this time), which he predicts with his finely attenuated senses, and he understands just as well the Jewish passivity with regard to pogroms. One can imagine he would not have resorted to the arrogant expression "like lambs to the slaughter.? The non-Jewish French journalist regards the Jews of the Diaspora in an empathetic, non-dogmatic way -- something that cannot easily be said of the fulfillers of the Zionist idea in the Jewish state. No less fascinating is the hidden tone that emerges from his analyses and overt sentiments. Londres' attitude toward the strange creature before him contains, first of all, an Orientalist mix of admiration, repugnance and condescension before the colorful primitiveness of the other. Alongside the compassion for those who suffer the hardships of poverty, there is also a strong negative reaction to their squalor, nausea at the stink of onion and garlic, a guffaw at the beards and sidelocks of those who are always "lamenting? or "emerging? from nowhere. These are figures always called by the collective noun "the Jews,? or "my Jews.? One example among many demonstrates it all: "And here they are! Here are the Jews. At first I thought they were some strange race descended from the least known planet, but they were really Jews. They were all black against the snow and their beards and kaftans gave them the charm of cypress trees.? Before our eyes, the stereotype comes to life. Londres describes the Jews he sees, hunched over, pale and thin, afraid to meet his gaze, buckling under some invisible weight: "They keep close to the walls and speak low ... At the least stir, they behave like a criminal tapped on the shoulder. All, indeed, seem bowed down with the crime of being Jews.? How intriguing: For all his complex analyses and sympathetic, non-dogmatic attitude, Londres ultimately describes the Jews in the spirit of the stereotype that was meant to cement the antithetical image of the "new Jew? and to strengthen the "denial of exile? among those who are no longer "Jews,? but Israelis. Londres, however, is not a spokesman for Zionism; he regards it from the outside, and his observations are not driven by an agenda. And so we face the question: Could this be not a "construction,? not an "image?? Did reality actually look that way, meager and hopeless? And perhaps, in light of that dead-end reality, the Zionist project was a singular solution to a predicament, and not a colonialist enterprise? Londres' impression of Palestine and of the Jews fulfilling the Zionist vision also breathes life into what are perceived as stereotypes and constructions: "the new Jew,? "making the emptiness flourish,? "a few against the many.? Because for all his reservations, Londres' initial and consistent reaction during his visit to the Promised Land is one of vibrant admiration for the Jews in Zion ("Their spines have straightened?), for the revival of the lost language, for the doctors who became laborers, for the winning ideology: "They were the last example of the great movement of ideas across history.? 'Intellectuals drained swamps' Amazingly, Londres' admiration is so great that his language seems to "quote? the slogans of the Jewish Agency: Tel Aviv, and perhaps all of the Jewish settlements, grew out of the sea: "These intellectuals drained swamps, this librarian quarried rocks, this man-about-town cooked his supper in the desert of Judea. Where there had been a dune arose a city. Orange trees grew up out of the red earth. The thistle turned to grain.? Londres, perhaps unlike the spokesmen of early Zionism, does not ignore the presence of Arabs in the "redeemed? land, or their ownership of its soil; he is not certain that the Bible gives the Jews a "historic right,? because, he wonders, was this really the Land of Abraham? Yet there is no denying the dismissive tone of his account: "The Arabs may have lived there for centuries and centuries but they had achieved nothing. They were there only as the wild beasts are in the jungle.? The overwhelming sentiment is concern for the Zionist settlements, which are a refuge for the Jews who have "nowhere else to go.? When Londres returns to France, the violent 1929 attacks on Jews in Palestine and the massacre at Hebron occur. He goes back to Palestine, appalled at the atrocities described. He meets with the top Palestinian leaders, even with the mufti ("a young, gentle fellow?), and hears their own compelling words about their wish for a "representative democratic state that will govern the Palestinians, Arab and Jew, in proportion to the respective numbers? -- what we today call "a state of all its citizens.? He examines the Arab perspective mostly to find a way of reconciling their claims, which are in themselves just, with the Jews' ownership of the "desolate? land and their legitimate demand to build a "national home? in Palestine. Only later does Londres point to the danger of the Jewish arrogance: "You re-entered your home [...] without asking who, since your departure, had taken over your house [...] We all know how agreeable it is, at times, to thumb a nose?; "Instead of a Wandering Jew, then, a Wandering Arab.? These reproving words, however, do not target the ethical problem, but rather the blindness of the Jews regarding the Arab national awakening, a blindness that endangers the existence of the Zionist enterprise. Ultimately, just as the dismissive tone peeks through the portrait of the exiled Jew, so the admiration for the "new Jew? triumphs. Through Londres' eyes, "the redemption of the Jewish people in Eretz Israel? is no longer a hollow slogan, but a marvel and a rescue. "Has the Wandering Jew come home at last? Why not?? This is the book's final line, and this time the implicit question mark of the title is clearly given a positive answer. Londres' impression is stimulating in its relevance to the historical and cultural research of our day. On the one hand, it raises doubts regarding the constructed, agenda-driven nature of the basic concepts used by the Zionist narrative in its early days, and it restores to them a status of reality and justification. At the same time, the book suggests some fascinating conclusions about human nature: Is Londres' attitude toward the alien, exotic other an Orientalist one, even when it is so sympathetic? Is his tireless admiration for the Zionist idea rooted in his deep-seated distaste for helplessness and his worship of power? Either way, here the quotation marks are removed from another concept disliked by postcolonialists: "human nature.? Dr. Hanna Herzig is the editor of "Mavo letorat hasifrut vehatarbut? ("Introduction to the Theory of Literature and Culture?), published by the Open University Press. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Fear of extinction The state of over 20 species of birds in Israel has worsened considerably. Taking advantage Jerusalem police probe possible gang rape of disabled woman.

Read & React Al Gore: Israel should lead the way in renewable energy Responses: 111 Olmert to U.S.: Impose naval blockade on Iran Responses: 149 Israel, Syria to begin indirect peace talks Responses: 90 Akiva Eldar: If Israel wants peace, it must bolster Fatah Responses: 45 Opinion: The demise of the European left Responses: 45 Rosner's Domain 5 questions: Does Israel need rescue? Can Obama win over Jewish voters? (WTR) Rosner's Guests: Israel not likely to invade Gaza soon Hyping the threat from Iran (WTR) Poll: Meeting the president of Iran - good or bad? More Headlines 16:44 Israel and Syria officially confirm indirect talks 16:42 Yishai: Syria is still axis of evil; Labor MK: Olmert using spin to deflect from probe 16:29 ANALYSIS / Small piece of land could scupper Israel-Syria talks 17:05 Microsoft CEO, in Israel: Our company is almost as Israeli as it is American 15:45 Palestinian official: Israel, Hamas still at odds over truce terms 15:54 Prosecution petitions court to bar Talansky from leaving Israel 13:15 Iran detains seven Baha'i leaders, citing 'Zionist' ties 15:03 Syria-Israel peace deal 'requires shift in U.S. policy' 11:51 Warring Lebanese leaders seal deal to end 18-month crisis 15:48 In countdown to Champions League final, Avram Grant faces the test of his life 14:47 Gazans fear for their health as they turn to cooking oil to power cars 15:24 IDF soldier lightly hurt when mortar explodes on Negev base 11:50 Hungarian-born Australian denies Holocaust war crimes Previous Editions Select Day 20 may 19 may 18 may 16 may 15 may 14 may 13 may 12 may 11 may 09 may 08 may 07 may

Special Offers Advertisement Dead Sea Products Buy Dead Sea mineral skin care and beauty products. Coupon code Haaretz for 10% off. Istudy Learn Hebrew in 3 months The Terraces Your Ultimate Coastal Address On Nitza Boulevard, North Netanya Together Celebrating Israel's 60th The Jewish Agency and You - together making history Pardes Institute Summer Sessions http://www.pardes.org.il/ Free the Palestinians from: Corrupt Kleptocracy, Tyrannical Theocracy, Abysmal Anarchy Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved