The Emergence of the Concept of Economic Independence in the Israeli Discourse, 1948-1966

Abstract

This article traces the development and translation into policy of a national ethos based on economic independence in Israel’s first two decades. The rise of the ethos of economic independence resulted from the interaction between political leaders, public administrators, and economic experts. The concept of a national economic ethos facilitates our understanding of the relationship between nationalism and the economic discourse. Unlike other concepts, it assumes that national ideologies are based on economic concepts and, vice versa, economic policy-making is based on a specific national vision. Therefore, the concept of a national economic ethos enables us to analyze political-economic debates as the clash between economic and national views.