The National Rhetoric of the Israel Museum: Between Zionism and Israeliness

Abstract

As major symbols of national sovereignty, museums are instrumental in molding national consciousness. This paper looks at the permanent exhibitions in the Israel Museum after the 2010 renovation as expressions of the national narrative. The different wings in the museum display various versions of the Zionist narrative. The Shrine of the Book and the scale model of Jerusalem during the Late Second Temple transform the museum into a secular temple of Jewish national identity. The archaeological wing presents the Land of Israel as the origin and national home of the Jewish people. The Jewish culture wing reflects Israel’s civil religion and Zionism’s ‘Negation of the Exile’ ideology, albeit in a tempered version. The Israeli modern art wing portrays the state as the final destination of Jewish history, while embracing a universal worldview. Although the Arab-Palestinian minority is excluded from the museum narrative, the Israeli art wing exhibits a number of Palestinian artists and works that criticize post-1967 Israel. In short, the museum challenges the Zionist concept of Israeli national identity by displaying a territorial view of nationhood and a nationalism that strives towards universalism.