The Influence of Violence on 'liberal Traditions' in Israel/Palestine: The Case of the 'orient' (1942-1943)

How does violence influence liberal thinking in Israel and the commitment to liberal values? How can liberals defend their values, when they are under existential threat? I will discuss these questions with reference to my empirical case study on the German-language magazine Orient that was published in Palestine/Israel between 1942 and 1943.[1] The first issue of the magazine stated that it was in favor of democratic values, like freedom of speech. Despite the seemingly uncritical nature of these aims, the first magazines already provoked a vehement reaction in the form of violent attacks on the staff - not only because of the German language, but also because of its political agenda: the Orient advocated liberal values, i.e. ‘minority protection’ and ‘ambiguity tolerance’. From the opponents' perspective, the existence of the Jewish people in the 1940s was only secured by stressing the unity of the Jewish people as a first step towards a Jewish State. Critics of the Orient viewed the magazine as an anti-Semitic undertaking that could jeopardize the project of the future state through internal criticism. Despite violent attacks on staff members, the editors initially decided to continue publishing. Ten months later, however, the Orient gave up - after a bomb attack on its printing house by revisionist Zionists. The Orient is a significant example that shows how violent attacks threaten liberal positions in Israel. I will therefore not only share my analysis on the different reactions within the Orient-network to the violent attacks but argue that the case can help to understand current debates about Israel's security and democracy.

[1] My paper will give an insight into the results of my dissertation, which was submitted in August 2024.