During 2023, two major events took place, each of which was significant enough to become a transformative turning point in Israel’s history in its own right: the attempted judicial overhaul by Israel’s governing coalition, and the surprise attack and massacre on October 7th by Hamas and the war that has followed. It will take time for the consequences of these events to become clear, and many years before their historical context can be fully drawn out. Still, it seems undeniable that the year 2023 will become a watershed in the history of Israel, and it is imperative to begin as soon as possible to come to grips with what is unfolding. Indeed, as exceptional as 2023 has been, one way to understand it better is to begin to place it into historical perspective and to consider its analogs and precedents. The Journal of Israeli History is therefore issuing a call for papers on the subject of 2023: Toward a Historical Perspective. We are interested in articles that consider the major events of the year in the long-term context of Israeli history, or in a comparative context from an international perspective.
We welcome the submission of articles (5000-8000 words) from any relevant field, including the following: economic history; national security and military history; political, legal, and social history; collective memory; Israel’s place in the Middle East and its relationship with Palestinian movements; Israel’s relationship with the West and particularly with the United States; Israeli culture; the history of protest movements; Israeli-Jewish Diaspora relations. We also welcome articles that will examine how the events of 2023 were interpreted by international players.
Please submit an abstract of 250-300 words by May 16, 2024, to jihist@tauex.tau.ac.il.
The deadline for submission of the complete article is November 1, 2024.