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`The pillar of fire by night, to shew them light': Israeli broadcasting, the Supreme Court and the Zionist narrative

PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, USA, schejter{at}psu.edu

This article discusses cases in which the Israeli Supreme Court was asked to block the broadcasting of television programs produced by the national broadcaster – the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) – on the grounds that they purportedly misrepresented historical truths. The article shows, through various examples, how the court uses its ideological biases in order to serve the dominant interpretation of the history of Zionism and to perpetuate this interpretation by providing it with a judicial stamp of approval. Providing relevant background to the events portrayed in these television programs and the ideological controversies surrounding them, the article describes how the court’s traditional interpretation of Zionism, as well as its long-established view of the role of media in society, contribute to its decisions, and, consequently, how the court has joined the media in creating the ‘mediated/imagined’ Israeli community.

Key Words: Holocaust • Israeli media • Israeli historical memory • Mizrahim

Media, Culture & Society, Vol. 29, No. 6, 916-933 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0163443707081695


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