Abstract
ABSTRACT This article analyses how German politicians have responded, through the use of political narratives, to notable developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over a period of 30 years. Conceptually engaging with the literature on identity, ontological (in)security, and narratives, we explore how narratives have been utilised in Germany to mitigate situations which cause normative dissonance, thereby challenging the stability of Germany’s autobiographical narrative, such as Israeli military campaigns or tensions between Israel and Palestine. In the first systematic narrative analysis on this topic, we look at 267 German parliamentary speeches between 1993 and 2023. The article shows how German politicians and political parties developed specific coping strategies to uphold solidarity with Israel, while overall ensuring a stable and coherent narrative of Germany’s national identity. We conceptualise Germany's narrative engagement as the articulation of a delicate ‘balancing act’. Specifically, politicians navigate competing perceived responsibilities and commitments through prioritisation and narrative adaptation.
Published Version
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