The Arab ‘Uncertain Body’ and Sojourner Passing in Israel

Abstract

This article analyses the image of the Arab ‘uncertain body’ by introducing two theoretical tools: first, the practice of sojourner passing: that is, an abrupt and temporary event limited in space and time in order to gain access to sexual, financial or militarised goals; second, the uncertainty of the Muslim male body. In the Israeli context, the fear of the Arab ‘uncertain body’ manifests itself in two main ways: (1) the fear of Arab sojourner passers who threaten sites of nationhood; and (2) Arabs who try to assimilate are blamed for passing as civilised, disguising their true monstrous nature. The Israel–Palestine context is unique in that it offers intriguing insights into passing in a non-western society, where the ethnic differences are blurred and hence anxiety is more pronounced.