The ideology of establishing Israeli museums during (1930-1983)

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the ideology of establishing Israeli museums during (1930-1983), by analyzing the goals of building museums in a period of time starting from their development in the “kibbutz” collective settlements until the approval of the Museums Law in 1983. The study concluded that there is a diversity in the Israeli ideology in building museums, represented by the competitiveness of the diverse Jewish culture in Israel, and its role in documenting the Jewish Holocaust, which attracted the public’s sympathy about the experience of the persecution of the Jew, while the kibbutz museums focused on the Holocaust from another perspective by depicting the experience of The ghetto fighters in their confrontation with the Nazis, which confirms the lack of unification of the vision from the Holocaust museums, whether the experience of persecution or resistance, while there was an ideology in the development of museums represented in documenting the historical narrative and linking modern Israel with the ancient history of the Jews. Finally, the museums focused on documenting the experience of the military force that had a role in establishing Israel after they killed the Palestinians and expelled them from their land in 1948. It became clear that the Israeli museums were random targets until the Knesset passed the Museums Law in 1983 to organize and define the objectives of the museum in Israel.
 Originality/Value: This study investigates the ideology behind the Israeli museum establishment from 1930 to 1983. It reveals diverse motivations, particularly in representing Jewish culture and documenting the Holocaust. The study also uncovers contrasting narratives within Holocaust museums and highlights the role of museums in documenting historical narratives and the military's role in Israel's establishment. The enactment of the Museums Law in 1983 marked a significant step in regulating and defining the objectives of Israeli museums.