‘The Jewish people in their homeland’: the discursive mechanisms of Israel’s cultural heritage policy

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article critically examines the discursive structure, operational mechanism, and historical narratives embedded in the Heritage Plan, Israel’s official cultural heritage policy since 2010. One central stated goal of the policy is to strengthen Israel’s heritage infrastructure to convey the idea of ‘the Jewish people in their homeland’. This article uses the concept of the ‘Jewish people in their homeland’ to explore the guiding premises of the policy. By analysing a variety of data sources (such as policy documentation and interviews with the policy’s architects), this study investigates the discourse which constitutes and is constituted by the Heritage Plan. The findings suggest that the Heritage Plan is guided by international heritage conservation policies such as UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention which have been adapted to the Israeli context. Specifically, this adaptation is derived from a particular interpretation of Zionist historiography, which in turn guides the goals, selection criteria for heritage sites and ultimately the historical narratives presented by the Heritage Plan.