Israel
A History in 100 Cartoons

Offers a visual and accessible history of Israel's complex past, politics and people through 100 cartoons.

Colin Shindler (Author)

9781107170131, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 2 February 2023

400 pages
26.1 x 18.4 x 2.8 cm, 0.91 kg

'In this excellent academic study on contemporary Israel's history, carefully selected images are not merely illustrations, but they reflect the atmosphere of a certain time, convey multiple meanings, and signal the power of interpretations. They encourage readers to reflect on emotions, the ever-present but oft-forgotten driver of human activities.' Joanna Dyduch, Jagiellonian University

Since its establishment in 1948, the state of Israel has not ceased to be a unique and controversial entity: vehemently opposed by some, and loyally supported by others. In this novel and original study, Colin Shindler tells the history of Israel through the unusual vehicle of cartoons - all drawn by different generations of irreverent and contrarian Israeli cartoonists. Richly illustrated with a cartoon for every year since Israel's establishment until 2020, Shindler offers new perspectives on Israel's past, politics, and people. At once incisive and hilarious, these cartoons, mainly published in the Israeli press, capture significant flashpoints, and show how the country's citizens felt about and responded to major events in Israel's history. A leading authority on Israel Studies, Shindler contextualises the cartoons with detailed timelines and commentaries for every year. Sometimes funny and sometimes tinged with tragedy, Shindler offers a new, visually exciting, and accessible way to understand Israel's complex history and, in particular, the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Introduction: Jews: caricatures, cartoons, comics
Zionism: Ideology and the building of the state
Before Israel: The road to 1948
A history of Israel: 1949-2020
The 1950s
The 1960s
The 1970s
The 1980s
The 1990s
The 2000s
The 2010s
Collections of works of early Israeli cartoonists.

Subject Areas: Jewish studies [JFSR1], 21st century history: from c 2000 - [HBLX], 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW], Middle Eastern history [HBJF1]