ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the securitization of the Jewish identity of the state as a solution to Jewish ontological insecurity from the formation of political Zionism through current policy making. The main argument is that despite succeeding in the original goal of establishing a Jewish state, Zionism failed in two important ways that contribute to Israel’s delegitimization. First, it was unsuccessful in legitimizing the Zionist narrative among the indigenous Arab population in the area. Second, it was unsuccessful in legitimizing the meaning of the Jewish-democratic identity of the state, which is still internally and externally contested. These failures in legitimation processes directly relate to the internal divides between Arabs and Jews in Israel and among Jews in Israel and the diaspora on the meaning and character of the Jewish identity of the state. It also contributes to the modern delegitimization movement and the difficulty Israel faces when trying to develop an effective response to it.
