Am Oved, 2025, ISBN: 978-965-580-145-3, 330 pages.

To the Right of Zionism: Chapters in the History of the Israeli Right, from Jabotinsky to Netanyahu [Hebrew]

For nearly five decades following the political “upheaval” of 1977, the Right has maintained dominance in Israeli politics; however, its ideological progression and internal dynamics remain inadequately documented. This publication addresses that deficiency by delineating the historical, intellectual, and political development of the Israeli Right from the establishment of the Revisionist movement in 1925 to the present day. It brings together esteemed Israeli and international scholars from a variety of disciplines to examine influential figures, significant controversies, persistent ideological trends, and pivotal moments of rupture that have influenced the trajectory of the Right.

The chapters analyze, among other themes, the cultural and intellectual foundations of Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition to the Israeli Left, considering his father Benzion Netanyahu’s Revisionist historiography and the influence of Max Nordau’s concept of cultural degeneration; the political and moral universe of former Lehi commander Natan Yellin-Mor and his subsequent association with the Algerian underground; the socio-historical basis of the alliance between the ultra-Orthodox community and Likud is examined and more. Beyond historical narration, the volume further explores the rise of the so-called “New Right” and contextualizes the Israeli Right within the broader spectrum of conservative and populist movements in the United States and other regions.

Collectively, these studies provide an original interpretative perspective on the history of the Israeli Right and offer valuable insights into the political culture of contemporary Israel.

Contributors: Zvi Ben-Dor Benite, Avi Shilon, Brian Horowitz, Amir Goldstein, Maya Mark, Sagie Barmak, Omri Ben-Yehuda, Raef Zreik, Itay Meirson, Nissim Leon, Ori Afanzler-Yardeni, Roman Vetter, Or Asher, Elad Nachshon.

For further information, https://www.am-oved.co.il/%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%9F_%D7%9C%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%AA?srsltid=AfmBOoquVNAPU-Y6jj-YsCJB2MPTaevOLeXwcEijEnMOK48NW39weW6a

Avi Shilon is assistant professor at Tel Hai Academic College.