Uncertain Empire : Jews, Nationalism, and the Fate of British Imperialism / Elizabeth E. Imber.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Imber, Elizabeth E., author.

Series:

Stanford studies in Jewish history and culture.

Stanford Studies in Jewish History and Culture Series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Zionism--History--20th century.

Zionism.

Jewish nationalism--History--20th century.

Jewish nationalism.

Anti-imperialist movements--History--20th century.

Anti-imperialist movements.

Jews--Great Britain--Colonies--History--20th century.

Jews.

Jews--Politics and government--20th century.

Palestine--History--1917-1948.

Palestine.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (402 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Stanford, California : Stanford University Press, [2025]

Summary:

Following the British conquest of Ottoman Palestine, Jews across the British Empire—from Jerusalem to Johannesburg, London to Calcutta—found themselves at the heart of global Jewish political discourse. As these intellectuals, politicians, activists, and communal elites navigated shifting political landscapes, some envisioned Palestine as a British dominion, leveraging imperial power for Jewish state-building, while others fostered ties with anticolonial movements, contemplating independent national aspirations. Uncertain Empire considers this intricate interplay between British imperialism, Zionism, and anticolonial movements from the 1917 British conquest of Palestine to the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Elizabeth Imber highlights diverse and sometimes conflicting visions of Jewish political futures, offering detailed case studies of key figures including Chaim Arlosoroff, Moshe Shertok, Helen Bentwich, Rachel Ezra, and Hermann Kallenbach. She explores a "politics of uncertainty" in which Jews engaged with both imperial stability and the rise of anticolonial mobilization, when many were likewise forced to reconsider Palestine as a viable refuge and political solution. Ultimately, this book provides a nuanced understanding of how the British Empire's fate became central to Zionist and broader Jewish political thought, revealing the complex intersections of empire, state power, and Jewish politics during a time marked by profound urgency and exigency.

Contents:

Front Cover

Half-title

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. Wanderers Between Two Worlds

2. Zionists and the British Question

3. An Uncertain Alliance

4. Between Empire and Nation

5. Legacies of Empire and Imagining the Postcolonial

6. Realism, Refugees, and the British Horizons of War

7. The Eve of Empire

Conclusion

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Series Page

Back Cover.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781503642454

1503642453

OCLC:

1500766242