Book Review: “Selling Israel” Examines Propaganda, History, and Contested Narratives

In a comprehensive new book that took twenty years to research and write, scholar Harriet Malinowitz provides a detailed examination of how Zionist ideology has been marketed to the world and the mechanisms that have sustained support for Israel as a Jewish state.

“Selling Israel: Zionism, Propaganda, and the Uses of Hasbara” explores the complex network of organizations and narratives that have shaped public perception of Israel since its founding. Malinowitz, a retired English professor, delves into the concept of “hasbara” – a term she describes as more than mere propaganda.

According to Malinowitz, hasbara encompasses “a huge network of government ministries, nongovernmental organisations, nonprofit agencies and charities, campus organisations, volunteer groups, watchdog bodies, professional associations, media networks, fundraising operations, and educational programs.” All these entities work in concert to promote a particular vision of Jewish identity closely tied to the state of Israel.

The book traces how Israel’s founders skillfully levered biblical history to establish legitimacy for the Jewish state. David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, frequently claimed that “the bible is our mandate,” while Chaim Weitzman told the United Nations in 1947 that “God made a promise: Palestine to the Jews.” This narrative has remained remarkably consistent through the decades, with former UN Ambassador Danny Danon reiterating in 2019 that the Bible represents Israel’s “deed” to the land.

Malinowitz argues that early Zionist rhetoric deliberately downplayed or denied the presence of Palestinians, promoting the now-famous slogan of “a land without people for a people without land.” This narrative persisted despite contradictory evidence showing that European nations had long imported Palestinian agricultural products including barley, wheat, and the famous Jaffa oranges – clear indicators of an established farming population.

The book examines how organizations like the Jewish National Fund, established in 1901 when Zionism was still a minority position within global Jewry, worked to advance territorial acquisition and development. The JNF continues to raise funds for projects designed to “green the desert” and develop Israeli communities, though Malinowitz documents cases where these environmental interventions have backfired.

One striking example she cites is the 1950 draining of Hula Lake. Though intended to create fertile agricultural land, the project instead triggered ecological disaster, resulting in “the disappearance of 119 animal species, the extinction of numerous fresh water plant species, the rerouting of migratory birds flying between Europe and Africa,” and other environmental consequences that ultimately rendered much of the area unsuitable for farming.

The book also explores Israel’s evolving relationship with Holocaust memory. For several decades after World War II, Malinowitz notes that Israeli leaders were reluctant to emphasize Nazi death camps, concerned that Holocaust victims might be perceived as weak. This changed significantly during Adolf Eichmann’s 1961 trial, which became a pivotal moment for reshaping the narrative.

Following the trial, Israeli leadership began positioning the state as essential for preventing “an ever-looming second Holocaust,” suggesting that a Jewish state “would have mitigated the first one.” This narrative shift coincided with military imagery that portrayed Israeli soldiers as a source of national pride, while Palestinians were increasingly characterized as an unprovoked threat.

Since the 1970s, Israel’s hasbara efforts have emphasized the nation’s progressive credentials on issues like LGBTQ+ rights and environmental sustainability, alongside its role as a safe haven for Jews. Malinowitz challenges these claims, particularly in light of the ongoing conflict in Gaza and increasing settlements in the West Bank.

The book arrives at a critical moment when the distinction between Judaism and Zionism has become increasingly blurred in public discourse, especially in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 attacks. By examining Zionism’s nineteenth-century origins as a response to violent pogroms in Eastern Europe, Malinowitz offers readers a framework for distinguishing between opposition to Israeli policies and antisemitism.

“Selling Israel” represents an important contribution to understanding how narratives about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been constructed and maintained over decades, and how selective memory and strategic messaging continue to shape international perspectives on one of the world’s most intractable conflicts.

Originally reviewed in The Indypendent, Malinowitz’s meticulously researched work provides valuable historical context for those seeking to understand the complex relationship between Zionism, Judaism, and contemporary geopolitics.