New Book Announcement - The Ladder and the Gate by Rami Zeedan

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Since 1948, Palestinian Arabs have served in Israel's military. This little-known reality reflects the enduring complexities of the regional conflict and the politics of conditional citizenship in a militarized state.

LAWRENCE, Kan. - s4story -- The University Press of Kansas announces the publication of The Ladder and the Gate: Arab Soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces and the Creation of Militarized Citizenship, 1943-1973 by Rami Zeedan. Since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, Palestinian Arabs have served in its military—a little-known history that reveals the complicated relationship between citizenship, military service, and belonging in a newly established and deeply contested state. In this book, Rami Zeedan provides the first comprehensive, unified history of Arab communities in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the first three decades of statehood, bringing together the experiences of Sunni Muslims, Christian Arabs, and Druze in a single account.

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At the center of Zeedan's analysis is the concept of differentiated militarized citizenship, a framework for understanding how military service could simultaneously create opportunities for inclusion and reinforce boundaries of belonging. The IDF functioned as both a "ladder" and a "gate": service could provide status, employment, and avenues for civic integration while also becoming a means of differentiation and surveillance.

By placing the experiences of diverse Arab communities within the broader histories of Israeli state-building and regional conflict, this book offers a new perspective on the relationship between military and civilian life in early Israel.

Key Features & News Angles
  • A Little-Known History: Reveals the history of Arab service in the Israel Defense Forces from the years preceding statehood through the first three decades of Israel's history.
  • A Unified Account: Brings together the experiences of Sunni Muslims, Christian Arabs, and Druze, offering the first comprehensive history of Arab communities in the IDF during this period.
  • Military Service and Citizenship: Introduces the concept of "differentiated militarized citizenship" to explain how military service could provide opportunities for inclusion.
  • War as a Flashpoint: Examines the 1948 War, 1956 Suez Crisis, and 1973 War as pivotal moments when military demands intersected with debates over identity, loyalty, and citizenship.
  • The IDF as "Ladder and Gate": Explores how military service could provide employment, status, and civic opportunities while also serving as a mechanism for differentiation and surveillance.
  • Agency Amid Unequal Power: Highlights how Arab communities actively navigated and shaped the evolving relationship between military service and citizenship rather than simply responding to state policies.
Learn more about the book here: https://kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700644056/

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Contact
Andrea Laws, Publicity Manager
***@ku.edu


Source: University Press of Kansas

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