The idea of the kibbutz

A central dimension of the conflict between Israel and Palestine concerns territorial claims and the ways in which these claims are legitimised to both domestic and international audiences. In this regard, the kibbutz is arguably the most interesting settlement form, as it has both facilitated Israeli territorial claims and attracted admiration internationally for its unique communal structure along traditional socialist ideals, with shared labor and equal income. This special cultural status seems to have overshadowed the kibbutz’ often unflattering and violent historical role in displacing the Arab population. In order to critically examine this special positioning, and its role in Israeli nation-building, this study applies a critical discourse analysis on texts and films produced by major Zionist political institutions, exploring how the kibbutz is discursively constructed. The analysis shows that while the material contains different representations of the kibbutz, depending on the institution that produced it, the texts and films ultimately legitimise Israel’s territorial claims. The study thereby contributes to the understanding of how the kibbutz is employed in processes of Zionist nation-building through knowledge production, encompassing both geopolitical and economic motives.