Walled: Israeli Society at an Impasse : Cypel, Sylvain: Amazon.com.au: Books
Walled: Israeli Society at an Impasse 2007
by Sylvain Cypel (Author)
5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 4 ratings
An award-winning journalist explores the culture of denial in Israeli and Palestinian societies-and its lethal consequences.
Walled examines the contemporary state of mind of Israel's citizens, tracing the history of the State of Israel back to the Jewish national movement and the beginnings of Zionism. Sylvain Cypel offers a lucid analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian situation and powerfully demonstrates that the wall of protection erected in the West Bank by Israel is the most visible symptom of a society in peril.
Those who are walled, Cypel argues, are first and foremost the Israelis themselves, who have chosen to ignore rather than acknowledge the existence and rights of their neighbors. Through the study of political discourse, intellectual controversy, and national institutions such as the army and the educational system, Cypel illuminates the mechanics of the culture of force that has led Israeli society into its current impasse. Walled combines historical, cultural, and sociological analysis with personal testimonies and a delightful Jewish wit, offering a cogent and gripping portrait of two peoples walled by denial: Israeli society and its "other," the Palestinians.
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Product description
Review
Publishers Weekly
This scathing indictment probes Israel's soul as much as the substance of its treatment of the Palestinians...Cypel's book...is an impassioned, often perceptive challenge to the Israeli consensus.
Kirkus Reviews
...of interest to students of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
New Yorker
"In this survey of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (translated anonymously from the French), Cypel, an editor at Le Monde who spent twelve years in Israel, writes with the ardor of a believer and the critical eye of a distant observer, producing a nuanced assault on the blindness and inertia that have afflicted both sides. Cypel is a harsh critic of the failures of Palestinian leadership--he excoriates the "Oriental despot" Arafat and the "impotent" regime he built--but believes that Israel needs to be saved from its own incipient brutalization. This process, which he carefully documents, is marked by a "cult of force," a denial of history, an obsession with security at the expense of human rights, and a shocking willingness to discuss, publicly, the forcible cleansing of Palestinians from Israeli territory. These are symptoms of occupation, Cypel argues, and they can be cured only by its end."
Tikkun
Sylvain Cypel's careful study of political discourse...if read as widely as [it] should be...would make a serious contribution to changing mass consciousness about the nature of the [Israeli/Palestinian] struggle and how we should respond.
ForeWord Magazine
For Sylvain Cypel, the wall [dividing Israel and Palestine] is much more than a physical barrier. It is a tangible manifestation of the mental walls that Israelis and Palestinians have built over the past sixty years. With the passion of an investigative journalist and the patience of a historian, Cypel describes how a culture of denial has strangled both societies.
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About the Author
Sylvain Cypel
Sylvain Cypel, senior editor at Le Monde, joined the paper in 1998 as deputy head of the international section, following a five-year tenure as editor in chief of Courrier International and a stint as deputy editor in chief at the journal Les Echos. Cypel has long worked for the daily Le Matin de Paris and as a freelance journalist for France 2, Libération, and other media outlets, often covering the Middle East. He holds degrees in sociology, contemporary history, and international relations, the last of which he earned at the University of Jerusalem. He lived in Israel for twelve years, and is now based in Paris. Walled was originally published in French; the Spanish translation of the book has been awarded the 23rd "Francisco Cerecedo" Journalism Prize from the Association of European Journalists.
Walled: Israeli Society at an Impasse 2007
by Sylvain Cypel (Author)
5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 4 ratings
An award-winning journalist explores the culture of denial in Israeli and Palestinian societies-and its lethal consequences.
Walled examines the contemporary state of mind of Israel's citizens, tracing the history of the State of Israel back to the Jewish national movement and the beginnings of Zionism. Sylvain Cypel offers a lucid analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian situation and powerfully demonstrates that the wall of protection erected in the West Bank by Israel is the most visible symptom of a society in peril.
Those who are walled, Cypel argues, are first and foremost the Israelis themselves, who have chosen to ignore rather than acknowledge the existence and rights of their neighbors. Through the study of political discourse, intellectual controversy, and national institutions such as the army and the educational system, Cypel illuminates the mechanics of the culture of force that has led Israeli society into its current impasse. Walled combines historical, cultural, and sociological analysis with personal testimonies and a delightful Jewish wit, offering a cogent and gripping portrait of two peoples walled by denial: Israeli society and its "other," the Palestinians.
=====
Product description
Review
Publishers Weekly
This scathing indictment probes Israel's soul as much as the substance of its treatment of the Palestinians...Cypel's book...is an impassioned, often perceptive challenge to the Israeli consensus.
Kirkus Reviews
...of interest to students of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
New Yorker
"In this survey of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (translated anonymously from the French), Cypel, an editor at Le Monde who spent twelve years in Israel, writes with the ardor of a believer and the critical eye of a distant observer, producing a nuanced assault on the blindness and inertia that have afflicted both sides. Cypel is a harsh critic of the failures of Palestinian leadership--he excoriates the "Oriental despot" Arafat and the "impotent" regime he built--but believes that Israel needs to be saved from its own incipient brutalization. This process, which he carefully documents, is marked by a "cult of force," a denial of history, an obsession with security at the expense of human rights, and a shocking willingness to discuss, publicly, the forcible cleansing of Palestinians from Israeli territory. These are symptoms of occupation, Cypel argues, and they can be cured only by its end."
Tikkun
Sylvain Cypel's careful study of political discourse...if read as widely as [it] should be...would make a serious contribution to changing mass consciousness about the nature of the [Israeli/Palestinian] struggle and how we should respond.
ForeWord Magazine
For Sylvain Cypel, the wall [dividing Israel and Palestine] is much more than a physical barrier. It is a tangible manifestation of the mental walls that Israelis and Palestinians have built over the past sixty years. With the passion of an investigative journalist and the patience of a historian, Cypel describes how a culture of denial has strangled both societies.
===
About the Author
Sylvain Cypel
Sylvain Cypel, senior editor at Le Monde, joined the paper in 1998 as deputy head of the international section, following a five-year tenure as editor in chief of Courrier International and a stint as deputy editor in chief at the journal Les Echos. Cypel has long worked for the daily Le Matin de Paris and as a freelance journalist for France 2, Libération, and other media outlets, often covering the Middle East. He holds degrees in sociology, contemporary history, and international relations, the last of which he earned at the University of Jerusalem. He lived in Israel for twelve years, and is now based in Paris. Walled was originally published in French; the Spanish translation of the book has been awarded the 23rd "Francisco Cerecedo" Journalism Prize from the Association of European Journalists.
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세진님, 요청하신 실뱅 시펠의 <벽에 갇힌 이스라엘>에 대한 요약과 평론을 정리해 드립니다. 말씀하신 대로 요약과 평론 부분은 <해라> 체를 사용했으며, 모든 강조 표시는 < >를 사용했습니다.
## <벽에 갇힌 이스라엘: 교착 상태에 빠진 이스라엘 사회> 요약 및 평론
1. 요약: 점령이 파괴한 이스라엘의 영혼
실뱅 시펠은 <르 몽드>의 기자 출신으로, 이 책을 통해 1967년 6일 전쟁 이후 이스라엘이 점령지로 편입한 팔레스타인 영토가 어떻게 이스라엘 사회 자체를 내부에서부터 부식시켰는지 분석한다. 책의 핵심은 이스라엘이 세운 물리적, 심리적 <벽>이 팔레스타인인뿐만 아니라 이스라엘인들 스스로를 고립시키고 도덕적 파산으로 몰아가고 있다는 점에 있다.
가. 점령의 일상화와 도덕적 불감증
시펠은 이스라엘 사회가 점령지에서 벌어지는 폭력과 인권 유린을 어떻게 <정상적인 것>으로 받아들이게 되었는지 추적한다. 검문소에서의 모욕, 토지 몰수, 정착촌 확대는 국가 안보라는 명분 아래 정당화된다. 이 과정에서 이스라엘 대중은 타자의 고통에 무감각해지는 <도덕적 마취 상태>에 빠지게 되었다. 저자는 이것이 단순한 군사적 조치를 넘어 사회 전체의 윤리적 기준을 하락시켰다고 주장한다.
나. 신화의 구축과 역사 왜곡
이스라엘 교육 시스템과 미디어는 건국 신화를 공고히 하며 팔레스타인인의 존재를 지우거나 그들을 <태생적 테러리스트>로 묘사한다. 시펠은 이스라엘이 자신들을 항상 <피해자>로 설정함으로써, 실제로는 강대한 군사력을 가진 <가해자>로서 행하는 폭력을 방어적 조치로 둔갑시키는 심리적 기제를 폭로한다.
다. 내부의 분열과 우경화
점령은 이스라엘 내부의 민주주의마저 위협한다. 종교적 민족주의자들의 영향력이 커지면서 세속적 민주주의의 가치는 밀려나고, 영토 확장을 신성한 사명으로 여기는 극우 세력이 정치적 주류가 되었다. 시펠은 이스라엘 사회가 <유대적 민주주의>라는 모순된 가치 사이에서 방황하다가, 결국 민주주의보다는 유대 민족주의를 택하며 폐쇄적인 요새 국가로 변모하고 있다고 진단한다.
2. 평론: 거울을 깨뜨린 이스라엘에 대한 통렬한 고발
가. 내부자의 시선으로 본 해부학적 관찰
실뱅 시펠은 유대인으로서, 그리고 오랫동안 이스라엘에서 거주한 기자로서 이 사회를 외부인이 아닌 내부자의 고통스러운 시선으로 해부한다. 그의 문체는 객관적이지만 차갑지 않으며, 오히려 무너져가는 이스라엘의 민주주의에 대한 깊은 탄식을 담고 있다. 그는 단순한 정책 비판을 넘어 한 국가의 <정신적 지도>가 어떻게 왜곡되었는지를 입증한다.
나. <벽>의 이중적 함의
제목인 <벽(Walled)>은 이 책을 관통하는 가장 강력한 메타포다. 물리적으로는 팔레스타인과의 격리벽을 의미하지만, 심리적으로는 이스라엘인들이 진실로부터 스스로를 격리시킨 <부정의 벽>을 뜻한다. 시펠은 이 벽이 외부의 적을 막아주는 것이 아니라, 오히려 이스라엘 사회가 자신의 과오를 직시하지 못하게 만드는 장애물임을 날카롭게 지적한다.
다. 시대를 앞선 예견과 비극적 적실성
2007년에 출간된 이 책은 현재 이스라엘이 겪고 있는 극단적인 우경화와 가자 지구 등에서의 끝없는 갈등을 정확히 예견했다. 당시 시펠이 경고했던 <교착 상태>는 오늘날 더욱 심화되어 이스라엘 사회를 출구 없는 미궁으로 몰아넣었다. 그의 분석은 단순히 이스라엘-팔레스타인 분쟁에 국한되지 않고, 국가주의가 어떻게 보편적 인권과 이성을 마비시키는지에 대한 보편적인 경고로 읽힌다.
라. 한계와 의의
비록 시펠의 논조가 팔레스타인 내부의 권력 구조나 아랍 국가들의 지정학적 책임을 상대적으로 덜 비중 있게 다룬다는 비판이 있을 수 있으나, 이 책의 목적은 명확하다. 그것은 바로 <이스라엘 사회의 내적 붕괴>를 고발하는 것이다. 그는 이스라엘이 팔레스타인을 점령하고 있는 것이 아니라, 사실은 점령이라는 행위가 이스라엘을 점령하고 있음을 증명해냈다.
결론: 파멸로 가는 승리
시펠은 이스라엘이 군사적으로는 승리하고 있을지 모르나, 영혼의 전쟁에서는 패배하고 있다고 결론짓는다. 타자의 존재를 지우고 세운 요새 안에서 이스라엘인들은 진정한 안전이 아닌, 고립된 불안 속에 갇히게 되었다. <벽에 갇힌 이스라엘>은 한 민족이 역사적 트라우마를 극복하지 못하고 타인에게 그 트라우마를 투사할 때 어떤 비극이 발생하는지를 보여주는 슬픈 연대기다.
도움이 되셨기를 바랍니다. 추가로 궁금한 책이나 주제가 있다면 언제든 말씀해 주세요.
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Kathy Felgran
5.0 out of 5 stars Eye opening. A must read for anyone who wants ...Reviewed in the United States on 16 January 2016
Verified Purchase
Eye opening. A must read for anyone who wants to understand the root cause of Israel/Palestine hostility. A story of occupation and the loss of land, homes, normal daily freedoms of the indigenous people of Palestine to the occupiers.
Report
Itzchak E. Kornfeld
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great BookReviewed in the United States on 8 May 2014
Verified Purchase
This is an excellent well-written book. It is a balanced view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, by a French reporter. The European/French perspective is refreshing.
Report
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WALLED
ISRAELI SOCIETY AT AN IMPASSE
Sylvain Cypel
Other Press (Jun 12, 2007)
$17.95 (534pp)
978-1-59051-210-4
In the summer of 2004, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s security barrier violated humanitarian law. Three years later, the wall measures 252 miles and is growing. Supporters point to the fact that suicide bombings have nearly halted since the beginning of the wall’s construction; while opponents cite the land confiscated and homes razed in its wake as proof of its inherent injustice. For Sylvain Cypel, the wall is much more than a physical barrier. It is a tangible manifestation of the mental walls that Israelis and Palestinians have built over the past sixty years.
With the passion of an investigative journalist and the patience of a historian, Cypel describes how a culture of denial has strangled both societies. He focuses on Israel’s failures in particular, addressing pivotal events such as the war of 1948, the Six-Day War, and the failed peace talks of Oslo and Camp David. In each case, the author analyzes the key players involved and explains why their own mental blocks have sabotaged the peace process. Cypel’s position is that Israel has whitewashed its account of these events, thereby damaging its international credibility, hardening its citizens and masking the real issues at stake.
Currently a senior editor for Le Monde in Paris, Cypel dedicates twelve chapters of his analysis to Israel and two to the Palestinians, while two concluding chapters discuss both. As a Jew and former resident of Israel for twelve years, the author claims a more intimate understanding of the society. He holds degrees in international relations, sociology and contemporary history and is the former editor-in-chief of Courrier International.
Over the past twenty years, many scholars have challenged Israel’s official claims about the Palestinian occupation. Cypel’s work is unique because he extends the debate beyond governmental failures to broader sociological phenomena. The author contends that the symptoms of occupation have brutalized an entire generation in Israel. He points to the censorship of Israeli textbooks, religious ultra-nationalism and rising rates of crime and spousal abuse as proof that this legacy of domination is slowly unraveling the culture from within. In one of his most powerful chapters, Cypel underlines the Shoah (Holocaust) as a defining historical moment for the nation and explores how the collective memory of this event continues to impact Israel’s self-awareness.
International opponents often compare Israel to the Third Reich, a practice that Cypel calls “not just an absurdity” but a “perversion.” At the same time, he argues that the state of Israel has appropriated the memory of the Shoah as its exclusive moral domain, attacking outside analysis and refusing to recognize how its lessons might shed light on the injustice of the occupation. “As for the extermination of the Jews of Europe,” Cypel writes, “it is no longer a specific human and historical tragedy but an immaterial armor, without tangible representation, of permanent victimhood.”
Cypel’s discussion of Palestinian society is brief, but absorbing nevertheless. He cites rampant anti-Semitism, paralyzed leadership, suicidal terrorism and a lack of realistic self-analysis as factors that have all hampered the fight against occupation. Still, Cypel tries to show that Israel has done everything in its power to ensure that chaos and corruption reign in Palestine. According to the author, hardline tactics such as the targeting of Palestinian pacifists and the routine closings of schools have made daily life in the territories unbearable and advanced the appeal of extremism.
Cypel’s attack of Israel is often scathing, and there are moments when the book suffers from his harsh tone. The author sometimes fails to distinguish between the Israeli government and the Israeli people and oversimplifies the roots of the policies and attitudes he criticizes. Concerning Israeli discrimination against Arabs he writes, “This body of attitudes basically revolves around the imperative need to dominate the other, owing to the fear aroused by the thought of what would happen if this domination were to end.” Such vague points may confuse readers. Instead of exploring how forces such as psychological trauma might have shaped individual racism or how the desire to preserve a Jewish state leads to flawed democracy, Cypel only condemns the end result.
Originally published in French, Walled was awarded the twenty-third Francisco Cerecedo Journalism Prize for its Spanish translation. The accolade is no surprise. Cypel is a gifted writer, and his book is recommended for anyone with a background and interest in this timely topic. However, if the author hopes to effect real change in Israel, a more even approach might have been warranted. One fears that while Cypel’s passionate arguments are riveting, they may only incite more anger among Israel’s doubters and urge its supporters to build their mental walls stronger and higher.
Reviewed by Aimee Sabo
August 9, 2007
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Olmert & Israel: The Change
Amos Elon
February 14, 2008 issue
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Reviewed:
Lords of the Land: The War Over Israel's Settlements in the Occupied Territories, 1967–2007
by Idith Zertal and Akiva Eldar, translated from the Hebrew by Vivian Eden
Nation Books, 531 pp., $29.95
Walled: Israeli Society at an Impasse
by Sylvain Cypel
Other Press, 574 pp., $17.95 (paper)
Son of the Cypresses: Memories, Reflections, and Regrets from a Political Life
by Meron Benvenisti, translated from the Hebrew by Maxine Kaufman-Lacusta, in consultation with Michael Kaufman-Lacusta
University of California Press, 253 pp., $27.50
1.
Israel under Ehud Olmert is not what it was under Ariel Sharon, at least in tone. Sharon was a soldier who spent much of his life fighting the Arabs. Olmert is a suave corporate lawyer, a deal maker, a political operator. Sharon supported the “Greater Israel” movement. Olmert’s idea of Israel is not the replay of a biblical vision but a secular modern state with a booming economy, integrated into global commerce and closely linked to Europe. This does not mesh well with what God and Abraham discussed in the Bronze Age. Sharon spoke of a long and difficult struggle. Olmert says Israelis are “tired of war, tired of being victors.” When he speaks, as he often does, of two states, Palestine and Israel, the hard-liners are full of rage.
Olmert may be the most pragmatic Israeli leader since 1967. One hopes he does not come too late. According to Haaretz, he told an American delegation recently that in “Israel there are perhaps 400,000 people who maintain the state, leaders in the economy, in science and in culture. I want to make sure they have hope, that they’ll stay here.” His own two sons, it is well known, live in New York. He is the first Israeli premier who has expressed some empathy for the Palestinian tragedy. In his speech in Annapolis in late November, he said, “We are not indifferent to [the Palestinians’] suffering.” It is true that the next morning eight Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army but it is impossible to overlook what seems, at least, the beginning of a change. The leftist Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy was uncharacteristically optimistic, wondering whether perhaps an Israeli de Klerk was emerging here.
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