When a Jewish Polity Is Reborn. Israeli National Habitus between Judaism and Sovereignty as Components of Political Culture

Sovereignty is a milestone in state-building processes. No polity can be conceptualized without establishing its sovereignty, nor can it be considered modern without endorsing nation-building. Yet, whereas the generalization of the two components is inherent in the predominant nation-state model and in the political culture which d3rives from it, the trajectory of the Israeli case reveals some original specificities in terms of national habitus-making, identified as Jewish and Zionist, whilst presenting multiple historical, cultural and socio-political variations. The paper traces and reconstructs the key-elements in the national, sovereign, political Jewish political culture. It centres on the ideal-type of political entity in the processual socio-genesis of Jewish statehood and peoplehood in relation to its history in diaspora, to the otherness of Arab Palestinians and the principles of democracy. Key-Words: habitus, sovereignty, national identity, political culture, state-building, Judaism, Israel, democracy.