Symbolic authority in Religious Zionist activism: Gush Emunim, its critics and its legacy 1974-2010

"Symbolic Authority in Religious Zionist Activism: Gush Emunim, its critics and its legacy 1974-2010" brings together the historical, political, ideological and religious aspects of Gush Emunim, the movement seen by many as foundational to the creation of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The question of the degree of integration or separation of the movement is addressed on a number of levels, from practical and political cooperation with politicians and national institutions to ideological roots, and from the future direction they see for the State of Israel to the key symbolic categories by which they understand themselves and their mission. In particular, this work examines the strategy of deploying authoritative cultural symbols onto contemporary situations, a process defined as a "symbolic act". As a hermeneutical tool, "symbolic act" aids in producing a clearer understanding of the phenomenon of Religious Zionist Activism, its role in shaping Israeli society, and the multiplicity of ways in which authenticity can be constructed and authority produced.