Shaping socioeconomic change in Israel: The key role of culture, history, and strategic communicatio

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Shaping socio-economic change in Israel The key
role of culture, history, and strategic
communication

• Margalit Toledano
• David McKie
• Waikato Management School
• Bledcom 2009

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Outline

• Strategic communication campaigns were involved
  in the evolution of three major sectors in
  Israels economy
• agriculture during the first 50 years of the 20th
  century,
• industrialisation during the 1960s-1990s period,
• commercialisation as the dominant sector in the
  1990s and the 21st century

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Major Arguments

• The mission and associated messages of
  nation-building tend to override other objectives
  even economic ones
• Strategic communication campaigns shape, and are
  shaped by, these influential narratives
• Its the Zionist culture, stupid

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Agriculture

• Glorifying the agriculture sector was a core
  value for the Zionist leaders
• Aims Social mobilisation and education over
  economic development
• Connecting immigrants to the land
• Retaining land by cultivating it
• Using that land to define national borders
• Transforming the image of Diaspora Jews
• Strengthening political supporters

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From the City to the farm
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Agriculture and Industry

• Until 1955 industry was a stepdaughter
• It did not go to frontier areas, where
  cooperative farms of settlers were conquering
  the land
• Like commerce, it was considered private business
  and Zionist funds were to fund cooperative
  enterprises only
• Industrialist associations were right wing and
  did not support ruling Mapai (Labour) party.

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Industry

• Only as late as 1950s did the Zionist leadership
  acknowledge the importance of industry to
  economic development (mass immigration jobs)
• Sapir (Minister of Commerce and Industry 1955
  Minister of Finance 1963-74), changed status of
  industry
• Sapir integrated industry into the Israeli
  culture of nation-building

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Minister of Industry, Sapir, at the inauguration
of Kitan Textile 1958
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Industry and Commerce

• From 1980s 1990s, demand increased for more,
  and better, products
• Industrialists became heroes
• When industry was elevated to a higher status,
  commerce still stayed behind
• Animosity between manufacturers and merchants
  grew into competitive rivalry.

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Commerce

• Manufacturers demanded government protection
  merchants wanted liberalisation of imports and
  free competition
• The link of commerce with the image of the
  Diaspora Jews had a very strong emotional impact
  on Israelis
• It was deployed in messages against merchants

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Campaigns (1) Avoda Ivrit

• Hebrew Labour A key campaign during the 1920s
  and 1930s) that was led by the Histadrut (Trade
  Union Federation) and the Jewish Agency
• Promoted the cult of work as a tool for
  conquering the land.
• Behind the slogan Competition with cheap Arab
  labour over employment in the farms and the port.

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Avoda Ivrit (continued)

• Zionist strategic communication the rationale
  was self reliance, avoidance of exploitation of
  Arab work
• Cognitive dissonance with Socialist Zionists
• Employed mobile guards, boycotts, violence, and
  media attacks on Jewish employers of Arabs

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May 1st celebrated by the leading parties in the
pre-state period under British Mandate
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Campaigns (2) Tozeret Haaretz

• Campaign to promote Jewish products
• Organised by a coalition of Zionist national
  institutions, the Histadrut, the Association of
  Industry Owners, and local organisations.
• Same exclusive message as Avoda Ivrit
• Used battalions against importers, vigilante
  guards, violence, and publicity

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Buy national (Jewish) products
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Later Controversy

• In 1980s-1990s Tozeret haAretz became centre of
  controversy Chamber of Commerce vs.
  Industrialists Association
• The issues on the agenda were the same as in the
  pre-state era
• open market vs. closed market
• liberated vs. protectionist economy
• international integration vs. an isolated economy.

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Campaigns (3)The Jewish National Fund

• Established (1901) for purchasing and developing
  land for Jewish settlements
• In 1924 included a Propaganda and Press Office
  for national education
• The goal
• Making redemption of the national land the
  highest priority on the public agenda

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What does the fund really do?

• It prepares good soil
• Plants forests
• Drain swamps
• Constructs roads
• And provides work
• for new immigrants

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Our fortified Wall our land.Settlements create
borders.
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Summary

• Campaign strategies organised around aspects of
  cultural nation-building
• Skilled communicators were enlisted to promote
  national narratives
• For decades, such cultural stories shaped Israeli
  economic development strategically
• As a result (e.g., stress on agriculture) Israel
  sometimes a global exception as culture overrode
  economics