The Re-Enchantment of the Orient: Mista‘arvim and Their Special Status in Jewish-Israeli Society

Abstract

Mista‘arvim – Jewish-Israeli soldiers who masquerade as Arabs – and Hista‘arvut (the act thereof) hold a special place in Jewish-Israeli culture. By analyzing popular television programs – a thriller titled Fauda (Arabic for “chaos”) and documentaries by journalist Zvi Yehezkeli – we argue that “cultural Hista‘arvut” is a powerful reflection of Zionist perceptions of Palestinian and Arab Others. Cultural Hista‘arvut helps frame the paradox of a Jewish-Israeli society that is located inside the Middle East but maintains distance as a superior outsider that is not of the region. In this sense, the act of impersonation emphasizes the hierarchy of Jews over Arabs and cements the alleged dichotomies between them.