Diplomacy and desired pasts

Abstract

The following article addresses the question of how desired pasts function in cultural diplomatic relations, why they constitute a largely unacknowledged barrier in achieving cultural understanding and why they persist in both scholarly literature and in the popular imagination. Four desired pasts are considered in this context as represented by the institutions that sustain them. The Israeli desired past is represented primarily by the Israeli Government and, secondarily, by Jewish organizations in the United States. The Conservative Christian desired past is supported primarily by Christian fundamentalist organizations and, in part, by the American Schools of Oriental Research and the Biblical Archaeology Society. The Palestinian desired past is promoted by Palestinian rights organizations but, to some extent, is supported by Palestinian archaeologists and intellectuals. Finally, the `diplomatic' desired past is represented by appointed officials of the US Department of State. The analysis includes an examination of relevant materials issued by the organizations supporting each of these desired pasts including speeches, interviews, publications and websites.