Zionist ideology framed the exilic Jew in orientalist terms as its polar opposite.

Evidence

The orientalist nature of Zionist discourse is expressed through the different dimensions embedded in the concept “negation of exile.” This notion should be considered the core of Zionist consciousness, and embodies the concrete aspects of the Zionist myth. It shaped the image of the “new Jew” as opposed to the exilic Jew, described in obvious orientalist terms. To a certain extent, the “negation of exile” can be interpreted as the negation of all that was considered “Oriental” in the Jews, and at the same time demonstrates the desire to integrate the Jews and their history into the narrative of the West. The act of immigration was perceived as the transformation and regeneration of the Jew; that is, the overcoming of oriental elements. — Ivan Davidson Kalmar, Derek Penslar, Orientalism and the Jews, 640

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the concept of “negation of exile” and its loaded orientalist freight within Zionist consciousness.
• XREF: Connects to the chapter’s Dohm-Michaelis debate context and to broader postcolonial critiques of nationalism.