Revisiting fear in Zionism: pogroms and the emergence of “Jewish fear” as a problem in Zionist discourse

Abstract

This article examines the complex role of fear in Zionist discourse. While scholarship has extensively explored emotions like honour and love for the homeland in Zionist discourse, fear's more nuanced role remains underexamined. Drawing on memoirs, testimonies, newspapers, and Zionist writings, I argue that the problematization of fear is crucial for understanding Zionism and was a key element in the movement's own emotionology. By comparing traditional Jewish texts with modern Zionist discourse, I demonstrate how "Jewish fear" became a “problem” – a focal point requiring address and management. The article begins by examining fear in traditional Jewish chronicles of riots, where it was subordinated to theological frameworks. It then traces the shift in modern accounts, where fear emerged as an independent symbol of suffering and degradation. Finally, it analyzes how Zionist discourse both condemned and used fear, constructing it as an emotional and national challenge. As I argue this dynamic regarding fear is a common characteristic in the mainstream of modernity.