The diplomacy of spectacle: Abie Nathan and the limits of Israeli peace activism, 1966–1993

Abstract

This article examines the effects the peace-making efforts of Israeli aviator, restaurateur and peace activist Abie Nathan to promote peace in the Middle East between the 1960s and 1990s had on the Israeli public. Among other initiatives, Nathan flew illegally from Israel to Egypt to start diplomatic negotiations in 1966 and established the offshore radio station "Voice of Peace" (1973-93) which broadcast in English from international waters in the Eastern Mediterranean. His globe-trotting peace activism and humanitarian efforts turned him into an international figure of fascination in Israel and abroad. Departing from treatments that dismiss Nathan's political relevance, this article uses the concept of "nation branding" to argue that Nathan's choices as an activist both defined and defied the limits of Israeli peace activism: on the one hand, Nathan's activism of spectacle helped Israelis imagine themselves as a peace-pursuing people, without actually mobilizing them to political action. On the other hand, Nathan repeatedly tried to push his compatriots to recognize the legitimate claims of the Palestinian people, putting him at odds with Israeli authorities.