Mostafa Hussein’s book Hebrew Orientalism challenges the notion that early Zionist settlers in Palestine disregarded Arab culture, arguing instead that they engaged with it to shape a new Jewish identity. Jewish writers, like Abraham Shalom Yahuda and Isaac Yahuda, navigated cultural exchanges, fostering coexistence while asserting a hierarchical relationship with Palestinians. The British occupation in 1917 shifted the dynamics, favoring a monocultural vision and expulsion of Palestinians, contrasting earlier inclusionary ideas. Despite this, the Hebrew Orientalists’ varied perspectives highlight complex intercommunal relations in late Ottoman Palestine.
