Strike Action and Nation Building

Strike-action has long been a notable phenomenon in Israeli society, despite forces that have weakened its recurrence, such as the Arab-Jewish conflict, the decline of organized labor, and the increasing precariousness of employment. While the impact of strikes was not always immense, they are deeply rooted in Israel''s past during the Ottoman Empire and Mandate Palestine. Workers persist in using them for material improvement and to gain power in both the private and public sectors, reproducing a vibrant social practice whose codes have withstood the test of time. This book unravels the trajectory of the strikes as a rich source for the social-historical analysis of an otherwise nation-oriented and highly politicized history.

Strike-action has long been a notable phenomenon in Israeli society, despite forces that have weakened its recurrence, such as the Arab-Jewish conflict, the decline of organized labor, and the increasing precariousness of employment. While the impact of strikes was not always immense, they are deeply rooted in Israel's past during the Ottoman Empire and Mandate Palestine. Workers persist in using them for material improvement and to gain power in both the private and public sectors, reproducing a vibrant social practice whose codes have withstood the test of time. This book unravels the trajectory of the strikes as a rich source for the social-historical analysis of an otherwise nation-oriented and highly politicized history.

Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Notes on the Sources

Introduction

Chapter 1. The Emergence of the Strike, 1899-1914
Chapter 2. The National Construction of Strikes, 1918-1930
Chapter 3. Strike Action and Politicization, 1931-1940
Chapter 4. War and the Normalization of Strikes, 1941-1946
Chapter 5. From Social Act to Social Right, 1947-1951

Appendix
Notes                                                                
Bibliography                                               
Index