Langues européennes et dynamiques identitaires en Israël, 1948-2008

Abstract

European languages and identity dynamics in Israel, 1948-2008 This paper draws a parallel between the triumph of linguistic Jacobinism during the French Revolution and the success of Israeli glotto-politics by dint of which the legacy of Diasporic Babelism was given up in a very short time. Forced Hebrew-ization helped eradicate the traditional Jewish languages, as well as the other languages spoken by Jews of Central, Eastern and Balkanic European background. However, the break in the transmission of language from one generation to the other is not only the consequence of an ideological agenda. It was also intended to answer the need for mutual understanding within the Israeli society or even within the same family. Whatever the reason, the Israeli linguistic landscape looks terribly impoverished as a result of the disappearance of the languages spoken in the past. In order to duly perceive the magnitude of the transformation that led from plurilingualism to monolingualism, I have chosen to compare the linguistic itineraries of Paul Celan and Aharon Appelfeld, two writers coming from Czernowitz. The contrast between the poet, still attached to the German language, and the novelist who rejected it in favor of Hebrew, is a clear illustration of the impact of Israeli monolingualism on the former linguistic identities. Finally, we end by reflecting on the influence of American English on the most recent developments of modern Hebrew. Far from being a factor of Europeanization, the impact of English is the linguistic manifestation of globalization. Nowadays, English functions as a filter in the relationship between Israelis and the European languages, making any attempt to reconnect with the multifaceted legacy of Old Europe seem superfluous.

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