Shlomo Sand

The Land of Israel is not an unchanging, eternal homeland, but rather a concept that has been shaped and reshaped over centuries.

For centuries, religious longing for Zion existed without any practical intention to return.

National memory is not a precise recollection of the past, but a constructed narrative serving the needs of the present.

The idea of an ancient, continuous Jewish nation bonded to a specific territory is largely a modern invention.

Zionism reinterpreted ancient religious symbols for its own political aspirations.

The Land of Israel, as a national homeland, was not a central concept in Jewish thought for most of history.

Geographical boundaries of the Land of Israel have always been fluid, defined by myth more than by map.

The invention of tradition serves to legitimize political claims in the present.

Historical narratives are often shaped by what people wish had happened, not what actually occurred.

The connection between people and land is not always as direct or ancient as nationalist stories suggest.

Modern nations often seek ancient roots to strengthen their sense of legitimacy.

The notion of exile and return has been interpreted in many different ways throughout Jewish history.