Books Pre-State Photographic Archives and the Zionist Movement (Routledge History of Photography) 1st Edition by Rotem Rozental (Author)

"Pre-State Photographic Archives and the Zionist Movement" by Rotem Rozental examines the critical role that photographic archives played in shaping and promoting the Zionist movement before the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. The book focuses on the photographic archive created by the Division of Journalism and Propaganda of the Jewish National Fund (JNF), a key Zionist fundraising organization. Rozental argues that this archive was a deliberate tool to construct visual narratives presenting Palestine as a land destined to become a Jewish state, asserting ownership and supporting Zionist claims internationally.

Rozental’s study highlights how the JNF archive functioned as a "future tense" national archive, operating before the actual existence of the state but laying the groundwork for defining citizenship, inclusion, and exclusion in the emerging nation. The photographs do more than document; they actively shaped Zionist identity, presenting settlers and land in ways that framed political and social realities. The book also discusses the broader context of visual culture, including colonial and diasporic archival practices, and how these photographs intersected with power dynamics and ethnic marginalization.