Abstract
This essay examines the integration of the Christian narrative of sacrifice—the Crucifixion—into contemporary Israeli cinema. This story has gradually seeped into the more dominant narrative of sacrifice in Israeli culture: that of the biblical Binding of Isaac. The article draws particular attention to a significant transition in the representation of human sacrifice in Israeli political cinema dealing with the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, and examines the significant political impact of this transition on the Israeli national narrative. The article questions the ways these narratives of self-sacrifice are incorporated in the films and what the Israeli cinematic perspective on the conflict gains from this use of Christian themes as a way to obtain public penance, forgiveness, and redemption.
Recommended Citation
Ben-Zvi Morad, Yael
(2018)
"From Binding to Crucifixion: The Political Role of Christian Motifs in Israeli Cinema,"
Jewish Film & New Media: Vol. 6:
Iss.
2, Article 2.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/jewishfilm/vol6/iss2/2