Books

To understand the deep currents underlying the intra-Jewish conflict in Israel—referred to over the years by various terms such as “First Israel and Second Israel,” “Center–Periphery Relations,” or “Ashkenazi–Mizrahi Relations,” and recently once again widely discussed in public discourse—we must closely examine the nature of the relationships between development towns and their neighboring kibbutzim.

This book delves into the relationship between the town of Sderot and the kibbutzim of the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council, beginning in the 1950s. These relations have experienced fluctuations over the decades, shaped by historical, social, and political developments. The story begins with the establishment of the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council in 1950 and the transit camp of Gevim-Dorot in 1951, through the mass immigration of Jews from Islamic countries in the early 1950s, and the policy of population dispersal—primarily to development towns.

The study traces the dynamics between development towns and kibbutzim over seven decades using the case study of Sderot–Sha’ar HaNegev. It highlights the starkly different political and social worldviews of the two communities, as well as the mutual resentment and tension that have persisted over time.

The relevance and urgency of this study were tragically underscored by the October 7, 2023 massacre in Sderot and the Sha’ar HaNegev region—both located in the area known as the “Gaza Envelope”—which brought these long-standing tensions into a new and painful light.