Elizabeth E. Imber, "Uncertain Empire: Jews, Nationalism, and the Fate of British Imperialism" (Stanford UP, 2025)

Sep 26, 2025

Elizabeth Imber, an Associate Professor of History at Clark University and author of *Uncertain Empire*, discusses the complex dynamics of Jewish politics within the British Empire from 1917 to 1948. She explores how Jews worldwide navigated British rule, revealing divergent views on Zionism and the quest for independence. Imber highlights key figures like Chaim Arlosoroff and the Bentwiches, delves into Jewish-Indian connections, and examines the impact of the 1929 riots on Zionist strategies. Her insights reveal the intricate interplay of empire, nationalism, and identity.

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ANECDOTE

Sassoon Archive Discovery In Jerusalem

Imber found uncatalogued Sassoon archives in Jerusalem and discovered 1920s–30s documents about Baghdadi Jews in Calcutta.
Those files revealed tensions between public claims of European loyalty and private ties to Indian elites and hopes for self-rule.

INSIGHT

Empire As The Pivot Of Jewish Politics

British control of Palestine after 1917 made the empire central to global Jewish politics and possibilities for Zionism.
Jews developed a "politics of uncertainty" by imagining many imperial futures and adjusting strategies accordingly.

INSIGHT

Pragmatic Politics Over Fixed Ideologies

Jewish actors across the empire simultaneously entertained visions of dominion status and alliances with anti-colonial movements.
This produced pragmatic, sometimes paradoxical strategies rather than fixed ideological positions.

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Following the British conquest of Ottoman Palestine, Jews across the British Empire—from Jerusalem to Johannesburg, London to Calcutta—found themselves at the heart of global Jewish political discourse. As these intellectuals, politicians, activists, and communal elites navigated shifting political landscapes, some envisioned Palestine as a British dominion, leveraging imperial power for Jewish state-building, while others fostered ties with anticolonial movements, contemplating independent national aspirations. Uncertain Empire: Jews, Nationalism, and the Fate of British Imperialism (Stanford University Press, 2025)
Context considers this intricate interplay between British imperialism, Zionism, and anticolonial movements from the 1917 British conquest of Palestine to the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.

Elizabeth Imber highlights diverse and sometimes conflicting visions of Jewish political futures, offering detailed case studies of key figures including Chaim Arlosoroff, Moshe Shertok, Helen Bentwich, Rachel Ezra, and Hermann Kallenbach. She explores a "politics of uncertainty" in which Jews engaged with both imperial stability and the rise of anticolonial mobilization, when many were likewise forced to reconsider Palestine as a viable refuge and political solution. Ultimately, this book provides a nuanced understanding of how the British Empire's fate became central to Zionist and broader Jewish political thought, revealing the complex intersections of empire, state power, and Jewish politics during a time marked by profound urgency and exigency.

Roberto Mazza is currently a visiting scholar at the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University. He is the host of the Jerusalem Unplugged Podcast and to discuss and propose a book for interview can be reached at robbymazza@gmail.com. Blusky and IG: @robbyref

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