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

Sep 26, 2025

Historian Elizabeth Imber, author of *Uncertain Empire*, dives into the complex relationship between Jews and British imperial politics from 1917 to 1948. She explores how Jewish thinkers navigated their identity across the Empire, revealing differing paths towards nationalism and dominion status for Palestine. Imber discusses key figures like Chaim Arlosoroff and the Bentwiches, highlighting their diverse political aspirations and interactions with anticolonial movements. The podcast also examines the intricate Jewish-Indian connections and the shifting strategies borne out of imperial uncertainty.

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INSIGHT

Social Life Shaped Political Choices

Jews in the British Empire were diverse but interconnected across regions and traditions.
Elite social ties, clubs, and daily practices were as formative for politics as laws and policies.

ANECDOTE

Bentwiches Navigated Conflicting Loyalties

Norman and Helen Bentwich lived and worked in Mandatory Palestine with differing Zionist commitments.
Helen's exclusion from British mandatory society pushed her closer to practical Zionist tactics despite ideological differences.

INSIGHT

Dominion Status Was A Real Option

Chaim Arlosoroff and others seriously considered dominion status for Palestine after the 1926 Balfour declaration.
Dominionization appealed as a way to secure autonomy and economic ties without full costly independence.

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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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