From National Consensus to Political Dissent: The Rhetorical Uses of the Masada Myth in Israel

Abstract

This paper explores the rhetorical functions of myth and of cultural analogies in the making of consensus and dissents in the public sphere. It shows how a founding myth, the Masada story – first used to elicit national consensus and build a collective identity – has eventually turned into a reservoir of analogies fueling polemical discussions on the Middle East conflict. After a brief overview of the epideictic uses of the Masada myth, and of its progressive disintegration, the analysis focuses on the rhetorical uses of the analogies drawing on Masada in public controversies. Analyzing examples mainly borrowed from the media, it shows how these analogies are exploited by adverse parties in a contemporary debate characterized by polarization and passion. The breaking down of a unifying myth and its transformation into a tool of discord and divide is analyzed in the framework of a so-called rhetoric of dissent, in order to unveil the workings as well as the constructive function of public controversy.