"Israel of the coastal plain, where eight out of ten Israeli Jews live far removed from the occupied territories, from the fiery Jerusalem, from the religious and nationalistic conflicts, is unknown to the outside world, almost unknown to itself"
About this Quote
The subtext is sharper: this majority is “almost unknown to itself.” That’s a jab at selective self-knowledge, a society that can’t quite admit how much it relies on distance - emotional and physical - from the conflict it funds, debates, and periodically absorbs when violence breaches the perimeter. Coastal Israel becomes both refuge and alibi: proof of normal life, and a mechanism for postponing moral reckoning.
Context matters. Oz, a leading voice of the Israeli peace camp, wrote from inside the national argument, wary of messianic nationalism and allergic to romantic myths on either side. His phrasing sets up a triangle of estrangement: outsiders misunderstand Israel; Israelis misunderstand their own internal map; the conflict zone becomes a kind of national stage that eclipses the backstage where most people live. The intent isn’t to excuse disengagement, but to diagnose how a democracy can drift into permanent conflict while a large, comfortable center remains psychologically offshore.
Quote Details
| Topic | Peace |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Oz, Amos. (2026, January 17). Israel of the coastal plain, where eight out of ten Israeli Jews live far removed from the occupied territories, from the fiery Jerusalem, from the religious and nationalistic conflicts, is unknown to the outside world, almost unknown to itself. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/israel-of-the-coastal-plain-where-eight-out-of-35298/
Chicago Style
Oz, Amos. "Israel of the coastal plain, where eight out of ten Israeli Jews live far removed from the occupied territories, from the fiery Jerusalem, from the religious and nationalistic conflicts, is unknown to the outside world, almost unknown to itself." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/israel-of-the-coastal-plain-where-eight-out-of-35298/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Israel of the coastal plain, where eight out of ten Israeli Jews live far removed from the occupied territories, from the fiery Jerusalem, from the religious and nationalistic conflicts, is unknown to the outside world, almost unknown to itself." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/israel-of-the-coastal-plain-where-eight-out-of-35298/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
