Uncertain Empire: Jews, Nationalism, and the Fate of British Imperialism – Elizabeth E. Imber
Following the British conquest of Ottoman Palestine, Jews across the British Empire—from Jerusalem to Johannesburg, and 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 futures. This talk, based on Imber’s new book Uncertain Empire: Jews, Nationalism, and the Fate of British Imperialism (Stanford University Press, 2025), will explore this intricate interplay between British imperialism, Zionism, and anticolonial movements from the 1917 British...