Surface, Depth and Teleology in Israeli Culture: The Case of the Hebrew Expression 'tachles bashetach'

Employing elements from the sociological and philosophical frameworks of Louis Dumont and Mary Douglas and from pragmatics philosophy, this article attempts to show the relevance of language for the construction of Israeli cultural ideology. The article focuses on the Hebrew expression 'tachles bashetach' which means 'in reality', 'in practice' and 'here'. By analysing this expression in various linguistic, cultural and social situations and contexts, this article attempts to bring to the surface a key component of Israeli cultural ideology. The article ends by arguing for the usefulness of place deictic ('here') in the analysis of modern Jewish history.