Reclaiming A. D. Gordon's deep eco-nationalism

This study seeks to add to the burgeoning literature on the relations between nationalism and environmentalism by examining the ideas of A. D. Gordon (1856–1922). Gordon is not well-known outside the realm of Zionist scholarship. Nonetheless, a close re-examination of his ideas reveals that Gordon offers a hybrid brand of deep eco-national theory that frames traditional deep ecological themes within a general theory of nationalism. Whereas Gordon's theory introduces the ‘nation’ as a central notion to deep ecology thought, at the same time, it adds an ecological dimension rarely taken into account in theories of nationalism. This analysis further shows that although Gordon's pioneering eco-national theory had high potential for bridging between the two disciplines, it eventually faded into obscurity like eco-national ideas elsewhere. As Jewish national independence came into view, Gordon's distinctive eco-nationalism was overshadowed by anthropocentric-based Zionist politics.