National Identities and the Right to Self-Determination of Peoples

Book excerpt: In National Identities and the Right to Self-Determination of Peoples, Hilly Moodrick-Even Khen revisits the legal right to self-determination of peoples and suggests an integrative model for securing the cohesion of the various nationalities within multinational states. The model, set on both legal and political science theories, departs from civic nationalism but calls to strengthen it with more immediate and emotional means, such as shared national symbols and multicultural education. Moodrick-Even Khen explores the political history of Canada, Belgium, and Spain and touches upon other divided societies such as South Africa, Northern Ireland and Cyprus. Drawing upon these cases, she suggests a future model for a cohesive society in Israel, which is currently nationally divided between Arabs and Jews.