Today The Palgrave International Handbook on Israel published Dr. Foley’s chapter on cigarettes and national life in Israel. Entitled “A Model Market: Cigarettes and Modern Israel,” the chapter explores why cigarettes and the cigarette industry occupied a central place in Israeli life for decades, touching the lives of everyone from the country’s prime ministers to its most hardened criminals. The chapter also discusses the battle for dominance between domestic and foreign manufacturers–a decade-long process that reflected other issues in the country’s domestic life and foreign policy. The conclusion argues that cigarettes provide a powerful framework for understanding Israeli history and areas where there are interesting commonalities between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Throughout the chapter, Foley draws on innovative primary sources to explore a subject that has received little attention to date in English. The chapter is part of a series of innovative academic works on Israeli life and society edited by Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Dr. P R Kumaraswamy–one of India’s foremost experts on the Middle East and a global authority on Israel.
