Original Israeli Propaganda Caricature Book, Joseph Bass, Those Were the Days..., Tel Aviv, 1952
Published four years after the establishment of the State of Israel, Those Were the Days... is an early Israeli propaganda object in the form of political satire. Its cartoons consolidate a state-aligned narrative of the 1948 war and its aftermath, presenting Arab political and military actors through hostile caricature while framing Israeli austerity, militarization, immigration, rationing, and civic discipline as necessary components of national survival.
The book’s trilingual format suggests a readership beyond Hebrew-speaking Israel, positioning its visual and ideological message for international circulation. Its humor is therefore not incidental. It functions as a persuasive tool, translating war, scarcity, and state-building into accessible scenes of ridicule, endurance, and patriotic consensus.
Title: היו זמנים... (Those Were the Days... and Il fut un temps...)
Publisher: Matspen Publications, Tel Aviv
Country: Israel
Printer: Hadfus Haklali Ltd., Tel Aviv
Author: Joseph Bass, יוסף בס
Language: Hebrew, English, and French
Format: Hardcover illustrated political cartoon book
Pages: 107
Published: 1952
Condition: Good vintage condition. Hardcover binding with age wear, rubbing, toning, handling marks, page creases, and light edge wear. Interior pages remain intact and legible.
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