Mamlakhtiyut from Across the Ocean: Ben-Gurion and the American-Jewish Community Adi Sherzer 1 Abstract The concept of Mamlakhtiyut, defined by Bareli and Kedar as the Israeli version of republicanism, has shaped Israeli political system and civil culture from the 1950s onward.This article examines how this inter-Israeli concept affected David Ben-Gurion’s inter-Jewish policy toward the Jews of the Diaspora during the constructive era of the first year of statehood. The discussion focuses on the journey of Ben-Gurion to the USA during the spring of 1951 and the launching of the Bonds campaign as an alternative Israeli fundraising tool. The study of the journey’s context and a deep analysis of Ben-Gurion’s speeches during the journey demonstrate the importance of the Mamlakhti approach in the setting of Israel–Diaspora relations. I argue that the Mamlakhti-republican discourse was needed by both sides to deepen the relationship during the 1950s, point its deep influence on both policy and discourse, and suggest that today too it may foster the discourse and reframe some of the fundamental subjects that divide Israel from the Diaspora. Keywords Mamlakhtiyut, David Ben-Gurion, Israel–Diaspora relations, fundraising, UJA, Bonds, republicanism Introduction The concept of Mamlakhtiyut is the key to understand Israeli political discourse and civil culture. 1 For many years, researchers have struggled to understand this Article 1 The Ben-Gurion Research Institute for the Study of Israel & Zionism, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel. Corresponding author: Adi Sherzer, The Ben-Gurion Research Institute for the Study of Israel & Zionism, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, POB 257 Sede Boker Campus, 84990 Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Be’er Sheva, Israel. E-mail: adi.sherzer@gmail.com Contemporary Review of the Middle East 1–15 The Author(s) 2019 Reprints and permissions: in.sagepub.com/journals- permissions-india DOI: 10.1177/2347798919872832 journals.sagepub.com/home/mes