"Warriors, Witches, Whores is the first book to attempt an analysis of the transformation beginning in the early 1990s in women's representations in Israeli cinema, culminating in the tremendous surge of films made by female directors in the last fifteen years. Juxtaposing previous representations with contemporary ones, these thematic and cinematic readings brilliantly expose innovative narratological and cinematic modes utilized to engage with the dual need to both conform to Zionist national discourse together with depictions of revolutionary feminist agendas regarding the female body, women's sexuality, and Israeli masculinist culture. Israeli female experience is presented in its intersectionality of gender, nationality, ethnicity, and religion, thus touching on crucial societal divisions. This book offers a unique portrayal of the successes as well as the failures to achieve a different outlook on women's lives in Israel."—Orly Lubin, literature department and gender studies at Tel Aviv University

"For Jewish feminists interested in the intersections of film, feminism, and Israeli culture, Harris's academic study provides valuable questions and insights. Not to mention the book provides quite the watch list"—Dr. Helene Meyers, Jewish Women's Archive

"Buy the book for the hefty filmography of Israeli cinema. It's a nice resource to have."—Karen E. Skinazi, Jewish Film & New Media

"Carefully placing a wide range of fictional, documentary, and festival films in cultural, social, and political contexts, Harris's insightful and multifaceted analysis identifies the feminist possibilities and problematics in contemporary Israeli cinema. In addition, she offers a fascinating discussion of activists' efforts to make space for more women in the industry, as well as to maintain feminist film festivals and organizations."—Sarah Projansky, Professor of Film and Media Arts and of Gender Studies at the University of Utah

"Employing the insights of cultural studies and third-wave feminism, Harris traces the evolution of feminist filmmaking in Israel since the 1990s. She cogently examines how Arab and Jewish Israeli women have reconfigured the cinematic portrayal of female characters and the roles they play within the army, diverse ethnic enclaves, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, religious subcultures, and normative and illicit sexual encounters."—Lawrence Baron, Editor of the Modern Jewish Experience in World Cinema

"In her fascinating and timely study, Rachel Harris brings western feminist film theory to bear on the specifics of Israeli cinema. She first shows how the Israeli narrative of a Jewish national identity incorporated women into the patriarchal order, making it difficult to develop a feminine identity. Later chapters explore female narratives that contested women's positioning, and finally Harris looks beyond this history to women's feminist activism in recent Israeli films. Through careful reading of cinematic techniques in select Israeli films from the 1950s on, together with striking supporting images, Harris provides solid evidence for her arguments."—E. Ann Kaplan, Distinguished Professor of English and Women's, Gender, And, Sexuality Studies at Stony Brook University