Adjusting scales: Jewish trading networks in and beyond Afghanistan, 1950-present-day

Jewish traders from Afghanistan mediated the country's international connections across the twentieth century. Based on fieldwork and interviews conducted in Israel, the USA, and the UK, this article documents the significant nodes at which traders gathered, explores the reorientation of trading networks during the Cold War, analyses the geographical scales across which these networks operated, and assesses the importance of Muslim-Jewish relations to enabling the types of trade in which they were involved. More broadly, it argues that unfolding economic and geopolitical circumstances rather than commitment to a singular 'identity' shaped the trading network.

Automated summary

Based on fieldwork and interviews conducted in Israel, the USA, and the UK, this article explores the role of Jewish traders from Afghanistan in the country's international trade connections in the 20th century. It discusses the key gathering points of the traders, the reorientation of trading networks during the Cold War, and the significance of Muslim-Jewish relations in facilitating their involvement in trade.