This study discusses the emergence of 'Israeli realism' in the theatre in terms of the confrontation with Judaic traditions of art criticism and the thematization of history. In line with the 'dramatic' perception of reality prevalent in Israeli theatre, history is viewed as an impulse that furthers an engagement with the phenomenon of drama and the theatre. With reference to three major themes (war of independence, role of women, Holocaust) and the work of Joshua Sobol (*1939), the author shows how the treatment of history on the stage contributes to a 'deconstruction' of the Zionist myth.