Israel imagery
In Israel, Gabriel finds himself returning not only to his family, but to his heritage. The imagery of Israel helps underscore the timelessness of Gabriel's cultural identity, which goes back generations and generations. That doesn't mean he is a traditionalist, because in other ways he pushes forward, but when he is there, he thinks about the past. He even visits the estate of his grandmother who died. The visit is obviously haunting, because it is an encounter with death and in some senses, perhaps even with his ancestry.
France
France also has old architecture and the city speaks of time, but France is more individualistic for Gabriel, because the cultural ties are weaker between him and France. He has a more culturally objective point of view in France which comes at least partially from his experience of France's aesthetic. The setting is in the 1970's, so France is also socially complex and politically dynamic. The scenery allows a comparison and contrast between Europe and Israel.
War imagery
When the Yom Kippur War begins, Gabriel realizes that he might be drafted. The war time is described through paranoid imagery. This imagery helps the narrative to switch protagonists slightly, so we meet Adam who tries to find Gabriel. Adam's life is somewhat normal, but Gabriel is missing entirely, as if his mixed feelings about war are being described. The imagery of political conflict is surprisingly impersonal.
Disguise and identity
One of the most powerful uses of imagery is when Adam disguises himself as an Orthodox Jew, because he invites his community to completely misunderstand his intentions. Because he hides behind a religious identity, he is insulated from snoopy people, because he is insulated by cultural assumptions. The imagery is a reference to religion in general, helping to explain how Adam feels about the religious aspect of his cultural identity.
