Ask TFI: Confused and Concerned
Hey TFI,
I'm a student here at UT and I'm currently taking a class entitled, "Ethnic and Social Israeli Cinema." It's not exactly what I thought it would be, as most of the time and readings assigned have more to do with the idea of racial and ethnic divisions in Israel. My professor stresses the fact that the Ashkenazim have continually opressed the Mizrahim, who are basically 2nd class citizens.
I'm pretty conflicted. On the one hand, I've been to Israel many times and met Israelis of many different backgrounds. I have close friends who are Mizrahi, yet I've never heard of any racism or class divisions. On the other hand, my professor seems very knowledgeable, he's done lots of research, and he's Mizrahi himself! And all of our readings are written by scholarly people with PhDs and such. So is Israel really built on racism between two groups of Jews, with one living as second class? Thanks for you help in clearing up the issue.
Sincerely,
Confused and Concerned
Dear Confused and Concerned,
Thanks very much for your question. I'll answer as best as I can, drawing upon what I know about Israel and my experiences there. Check my facts and numbers if you want, and take everything with a grain of salt. That's my disclaimer -- on with my response.
Israel was founded by European/Russian immigrants. David Ben-Gurion, Golda Meir -- all of the early Zionists whose names you have heard of were not born in the land of Israel. Political Zionism was a European idea. When Israel was born in 1948, most of the 600,000 Jews were of European origin. As a result of the war in 1948, nearly 1,000,000 Jews living in Arab countries immigrated to Israel. (One would have to look at each Arab country on a separate basis, but it is safe to say that the Jews in Arab countries lost their rights as a result of Israel's creation, and most ended up in Israel).
Therefore, these Arab Jews, or Mizrahim (meaning Easterners) as they are called, left their Middle Eastern societies and found themselves living in a more European society. The two groups were very different; the Mizrahim probably did not know much about Theodore Herzl (or any European enlightenment philosopher), but his philosophy guided the Ashkenazi establishment. The political elite in Israel -- actually all of the elite in all parts of life in the country -- were the Ashkenazi Jews who had established the country.
So Israel was faced with the problem of a 100% increase in population in a very short time, and at a time of war. They were welcomed as Jews, yet looked down upon for being different. Feelings of superiority existed among the Ashkenazim. The immigrants spoke Arabic, not Yiddish or modern Hebrew. Language is always a barrier, and the differences in Hebrew accents between Ashkenazi and Mizrahi are still recognizable today. Assimilation, as you can imagine, was a major challenge.
Things today are not as they were in 1948. Many Mizrahim are in high places. President Moshe Katsav is from Iran. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz is from Iran. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom is from Tunisia. Amir Peretz, the chairman of the Labor party, is from Morocco (which is notable, because Labor has been known as the party of the Ashkenazi establishment; it was through the Likud that many Mizrachim found a voice). Ultra-religious Mizrahim have a voice in Shas, a political party.
But one cannot ignore that there is racism in Israel, of varying degrees. In Israel, everybody makes jokes about everybody. I'm a cynical guy who loves a good laugh, and I'll be the first to admit that, when around close friends who share my sense of humor, I've made derogatory comments about Russians, Mizrahim, religious, atheist, and any group that I'm not a part of. It's very easy to point fingers; some do it with a sense of humor and some have more of a deep hatred for certain groups. We're all guilty of it -- let he who is without sin cast the first stone. This doesn't make Israel a racist country. Every Israeli citizen is equal under the law.
I'll share a personal experience before concluding. I staffed a birthright trip this winter. I really loved it, because not only did I get to talk about Israel to anybody who would listen, but I got to sit in the front of the bus and get to know the Israelis - the driver, the tour guide, the medics, etc.
Our driver Sasson was born in Baghdad, and was one of the most amazing men I've ever met. He loved to talk about Baghdad like it was his home, even though he left 50 years ago as a very young boy. I would tell Sasson that I studied at Hebrew University, and he would answer with a smile and say, "I studied in Baghdad." But he loves Israel more than anything, and only jokingly spoke about Baghdad like it was his home. I never saw anybody treat him any differently because he speaks Hebrew with an (I think beautiful) Arab accent. His family in Iraq was wealthy, and they lost everything. Sasson never spoke with any bitterness, and he never implied that anybody owed him anything. And it was his job to drive around rich Americans who left trash all over his bus.
As for the younger generation, I'll tell you about Vic, the medic. His mother is Italian, and his father is Tunisian. So what does that make him? Don't ask him. He lamented the fact that many Israelis will ask you, "Where is your grandfather from?" And if you answer Israel, they will say, "Well what about his father?"
Vic told me over and over again that it does not matter where you are from - we're all in Israel and we're all in the same boat together. So there is the attitude from the younger generation that it doesn't matter who your Daddy is. They all grow up together, they all serve in the army together, and they all have the same future.
Eddie, our other medic, was born in Uzbekistan. His skin is very dark, but his first language is Russian. Where does that leave him? Well, nobody asked him that question; we saw him as Israeli as any other Israeli.
I spent my junior year at Hebrew University around all types of students. Seeing Arabs and Jews studying together is amazing enough when one considers the political situation, but it was not just Ashkenazi Jews. I saw many young Ethiopian women around campus, and I'm sure that their immigrant parents don't have an education. To me, just looking at the diversity at Hebrew U -- an institution founded by the Ashkenazi elite -- is a sign that things are getting better, not worse.
Just as I told you to take anything that I say with a grain of salt, take your class readings with a grain of salt as well. I can assure you that your professor's political beliefs are not the beliefs of the mainstream. Expose yourself to his beliefs, but make an effort to expose yourself to other opinions as well (like you are doing). Read the scholarly people with the PhD's who write in the scholarly journals, but do your homework on the writer so you have an idea of where he/she sits on the political spectrum.
Israel is not built upon racism, but there are still divisions, and there is still social tension. My main point is that there has been a lot of progress. I am confident that -- based on the attitudes of Israelis who I have met, and the political reality in Israel (Mizrahim are the largest Jewish group) -- there is going to be a lot more progress.
Eddie, Vic, Sasson
I'm a student here at UT and I'm currently taking a class entitled, "Ethnic and Social Israeli Cinema." It's not exactly what I thought it would be, as most of the time and readings assigned have more to do with the idea of racial and ethnic divisions in Israel. My professor stresses the fact that the Ashkenazim have continually opressed the Mizrahim, who are basically 2nd class citizens.
I'm pretty conflicted. On the one hand, I've been to Israel many times and met Israelis of many different backgrounds. I have close friends who are Mizrahi, yet I've never heard of any racism or class divisions. On the other hand, my professor seems very knowledgeable, he's done lots of research, and he's Mizrahi himself! And all of our readings are written by scholarly people with PhDs and such. So is Israel really built on racism between two groups of Jews, with one living as second class? Thanks for you help in clearing up the issue.
Sincerely,
Confused and Concerned
Dear Confused and Concerned,
Thanks very much for your question. I'll answer as best as I can, drawing upon what I know about Israel and my experiences there. Check my facts and numbers if you want, and take everything with a grain of salt. That's my disclaimer -- on with my response.
Israel was founded by European/Russian immigrants. David Ben-Gurion, Golda Meir -- all of the early Zionists whose names you have heard of were not born in the land of Israel. Political Zionism was a European idea. When Israel was born in 1948, most of the 600,000 Jews were of European origin. As a result of the war in 1948, nearly 1,000,000 Jews living in Arab countries immigrated to Israel. (One would have to look at each Arab country on a separate basis, but it is safe to say that the Jews in Arab countries lost their rights as a result of Israel's creation, and most ended up in Israel).
Therefore, these Arab Jews, or Mizrahim (meaning Easterners) as they are called, left their Middle Eastern societies and found themselves living in a more European society. The two groups were very different; the Mizrahim probably did not know much about Theodore Herzl (or any European enlightenment philosopher), but his philosophy guided the Ashkenazi establishment. The political elite in Israel -- actually all of the elite in all parts of life in the country -- were the Ashkenazi Jews who had established the country.
So Israel was faced with the problem of a 100% increase in population in a very short time, and at a time of war. They were welcomed as Jews, yet looked down upon for being different. Feelings of superiority existed among the Ashkenazim. The immigrants spoke Arabic, not Yiddish or modern Hebrew. Language is always a barrier, and the differences in Hebrew accents between Ashkenazi and Mizrahi are still recognizable today. Assimilation, as you can imagine, was a major challenge.
Things today are not as they were in 1948. Many Mizrahim are in high places. President Moshe Katsav is from Iran. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz is from Iran. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom is from Tunisia. Amir Peretz, the chairman of the Labor party, is from Morocco (which is notable, because Labor has been known as the party of the Ashkenazi establishment; it was through the Likud that many Mizrachim found a voice). Ultra-religious Mizrahim have a voice in Shas, a political party.
But one cannot ignore that there is racism in Israel, of varying degrees. In Israel, everybody makes jokes about everybody. I'm a cynical guy who loves a good laugh, and I'll be the first to admit that, when around close friends who share my sense of humor, I've made derogatory comments about Russians, Mizrahim, religious, atheist, and any group that I'm not a part of. It's very easy to point fingers; some do it with a sense of humor and some have more of a deep hatred for certain groups. We're all guilty of it -- let he who is without sin cast the first stone. This doesn't make Israel a racist country. Every Israeli citizen is equal under the law.
I'll share a personal experience before concluding. I staffed a birthright trip this winter. I really loved it, because not only did I get to talk about Israel to anybody who would listen, but I got to sit in the front of the bus and get to know the Israelis - the driver, the tour guide, the medics, etc.
Our driver Sasson was born in Baghdad, and was one of the most amazing men I've ever met. He loved to talk about Baghdad like it was his home, even though he left 50 years ago as a very young boy. I would tell Sasson that I studied at Hebrew University, and he would answer with a smile and say, "I studied in Baghdad." But he loves Israel more than anything, and only jokingly spoke about Baghdad like it was his home. I never saw anybody treat him any differently because he speaks Hebrew with an (I think beautiful) Arab accent. His family in Iraq was wealthy, and they lost everything. Sasson never spoke with any bitterness, and he never implied that anybody owed him anything. And it was his job to drive around rich Americans who left trash all over his bus.
As for the younger generation, I'll tell you about Vic, the medic. His mother is Italian, and his father is Tunisian. So what does that make him? Don't ask him. He lamented the fact that many Israelis will ask you, "Where is your grandfather from?" And if you answer Israel, they will say, "Well what about his father?"
Vic told me over and over again that it does not matter where you are from - we're all in Israel and we're all in the same boat together. So there is the attitude from the younger generation that it doesn't matter who your Daddy is. They all grow up together, they all serve in the army together, and they all have the same future.
Eddie, our other medic, was born in Uzbekistan. His skin is very dark, but his first language is Russian. Where does that leave him? Well, nobody asked him that question; we saw him as Israeli as any other Israeli.
I spent my junior year at Hebrew University around all types of students. Seeing Arabs and Jews studying together is amazing enough when one considers the political situation, but it was not just Ashkenazi Jews. I saw many young Ethiopian women around campus, and I'm sure that their immigrant parents don't have an education. To me, just looking at the diversity at Hebrew U -- an institution founded by the Ashkenazi elite -- is a sign that things are getting better, not worse.
Just as I told you to take anything that I say with a grain of salt, take your class readings with a grain of salt as well. I can assure you that your professor's political beliefs are not the beliefs of the mainstream. Expose yourself to his beliefs, but make an effort to expose yourself to other opinions as well (like you are doing). Read the scholarly people with the PhD's who write in the scholarly journals, but do your homework on the writer so you have an idea of where he/she sits on the political spectrum.
Israel is not built upon racism, but there are still divisions, and there is still social tension. My main point is that there has been a lot of progress. I am confident that -- based on the attitudes of Israelis who I have met, and the political reality in Israel (Mizrahim are the largest Jewish group) -- there is going to be a lot more progress.
Eddie, Vic, Sasson
posted by DPR @ 1:01 AM
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