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An Arab Bus driver was charged with racism as he said to an [[Ethiopian]]: "Drink milk and you'll be white." his remark cost him his job.<ref>http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3673580,00.html</ref>
An Arab Bus driver was charged with racism as he said to an [[Ethiopian]]: "Drink milk and you'll be white." his remark cost him his job.<ref>http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3673580,00.html</ref>


==Between Jewish ethnic groups==
==Jewish ethnic groups==


Israelis of European or German ancestry are described as viewing themselves as superior to Israelis of other ancestries, and maintaining an elite position in Israel society.<ref>Torstrick, Rebecca L., ''The limits of coexistence: identity politics in Israel'', University of Michigan Press, 2000, p 32</ref><ref>Madmoni-Gerber, Shoshana, ''Israeli media and the framing of internal conflict: the Yemenite babies affair'', Macmillan, 2009, p 54-56</ref>
Israelis of European or German ancestry are described as viewing themselves as superior to Israelis of other ancestries, and maintaining an elite position in Israel society.<ref>Torstrick, Rebecca L., ''The limits of coexistence: identity politics in Israel'', University of Michigan Press, 2000, p 32</ref><ref>Madmoni-Gerber, Shoshana, ''Israeli media and the framing of internal conflict: the Yemenite babies affair'', Macmillan, 2009, p 54-56</ref>

Revision as of 03:03, 12 August 2010

Racism has been documented in Israel, most often directed at Arabs, but discriminations are also recorded against Mizrachi Jews (such as Jews from Yemen, North Africa, or the Middle East) or Ethiopians. as well as racism by some Israeli-Arabs & by its leadership. Racism in Israel has been reported by organizations such as Amnesty International, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel , and the United States Department of State. Instances of racism have been observed in, education system, and media.

Arabs

See also: Anti-Arabism § Israel

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) published reports documenting racism in Israel, and the 2007 report suggested that racism in the country was increasing.[1] One analysis of the report summarized it: "Over two-thirds Israeli teen believe Arabs to be less intelligent, uncultured and violent. Over a third of Israeli teens fear Arabs all together....The report becomes even grimmer, citing the ACRI's racism poll, taken in March of 2007, in which 50% of Israelis taking part said they would not live in the same building as Arabs, will not befriend, or let their children befriend Arabs and would not let Arabs into their homes."[2] The 2008 report from ACRI says the trend of increasing racism is continuing.[3] Some Israeli Jews explain their avoidance of Arabs as merely an attempt to avoid conflict and danger, and not a symptom of racism.[4].

Israeli Media

The Israeli media has been described as racist, due to its portrayals of Arabs and Palestinians.[5][6][7][8]

Education system

Israel's education system has been described as biased or prejudiced against Arabs[9] and against Jewish minorities from North Africa and the Middle East.[10] One researcher suggests that "ethnic prejudice in Israel is a relatively general phenomenon, not limited to the schooling process".[10]

Zionism

Some critics of Zionism equate Zionism (the political movement to re-create the state of Israel) with racism, or describe zionism as racist or discriminatory.[11][12][13][14]

Law of return

See also: Law of return § Controversy

One of the main criticism of Zionism is Israel's Law of return, claimed to be racist by some critics of Zionism, because ultimately it discriminates against persons not of Jewish ethnicity.[15] Such as jus sanguinis law of the right of return which, despite Israel's otherwise restrictive immigration policies, grant (asylum based on general phenomenon of Anti-semitism's persecution) every Jew in the world the right to settle in Israel. This is agitating[original research?] for the many Palestinian refugees, who claim they used to live in the territory that is modern Israel, but are denied their wish to return, which they deem a right.[16] Supporters of the law maintain that allowing a hostile majority that were adversaries in a war for Israel's independence to return would be tantamount to the political, demographic destruction of the Jewish character of Israel, and would endanger the Jewish population living there.[17](This is not unique to the Israeli side. In Egypt, for example, a court in Cairo has upheld a ruling urging the government to consider stripping of their citizenship Egyptian men who are married to Israeli women.[18])

The Article 11 of the UNGA Resolution 194, upon which the Palestinian refugees usually base their claim of a "right of return," "[r]esolves that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property..." without naming Israel and specifying either Palestinian or Jewish refugees.

Marriage

Israel's Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law has been described as discriminatory against Arabs because it - in effect - makes it difficult for Arab citizens of Israel from marrying with the same priviliges as Jewish citizens.[19][20] The law has been condemned by Amnesty International as "racial discrimination".[21]

Jews as the Chosen People

Racism against non-Jewish ethnicities in Israel is sometimes rationalized by the religious precept that Jews are the chosen people.[22][23][24]

Racism by Israeli-Arabs

Towards Jews

Polls

In a 2009 PEW poll showing 90% of the middle east viewing Jews unfavorably. Overwhelmingly negative attitudes toward Jews in Arab & Islamic countries. with more than 90% of Egyptians, Jordanians, Lebanese and Palestinians expressing unfavorable views toward Jews. However, "only" 35 percent of Israeli Arabs said they disliked Jews. [25][26]

From a 2007 Poll: 76% Of Israeli Arabs Call Zionism Racist, 48% Support Hezbollah's Attacks On Israel, 28% Deny Holocaust. [27]

In 2009, professor of University of Haifa's poll showed Holocaust denial widespread among Israeli Arabs & it's on the rise.[28] 40 Percent of Israel's Arab Citizens Deny Holocaust, Only 41 percent of the Arab citizens of Israel recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish and as a democratic state, down from 65.6 percent from a previous poll.[29]

Yet, Ynet elaborates in: "Who is the real fascist?" That Israeli Arabs, and their groups like "Adala" (also known for calling Israelis' fears as racism), etc. know when to remind the Holocaust when trying to exaggerate lost battles with Israel's war on terror, comparing Arabs' failure to "victims of the Holocaust."[30]

Racist attacks

Among the brazened attacks (amid a worrying involvement of Israeli Arabs in terrorist attacks directed against Israeli Jews [31][32]) in 2008 are noted the bulldozer attacks [33], described by a writer:"He took the bulldozer, with which he fed his own wife and family, and used it to crush other families to death, simply for being Israeli Jews."[34]. On July 7, 2008 a writer in Israel's lefty paper Haaretz asks: If justifying the murder of innocents because they belong to a certain hated group is not abject racism, I'd like to know what is. [35].

One of the Arab anti-Jewish riots is the violence in Oct 2008, on Yom Kippur, an Arab driver drove dangerously wild into Jewish neighbourhoods causing clashes, Arabs heading back to their neighborhoods ran riot through Jewish areas of the city. Calling "Death to the Jews" and Allah hu akbar ("Allah is great"), the rioters vandalized hundreds of Jewish-owned shops and vehicles, and threw rocks at people on their way to or from Yom Kippur prayers. [36]

Arab leadership

Haaretz's Ben-Meir wrote: What's racist is denying the Jewish people a state of their own. Certain Arab Knesset members talk incessantly about the Palestinian people's rights, including their own state. But in the same breath they refuse to acknowledge Israel as the state of the Jewish people and deny the very existence of a Jewish people as a nation with national rights. he goes on in saying that those deserving racist epithet are such Arab MK, who attended the conference of hate in Geneva and called themselves "victims of Israel's racist apartheid" while serving as a member of the Israeli parliament. [37]

Incitement to racism

The head of the Islamic Movement in Israel's Northern Branch, was charged with incitement to racism and to violence. The Magistrate's Court, prosecution said that Mr. Salah made his inflammotory remarks "with the objective of inciting racism."[38][39] he also accused Jews of using children's blood to bake bread.[40]

Towards Blacks

The issue of the origins, identity and terminology used to describe people of African origin is highly sensitive. white local Arabs' persisting in calling people of African origin 'abed, perpetuates discrimination. The African Palestinians living in Jerusalem told the writer that they would fight with anybody who referred to them as 'abed'. [41]

An Arab Bus driver was charged with racism as he said to an Ethiopian: "Drink milk and you'll be white." his remark cost him his job.[42]

Jewish ethnic groups

Israelis of European or German ancestry are described as viewing themselves as superior to Israelis of other ancestries, and maintaining an elite position in Israel society.[43][44]

Some scholars view inter-ethnic group discrimination as class-based discrimination (classism) rather than racism.[citation needed]

Mizrahi (Middle Eastern ethnicity)

Israeli society has been described as harboring racist views towards persons of Middle Eastern descent, knows as Mizrahi Jews (or "oriental Jews").[45][46][47][48]

Accusations of kidnapping Yemenite babies

Secular Israelis of European descent were accused of collaborating in the disappearance of babies of Yemeni Jews, and motives such as: anti-Jewish religion & racist motives were alleged upon the secular regime. In 1950s, the Israeli government as well as other organizations in Israel were accused of kidnapping of between 2,400 and 10,000 children from their recently arrived Yemeni families. In most instances, the parents claim that they were told their children were ill and required hospitalization. Upon later visiting the hospital, it is claimed that the parents were told that their children had died though no bodies were presented or graves which have later proven to be empty in many cases were shown to the parents.[49][50] [51]

Bene Israel (Indian ethnicity)

The religious authorities claim that the Bene Israel are not accepted by all Israelis as all being Jews [52], as many have been assimilated. Some have charged racism at the 1962 ruling by the Chief Rabbi of Israel that allegedly discouraged marriage between Indian Jews and Jews of European descent.[53][54]

Sephardi (Spanish and Portuguese ethnicity)

Ashkenazi Jews in Israel, particularly of the Orthodox movement, have sometimes viewed Sephardi Jews as inferior.[55][56] Examples of such attitudes have been reported in the school system, where Sephardi students are sometimes excluded, or are segregated within the school building.[57][58]

Beta Israel (Ethiopian ethnicity)

There was, initially a controversy in Falashim's identity as Jews by some, as they might have --during the many years of separation-- intermarry with local non-Jewish Ethiopians. However some have categorized Israelis among the Ashkenazi population's stand as racism against Ethiopian Jews.[59] Racism was alleged regarding delays in admitting black Ethiopian Jews (Beta Israel) to Israel under the Law of return.[60]

School children of Ethiopian ancestry were denied admission into public schools in the town of Petah Tikva.[61] An Israeli government official said "for years, racism has developed here [Petah Tikvah] undeterred".[62]

Black Hebrews

In his 1992 essay "Blacks and Jews: The Uncivil War", historian Taylor Branch asserts the Jews have been "perpetrators of racial hate", citing the example where three thousand members of a sect of Black Jews from Chicago were denied citizenship under the Israeli law of return because of anti-Black sentiment among Israeli Jews.[63][64]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "Israeli anti-Arab racism 'rises'", BBC, 10 Dec 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7136068.stm
  2. ^ Synopsis of the report, from "Racism in Israel on the rise", Aviram Zino, Ynet News, 12 Aug 2007, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3480345,00.html
  3. ^ "Reflections on October 2000 - Eight years later, discrimination and racism against Israel's Arab citizens have only increased" - news release from ACRI, http://www.acri.org.il/eng/story.aspx?id=556
  4. ^ http://www.jpost.com/Home/Article.aspx?id=49178
  5. ^ Espanioly, Nabilia, "Nightmare", in Women and the politics of military confrontation: Palestinian and Israeli gendered narratives of dislocation, Nahla Abdo-Zubi, Ronit Lenṭin (Eds), Berghahn Books, 2002, pp 108-109
  6. ^ Hirst, David, The gun and the olive branch: the roots of violence in the Middle East, Nation Books, 2003, p. 91
  7. ^ See also, regarding media and Yemeni Jews: Madmoni-Gerber, Shoshana, Israeli media and the framing of internal conflict: the Yemenite babies affair, Macmillan, 2009
  8. ^ Emmet, Ayala H., Our sisters' promised land: women, politics, and Israeli-Palestinian coexistence, University of Michigan Press, 2003, p 68
  9. ^ Bar-Tal, Daniel, "The Arab Image in Hebrew School Textbooks", in Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, Hillel Schenker, Abu Zayyad Ziad, Ziad Abu Zayyad (Eds), Markus Wiener Publishers, 2006, pp 135-152
  10. ^ a b Yuchtman-Yaar, Ephraim, "Ethnic Inequality in Israeli Schools and Sports: An Expectation-States Approach", in The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 85, No. 3 (Nov., 1979), pp. 576-590, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2778584
  11. ^ See United Nations Resolution 3379, stating in its conclusion that "Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination", passed in November 1975
  12. ^ Zionism, imperialism, and race, Abdul Wahhab Kayyali, ʻAbd al-Wahhāb Kayyālī (Eds), Croom Helm, 1979
  13. ^ Gerson, Allan, "The United Nations and Racism: the Case of Zionism and Racism", in Israel Yearbook on Human Rights 1987, Volume 17; Volume 1987, Yoram Dinstein, Mala Tabory (Eds), Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1988, p 68
  14. ^ Hadawi, Sami, Bitter harvest: a modern history of Palestine, Interlink Books, 1991, p 183
  15. ^ Matas, David, Aftershock: anti-zionism and anti-semitism,Dundurn Press Ltd., 2005, p 56-59
  16. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3629923.stm
  17. ^ Our Jerusalem.com
  18. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/africa/10247437.stm
  19. ^ Amnesty International, The Amnesty International report, Amnesty International Publications, 2005, p. 142
  20. ^ Human Rights Watch World Report 2008, Seven Stories Press, 2008, p. 487
  21. ^ "Israel/Occupied Territories: High Court decision institutionalizes racial discrimination", Amnesty International news release, 16 May 2006, http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?lang=e&id=ENGMDE150422006
  22. ^ Espanioly, Nabilia, "Nightmare", in Women and the politics of military confrontation: Palestinian and Israeli gendered narratives of dislocation, Nahla Abdo-Zubi, Berghahn Books, 2002, p 108
  23. ^ Sharoni, Simona, "Feminist Reflections on the Interplay between Racism and Sexism in Israel", in Challenging racism and sexism: alternatives to genetic explanations, Ethel Tobach, Betty Rosoff (Eds), Feminist Press, 1994, p 319
  24. ^ Beker, Avi, Chosen: the history of an idea, the anatomy of an obsession, Macmillan, 2008, p 131
  25. ^ http://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/main/showNews/id/8958
  26. ^ http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1486/survey-muslim-nations-middle-east-political-leaders-hamas-hezbollah
  27. ^ http://www.zoa.org/sitedocuments/pressrelease_view.asp?pressreleaseID=407
  28. ^ http://newmedia-eng.haifa.ac.il/index.php?m=200905&paged=2
  29. ^ http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/131404
  30. ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3500040,00.html
  31. ^ http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2004/1/2003%20Terrorism%20Review
  32. ^ http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/126817
  33. ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3571614,00.html
  34. ^ http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=68770
  35. ^ Haaretz, Jul 7, 2008 "Fear of calling a terrorist a terrorist"
  36. ^ http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/127921
  37. ^ http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1081038.html
  38. ^ http://www.haaretz.com/news/islamic-movement-head-charged-with-incitement-to-racism-violence-1.238209
  39. ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3500219,00.html
  40. ^ http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1014706.htm
  41. ^ Hidden history, secret present: The origins and status of African Palestinians by Dr. Susan Beckerleg [1] Reflections on Arab-led slavery of Africans, by K. K. Prah, 2005, p. 198 [2], Tinabantu: Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society, 2002, p. 17 [3]
  42. ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3673580,00.html
  43. ^ Torstrick, Rebecca L., The limits of coexistence: identity politics in Israel, University of Michigan Press, 2000, p 32
  44. ^ Madmoni-Gerber, Shoshana, Israeli media and the framing of internal conflict: the Yemenite babies affair, Macmillan, 2009, p 54-56
  45. ^ Smooha, Sammy, "Jewish Ethnicity in Israel: Symbolic or Real?", in Jews in Israel: contemporary social and cultural patterns, Uzi Rebhun (Ed.), UPNE, 2004, p 60-74
  46. ^ Khazzoom, Loolwa, The flying camel: essays on identity by women of North African and Middle Eastern Jewish heritage, Seal Press, 2003, p 69
  47. ^ Sharoni, Simona, "Feminist Reflections on the Interplay of Sexism and Racism in Israel", in Challenging racism and sexism: alternatives to genetic explanations, Ethel Tobach, Betty Rosoff (Eds), Feminist Press, 1994, p 309-331
  48. ^ Hanieh, Adam, "The Reality Behind Israeli Socialism", in The Palestinian Struggle, Zionism and Anti-Semitism, Sean Malloy, Doug Lorimer, Doug Lorimer (Eds), Resistance Books, 2002, p 21-22
  49. ^ SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF MISSING YEMENI BABIES, ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, Forrest Sawyer and Linda Patillo Reporting, August 25, 1997]
  50. ^ Madmoni-Gerber, Shoshana, Israeli media and the framing of internal conflict: the Yemenite babies affair, Macmillan, 2009
  51. ^ See also, regarding media and Yemeni Jews: Madmoni-Gerber, Shoshana, Israeli media and the framing of internal conflict: the Yemenite babies affair, Macmillan, 2009
  52. ^ http://www.jcpa.org/dje/articles2/conversion.htm
  53. ^ Abramov, S. Zalman, Perpetual dilemma: Jewish religion in the Jewish State, Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press, 1976, p. 277
  54. ^ Smooha, Sammy, Israel: pluralism and conflict, University of California Press, 1978, p. 400-401
  55. ^ Shohat, Ella, "Sephardim in Israel: Zionism from the standpoint of its Jewish victims", in Dangerous liaisons: gender, nation, and postcolonial perspectives, Anne McClintock, Aamir Mufti, Ella Shohat (Eds), U of Minnesota Press, 1997, p 42-44. Originally published as "Sephardim in Israel: Zionism from the Standpoint of Its Jewish Victims" in Social Text, No. 19/20 (Autumn, 1988), pp. 1-35
  56. ^ Haredi school rejects 'Sephardi' child - Talmud Torah school rejects four-year-old due to Sephardi grandfather. Principal says child has ‘stain’ in genealogy
  57. ^ Ashkenazi Against Sephardi Racism Lives, by Shelomo Alfassa "The haredim were found guilty by the Israeli High Court of Justice of racism. Evidence of their crime can easily be seen by the fact that schools were constructed with separate entrances and separate classrooms for Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews. The Ashkenazi parents say they need to keep the classrooms segregated because the families of the Sephardi girls "aren't religious enough."
  58. ^ Sephardim, Ashkenazim, and Ultra-Orthodox Racism in Israel, by David Shasha
  59. ^ Kemp, Adriana, Israelis in conflict: hegemonies, identities and challenges, Sussex Academic Press, 2004, p 155
  60. ^ Rebhun, Uzi, Jews in Israel: contemporary social and cultural patterns, UPNE, 2004, p. 140
  61. ^ "Ethiopian students affair shows prevalent racism in Israel", 3 Sep 2009, Haaretz.com, http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/ethiopian-students-affair-shows-prevalent-racism-in-israel-1.8578
  62. ^ "Deal reached on Petah Tikva Ethiopian olim", Jerusalem Post, 31 Aug 2009. http://www.jpost.com/Home/Article.aspx?id=153392
  63. ^ Forman, Seth, Blacks in the Jewish Mind: A Crisis of Liberalism, p. 14-15
  64. ^ Branch, Taylor "Blacks and Jews: The Uncivil War", in Bridges and Boundaries: African Americans and American Jews (Salzman, Ed), 1992
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