The Racism within (Jewish) Israel

I grew up as a Privileged, white Jewish male in the United States.   

My paternal great-grandfather who I was named after was an Extremely Wealthy Privileged Ashkenazi (white) Jewish man who lived over 40 years in Koenigsberg, East Prussia (Germany).

https://jewsineastprussia.de/catalog-konigsberg-05/

My Great-Grandfather Owned this Bank, retired in 1912, and Deutsche Bank Purchased it in 1917, during World War I.

The Jews of Europe and Russia were generally white. 

The Jews native to the Middle East, Asia and Africa were primarily not white.   My brother lived in Brooklyn, New York with a Jewish Roommate who had moved to Israel from India.  The roommate looked no different from Indian People who are not Jewish.  

There are some significant stories of Misrahi Jews – the Arab Jews such as from Baghdad, Iraq.    Avi Shlaim and others have told us much, though many are unaware of them.   The clear narrative relates to racism and oppression within Israel dating back at least to 1951, the year of my birth.    The dominant narrative that Jews were pushed out of Arab countries, as well as Iran, comes into serious question, at best, if not being an outright lie in more than token numbers of cases.

Racism internally within the diverse Jewish population of Israel is a serious issue.   Much more serious is the racism at the core of Zionism in Israel oppressing Palestinian People, as well as other Arabs and Muslims face being by being non-white and non-Jewish within Israel.

In the United States we live in a Racist Country.   BIPOC, particularly Black or Native People, face persistent racism.  Class and Gender intersect with perceived racial identity. 

Anti-Semitism is a serious issue in The United States and Canada.   It is similarly an issue in much of Europe.   

Within the Middle East, the history is quite different.   The Ottoman Empire clearly discriminated against those who were not of The Muslim religion.   The discrimination was significantly less than what Jews faced in the early 1880’s in Russia.   The Tsarist Russian leaders scapegoated Jews, in the same way that immigrants in the United States are often scapegoated today.  In Russia, Poland, and Lithuania there were more than token pogroms.   The Jews of Baghdad and elsewhere (in the Middle East) generally faced discrimination.  This discrimination was comparable or identical to that of those whose religion was Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox. 

Empathy for the native Palestinian population was lacking in the 1920’s and more so with the rise of Hitler in 1933.   Individual Jews of Palestine were supportive of individual Palestinian native people, but systemically things were very different.  

A persistent lie continues through the present related to Palestine-Israel.  Jews investing significant money in Palestine prior to Israel’s declaration of Independence was not intended to and didn’t “help” the Palestinian People.   The Jews of the shtetls  were not helped by being “the moneylenders”.  Individuals may have profited.   The costs to the communities was genocidal.

Zionism persists with the myth that Israel is a “safe-haven” for ALL Jews.    Excluding perceptions of potential threats from other countries such as Syria and Iran, there are clear “separations” including the aforenoted racism amongst Jews within Israel.

A simple example of this was told to me by an Jewish ally born in the Ukraine.   This individual told me of a cousin whose spouse is Yemeni-Jewish-Israeli.   The spouse is not white.   The couple fled Haifa to Berlin subsequent to October 7, 2023 due to fears for their physical safety. 

I’m guessing that fellow Jews in Haifa presumed (incorrectly) that one of them was Jewish and the other Palestinian (not-Jewish).   It’s difficult for me to imagine what Palestinian Israel citizens who live in Haifa today face!

Avi Shlaim, a noted (emeritus history professor), born in a Jewish Family, in Baghdad, raised in Israel, and residing in England, has written and spoken significantly about racism and Anti-Semitism within Israel.  Examples of his insights are watchable on YouTube videos at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W43Rgzge4Po&t=20s   ,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeRrQihIvxk   , and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krOE1QOWziA  .

Israel is a country which has promoted itself as a “safe place”, indeed the only “safe place” for the Jews of the world.   What became Israel was a convenient – “dumping spot” for powerful interests in Europe and Russia.    Jews – often were potential – “traitors” to the oppressive leadership in Western countries, as well as in Eastern Europe and Russia.    They were happy to “export” the potential “trouble-makers” to minimize what they saw as threatening within Europe.

I would argue that there is an ironic similarity amongst “Christian Zionists” in the United States today, to the wealthy and powerful non-Jews of countries like Great Britain, France and Germany before Hitler came to power.   For the so-called Christians today, when Jesus returns – we, the Jews, along with Buddhists, Moslems, Hindi and other – “non-Christian” people who do not accept Christ as their savior, will die horrible deaths.   Christian Zionists are a powerful force along with AIPAC in supporting Israel today.   Lord Balfour in 1917 – in England embraced the creation of Israel along with the powerful others of Europe not to kill anyone, but rather to export most Jews to another part of the world.

Racism is Racism is Racism!   It uses – skin color, perceptions of it, religion and class – to keep us apart as People!

The fears many of us Jews have are escalating today – as the Genocide deepens!   The weapons of war, and the politicians who profit from war and oppression, seemingly “embrace the fears” – playing on them over and over again.

Fear – and Hatred – won’t bring us safety!   To be safe, we will need to take risks – in working on our issues – where we are privileged, as I am.   The risks of hatred are greater than the risks of trust.    Knowing thy neighbor – more than superficially – can help.  It’s helped me and many others a lot!  

Most North American and  Israeli Jews don’t have meaningful friendships with Palestinians, Arabs and/or Muslims.   Where we work together, we don’t share meals on the weekends when we aren’t working.

I hope that we, the Jews, will confront our fears and listen – really listen!   We can hear the messages of the Misrahi Jews – who’ve often been pushed into Islamophobia in Israel.   We too listen to the propaganda that our own government in the United States puts forth!   

Some of us hear the horrible voices or the hateful leaders of more and more countries!   Far fewer of us are aware of the deep ties between Israel, India (the most populous country in the world) and The United States.   With India it began long before Moti came to power and goes far deeper than him.   Israel’s hateful leader didn’t start the paths to divide us! Similarly – DT – plays upon our fears in The United States – but the fears pre-date him.

Feel – the Fear!   Fear – the Trauma!   Fear the Hatred!   The Palestinian People didn’t bring Hitler to power.    The Palestinian People didn’t teach  Jewish Israeli’s to fear those who aren’t white!

We all, including me, have a lot to learn!!!   

I try to listen!   I try to hear!   I do feel – a lot!   My heart – is Not weaponized, and when I make Huge mistakes, they have come from my trauma – which goes way beyond what we call: “THE Holocaust”.   Genocide – as we have in The Sudan and Palestine is Holocaust – Kept Alive and Growing!

We can do better!   August 18, 2024