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No, Israel Isn't a Country of Privileged and Powerful White Europeans

(Los Angeles Times) Hen Mazzig - Along with resurgent identity politics in the U.S., there is a growing inclination to frame the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in terms of race. According to this narrative, Israel was established as a refuge for oppressed white European Jews who in turn became oppressors of people of color, the Palestinians. As an Israeli and the son of an Iraqi Jewish mother and a Tunisian Jewish father, this is gut-wrenching to witness. The majority of Jews in Israel today are of Middle Eastern and North African descent (Mizrachi). Only about 30% of Israeli Jews are descendants of European Jews (Ashkenazi). I am baffled as to why mainstream media and politicians around the world ignore or misrepresent these facts. I believe the misrepresentations of pro-Palestinian activists are part of a strategic campaign to taint Israel as an extension of privileged and powerful white Europe, thereby justifying any and all attacks on it. This way of thinking signals a dangerous trend that positions Israel as a colonialist aggressor rather than a haven for those fleeing oppression. Worse, it all but erases the story of my family. One of Judaism's central themes is a story of national liberation in the face of imperial powers. Israel is a place where an indigenous people have reclaimed their land and revived their ancient language, despite being surrounded by hostile neighbors and hounded by radicalized Arab nationalists who cannot tolerate any political entity in the region other than their own.
2023-10-27 00:00:00
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