Israel: Clearly The Most Racist Country

yosi

For those who need a reminder not to blindly accept the received wisdom on this forum:

Watch Israeli President Reuven Rivlin’s Moving Anti-Racism Message

Rivlin joins 11-year-old George Amira, whose anti-bullying video went viral
By Yair Rosenberg|October 1, 2014

This past Saturday, George Amira, an 11-year-old student in Tel Aviv, became an overnight celebrity in Israel when he posted a plaintive video protesting the bullying he was experiencing in school over his appearance and high-pitched voice. In a simple 90-second clip, with no spoken words, Amira displayed the slurs he’d been subjected to on pieces of paper: “homo,” “cheerleader,” “doesn’t belong with the boys.” “Look at me, then at yourselves,” he wrote on a sign. “We are exactly the same.” Amira’s video went viral, racking up over 8,000 Facebook shares and airtime on Israeli television, as well as plaudits for bravery from Israel’s education minister, Shai Piron.

One person who was moved by Amira’s message was Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, who has made anti-racism advocacy a cornerstone of his political work, and served as a vociferous defender of the rights of Israel’s 1.7 million Arab citizens long before he was sworn in as the country’s 10th president in July. This week, Rivlin met with Amira and his family, and commended the youth on his courage. The two then filmed a message modeled on Amira’s video for the entire country, condemning “violence, hostility, bullying, and racism.” It was released this morning, just days before Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. Watch it below with English subtitles (click the caption button on the bottom-right if not already enabled):

Rivlin’s video is part of a growing anti-racism effort being spearheaded by Israel’s leadership, in the wake of disturbing outbreaks of racist violence and demonstrations in the country, directed against both Arabs and African migrants. In August, Rivlin told Jewish leaders that he would be embarking on anti-racism crusade, saying, “This is a terrible evil and a disgrace to Israeli life, which must find ways to isolate and uproot it.” Earlier, the country’s Justice Ministry under Tzipi Livni produced an edgy anti-discrimination ad which juxtaposed a haunting rendition of Israel’s national anthem with scenes of social exclusion. Livni herself spoke out forcefully against anti-Arab racism and incitement on social media during the recent Gaza conflict, while the country’s education minister Shai Piron devoted the opening weeks of this school year to an anti-racism curriculum.

Here's the link if you want to see the video:
http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/185824/watch-israeli-president-reuven-rivlins-moving-anti-racism-message

benjs

Yosi, it's great to see Israeli leadership speaking out against racism directed against Arabs and African migrants, but it's interesting to that you chose not to bold a few words in the last paragraph: "in the wake of disturbing outbreaks of racist violence and demonstration in the country, directed against both Arabs and African migrants". If Israeli leadership had been proactively condemning racism when it recognized there was the potential be a problem (if it wasn't already a problem months or even years ago), those disturbing outbreaks of racist violence and demonstrations in the country might not have occurred, no?

Regrettably, I put the onus on the president to not tolerate racism - and not only (though especially) when it is leading to divisiveness within a country. And to be fair, at least this response is more noble and less deflective than that of the American president after the Ferguson shooting (http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/obama-mistrust-police-corroding-america-25814152). In my opinion - neither are enough, but I'd love to be proven wrong.

Personally, if I had started this thread, it'd be entitled "Israeli President desperately attempts to snuff Israel's recognized racism problems". In order for the power of groupthink to come into play and actually alter social opinion, I'd say it's pretty critical for Israelis to recognize the validity of a racism problem within their own borders.

As an addition, this was specifically about racism towards Israeli non-Jews at the hands of Israeli Jews. I'd also love to see Rivlin start to work on bridging the trust between Israeli Jews and non-Jews by trying to reach the Arabs and African migrants (and solve issues they perceive): if Jews should be held to the standard that they must recognize innate or societally-indoctrinated racism within Israel, so should non-Jews. There ought to be an authentic and class-undivided coexistence within the state if the leaders of the Palestinian regions and the remainder of the Arab world could ever be expected to enter meaningful and long-lasting peace negotiations with Israel (especially if certain parties are being requested to lay down their arms).

yosi

Sorry, I don't follow your last paragraph. Could you explain please.

benjs

yosi said:

Sorry, I don't follow your last paragraph. Could you explain please.

No worries Yosi... I guess what I'm saying is that instead of 'promoting tolerance' when the need arises in regards to racism, it would be great to see a shift in primary objective towards 'promoting empathy' instead; I'm only suggesting this distinction because I believe conflict is largely a byproduct of the lack of understanding of each others' perceived plights. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that to seek tolerance is an inherently negative way to look at it, and to simply 'tolerate' someone or some group shouldn't need to be taught if empathy is instead introduced. I remember asking you a month or two back about the Israeli opinion when people in Gaza were dying, and how you mentioned that they get sad for a little bit on the news, but they're not losing sleep over it. This is completely understandable to me given how the situation must feel in Israel, and I think just as I am a Jew and the assumption is that I hold an inherently pro-Israel opinion, I wonder what the assumption is about an Arab within Israeli borders.

I truly don't think that a long-lasting peace can come into existence given how many years of animosity have ensued, without some form of training in 'empathetic thought process' . After all, if coexistence and equality can't be demonstrated and/or guaranteed between Arabs and Jews within Israel, why would an Arab in Gaza or the West Bank or East Jerusalem trust a Jew? (PS, what is the politically correct way to refer to the part of Israel that excludes the Palestinian regions?) I feel like a broken record, but I can't stress enough how much I believe that trust, in spite of history, must be given and received between Jews and Arabs, in order for a justice that feels just to all involved is obtained.

And in addition to this, a belated Shana Tova to you and your family, and if you fast - have an easy one.

gimmesometruth27

the israeli government is the greatest barrier to peace in the entire middle east.

bibi alienated a bunch of countries this week at the un.

he is digging the graves or rational israeli citizens.

just sayin.

rgambs

It takes away from your point (slightly) that you tried to minimize the existing racism by leaving the one sentence unbolded. It's a move that gives a tiny amount of credence to the Hasbara conspiracy theories, it is clearly a "PR" move that smacks of advertising schtick. Let the message stand on it's own, it's stronger without your selective editing muddying the waters.

Bentleyspop

Don't you mean lunatic, racist, and fascist?

benjs

Bentleyspop said:

Don't you mean lunatic, racist, and fascist?

How does this further the conversation?

blueandwhite

I believe that Israel isn't any more or less racist than any other country however tensions between Israel and the rest of the Middle East makes continued hostility with Palestine an easy sell for most Israelis. Having said that, it's not as if those feelings of animosity are intirely misplaced as I'm sure that Palestinians likely feel the same way about Israel. Almost 70 years of conflict is bound to stir negative, racist feelings on both sides. That much bad blood is going to be nearly impossible to wash away. The real difference of course is that Israel is operating from a position of privilege with an infinitely superior military force backed by the most powerful country on the planet. The conflict between Palestine and Israel is like a battle between a mouse and a lion. Israel isn't the victim here; they are the bully.

It's hard to play the victim when you're holding a killer hand.

benjs

blueandwhite said:

I believe that Israel isn't any more or less racist than any other country however tensions between Israel and the rest of the Middle East makes continued hostility with Palestine an easy sell for most Israelis. Having said that, it's not as if those feelings of animosity are intirely misplaced as I'm sure that Palestinians likely feel the same way about Israel. Almost 70 years of conflict is bound to stir negative, racist feelings on both sides. That much bad blood is going to be nearly impossible to wash away. The real difference of course is that Israel is operating from a position of privilege with an infinitely superior military force backed by the most powerful country on the planet. The conflict between Palestine and Israel is like a battle between a mouse and a lion. Israel isn't the victim here; they are the bully.

It's hard to play the victim when you're holding a killer hand.

Agreed, except for the number of years of conflict... I would say it was the inception of the Zionist movement and the introduction of notions of religious or racial superiority, not the establishment of Israel, that began the conflict.

badbrains

Pretty racist here:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4577613,00.html

benjs

Yosi, I would very much appreciate a response to any of the points raised here when you get a chance. Given your initial disclaimer to not take things at face value, when differing opinions are given I'd say it's pretty important to address them. Especially because, as previously mentioned by rgambs and me, you didn't present things at face value - you selectively bolded from within the article.

rr165892

How is Saudi Arabia or North Korea not in this mix.I get everyone jumping on the Israeli Govt and some is warranted,but as a society they are a tolerant people.Many walks of life and religions live in pretty good harmony for the most part.Lets take personal feelings out of this and look at societies that frown upon any religious freedoms and have little tolerance toward women,Homosexuals,or those that don't subscribe to the "govt chosen religions.Rascism isn't just religion it's the whole squashing of freedoms and intolerance to those who are different.

badbrains

rr165892 said:

How is Saudi Arabia or North Korea not in this mix.I get everyone jumping on the Israeli Govt and some is warranted,but as a society they are a tolerant people.Many walks of life and religions live in pretty good harmony for the most part.Lets take personal feelings out of this and look at societies that frown upon any religious freedoms and have little tolerance toward women,Homosexuals,or those that don't subscribe to the "govt chosen religions.Rascism isn't just religion it's the whole squashing of freedoms and intolerance to those who are different.

I'd even go so far as to add the whole emirates in all. No doubt, very very to their own.

benjs

rr165892 said:

How is Saudi Arabia or North Korea not in this mix.I get everyone jumping on the Israeli Govt and some is warranted,but as a society they are a tolerant people.Many walks of life and religions live in pretty good harmony for the most part.Lets take personal feelings out of this and look at societies that frown upon any religious freedoms and have little tolerance toward women,Homosexuals,or those that don't subscribe to the "govt chosen religions.Rascism isn't just religion it's the whole squashing of freedoms and intolerance to those who are different.

rr, the reason they're not in the mix is because Yosi started the thread with regards to racism in Israel (and not the silly "who is the most racist" competition, which I stated then that it was silly and not really useful for changing anything, and still feel that way). In addition, this isn't about just the Israeli government, but also the Israeli citizens (which is evident in this quote from the article: "Rivlin’s video is part of a growing anti-racism effort being spearheaded by Israel’s leadership, in the wake of disturbing outbreaks of racist violence and demonstrations in the country, directed against both Arabs and African migrants"). As someone who doesn't live in Israel, and having only been to the country twice in my life, I don't feel that I'm in a position to comment about the tolerance of the society. What I will say that presenting this article as if it's evidence to the fact that Israel is not a racist country feels very skewed to me: it acknowledges that racism has led to violent demonstrations severe enough that the President of the country is speaking up against it. That to me would suggest there is a very serious racism problem.

With regards to the rest of your statement, I don't think anyone here would claim that racism is exclusively about religious intolerance.

badbrains

benjs said:

rr165892 said:

How is Saudi Arabia or North Korea not in this mix.I get everyone jumping on the Israeli Govt and some is warranted,but as a society they are a tolerant people.Many walks of life and religions live in pretty good harmony for the most part.Lets take personal feelings out of this and look at societies that frown upon any religious freedoms and have little tolerance toward women,Homosexuals,or those that don't subscribe to the "govt chosen religions.Rascism isn't just religion it's the whole squashing of freedoms and intolerance to those who are different.

rr, the reason they're not in the mix is because Yosi started the thread with regards to racism in Israel (and not the silly "who is the most racist" competition, which I stated then that it was silly and not really useful for changing anything, and still feel that way). In addition, this isn't about just the Israeli government, but also the Israeli citizens (which is evident in this quote from the article: "Rivlin’s video is part of a growing anti-racism effort being spearheaded by Israel’s leadership, in the wake of disturbing outbreaks of racist violence and demonstrations in the country, directed against both Arabs and African migrants"). As someone who doesn't live in Israel, and having only been to the country twice in my life, I don't feel that I'm in a position to comment about the tolerance of the society. What I will say that presenting this article as if it's evidence to the fact that Israel is not a racist country feels very skewed to me: it acknowledges that racism has led to violent demonstrations severe enough that the President of the country is speaking up against it. That to me would suggest there is a very serious racism problem.

With regards to the rest of your statement, I don't think anyone here would claim that racism is exclusively about religious intolerance.

Again, this guy Ben, he's a fucken smart one for sure.

SkeeterB

gimmesometruth27 said:

the israeli government is the greatest barrier to peace in the entire middle east.

bibi alienated a bunch of countries this week at the un.

he is digging the graves or rational israeli citizens.

just sayin.

Disagree a bit on this one. Hamas is the greatest barrier. Before Hamas came in to power, the borders were a bit more open, including the border to Egypt. Bibi has clearly made mistakes along the way, but when in Hamas' charter it wants the destruction of Israel, not sure how you can make a point that they aren't the greatest barrier to peace in the middle east.

yosi

Ben, thanks for the holiday wishes, and Shana Tova to you as well. Also, thanks for explaining your point about empathy. I'd certainly agree with that. I actually recently read a great article that touched on just those same sorts of points in regards to Jerusalem being a model for future peacemaking because it's one of the few places in Israel where the Jewish and Arab communities are fairly intermingled and people are actually able to develop some empathy towards one another. Perhaps I'll post it here later. Regarding the selective bolding, I wasn't trying to hide anything (which is why I didn't edit anything out of the piece). I just wanted to draw attention to the sections of the article that best made my point. And if I'm being honest, my point wasn't really to spark an earnest discussion of racism in Israel (that is certainly a topic worthy of a lot of discussion, but my past experience has made me wary of having it here). Really I was just trying to draw attention to a story that complicates the one-sided and simple-minded view of Israel that I think predominates on the Train.

yosi

And just in case it's not clear from what I just wrote above, I don't think this article is evidence that there isn't racism in Israel. Clearly you're right that the existence of racism is a predicate to the entire story the article tells. What it shows, I think, is that that, contrary to what I think many here believe, Israel is not monolithic in its opinion on Arabs, nor is it a racist country as a matter of state policy, as is often alleged here (though particular discrete policies may be questionable). Basically, I just think it paints a more complex, realistic portrait than is normally presented on the Train.

yosi

Here's the story about Jerusalem if you want to read it (too long to post the text):
http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/the-jerusalem-approach-20140912

benjs

yosi said:

And just in case it's not clear from what I just wrote above, I don't think this article is evidence that there isn't racism in Israel. Clearly you're right that the existence of racism is a predicate to the entire story the article tells. What it shows, I think, is that that, contrary to what I think many here believe, Israel is not monolithic in its opinion on Arabs, nor is it a racist country as a matter of state policy, as is often alleged here (though particular discrete policies may be questionable). Basically, I just think it paints a more complex, realistic portrait than is normally presented on the Train.

Yosi, that's entirely fair. It's far too easy to get trapped into thinking in binary systems, where a ____ is either _____ or ______, so it's certainly a good reminder through posts like yours not to do so. And my apologies for suggesting any ill-intent through your bolding - it was an unfair accusation on my part, especially now understanding what your purpose of the posting was!

And thanks for posting that, Yosi, I'll be sure to look through it hopefully today or tomorrow.