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January 20, 2005
Traitor by accident of birth?
Because of public perceptions, some things just don't seem capable of existing, despite the fact that they exist. One such thing is the existence of Israeli Arabs. I was reminded of this after talking with an Israeli Arab friend. He told me that he is unwelcome in Arab countries, and when he traveled to Egypt and other countries with an Israeli passport he was treated very badly, called a "traitor," and suspected of being a spy -- all because of an accident of birth. He was born and grew up in Israel, and is fluent in Hebrew, Arabic and English. (Obviously, itself a dangerous combination in today's world.) His fear of being considered a spy is more than justifiable; consider the plight of this Israeli Arab. In general, Israeli Arabs tend not to be a hot topic of discussion in the media, because they defy easy analysis, and don't fit the conventional stereotypes. For starters, they are descended from people who refused to flee Israel -- something that tends to defy the conventional, U.N.-style wisdom of Israel as a genocidal, racist state. From the militant Islamic ideological perspective, of course, any Arab living happily in Israel would have to be considered an ideological traitor. Whether they're considered "traitors" or not, Israeli Arabs constitute between 20 and 25% of the Israeli Population, and their numbers are growing faster than the numbers of Jews, raising some interesting questions: ....[A]re they flourishing under the auspices of the Jewish state, as their ever-increasing presence in the Knesset and in much of Israeli life suggests? One of them, `Abd ar-Rahman az-Zu`abi, was recently appointed the first Arab to sit on Israel's Supreme Court. Miss Israel 1999, Rana Raslan, is an Israeli Arab beauty. Arab members of the Israeli parliament twice have served as deputy speaker; Husima Jahara become the first Arab Israeli woman elected to the Knesset; and an Arab broke a taboo by being named to the parliament's prestigious Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee.2It's not my purpose to answer these questions or offer advice or proposals to Israel or anyone else. I'm more drawn emotionally to the human tragedy involved when I see people get screwed simply because the way they are does not fit in with the political ideology of others. There's something odious about the belief that there's a duty to religious and ethnic identities imposed by others, especially when these duties are hotly disputed. Israeli Arabs are whipsawed by their very existence in a classic damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't situation. This analysis by Dave Kopel raises questions about the extent to which Israeli Arabs can be fully assimilated in Israel: Atashi said that he does not "feel inferior as a minority in Israel." As a Druze, Atashi was subject to the same mandatory service in the Israel Defense Force as are Jews. Christian and Moslem Arabs, Atashi added, are not drafted, but may volunteer.The fact is that many Israeli Arabs (especially Bedouin) have proven themselves to be valuable military assets -- despite fatwas declaring their military service religious "apostasy." (According to Donna Rosenthal, they are "some of the best soldiers in the Israeli army.") While it's not up to me, I think it might be a very good idea to encourage Israeli Arabs to join the American "melting pot." But that's another question. (These days, a growing number of American ideologues consider the "melting pot" itself a form of treason to "multiculturalism." But, hey, at least they can't issue fatwas!) posted by Eric on 01.20.05 at 03:02 PM
Comments
My wife is Hawaiian and, in a MUCH less intense fashion, she deals with the same issues. Hawaiian sovereignty is a hot topic. Many Hawaiians join the U.S. armed forces and serve honorably for a country they believe illegally occupied them. As a haole (white) raising a Hawaiian daughter (I bought the express ticket to a family, or the two for one wife+plus daughter special, take your pick) I feel, at the same moment, an urge to instill in my daughter pride in her Hawaiian heritage and love for her country, the United State. "Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself,(I am large, I contain multitudes.)" Harkonnendog · January 20, 2005 09:50 PM Good to see you back, Eric. I was worried about you. That quote from Walt Whitman ("Do I contradict myself...") has long been one I've often applied to myself, though I know it wouldn't go over too well with many Objectivists, and sometimes I agree with them. Do I contradict myself?.... I hope Hawaii always stays part of the United States. The U.S. without Hawaii would be like the Earth without the Moon. I must visit Hawaii someday. It is my favorite state. I have an old book on their mythology, their Gods and Goddesses, that my parents gave me on Christmas on 1966. I've always loved that book. The Western Islands.... Steven Malcolm Anderson (Cato theElder) the Lesbian-worshipping man's-man-admiring myth-based egoist · January 21, 2005 04:05 AM One additional reason some Arabs choose to live in Israel is because the land where Leviticus 20:13 was written is today, ironically, the one country in the Middle East that does not persecute homosexuals. Steven Malcolm Anderson (Cato theElder) the Lesbian-worshipping man's-man-admiring myth-based egoist · January 21, 2005 02:27 PM This an excellent and relevant topic and I thank you for the way you've handled it. It's always seemed messed up to me that Palestinians should disavow their citizenship as Israelis. I'm Polish, Croation, German and Irish and live in a country where I've seen descrimination based on color, sex and/or ethnicity become much less pervasive. It hasn't been simple or universally accepted but it has progressed. Unfortunately, there are always people willing to believe they are better than others by the mere presence of Religion. Every little step away from this oppression of ignorance is a good one for our species. MBains · January 28, 2005 08:45 AM Thought you may be interested in my blog, very naughty. It includes rants about very naughty things, for all you naughty people out there. Andy Bright - Very Naughty! · February 9, 2005 07:22 PM |
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