In class yesterday we discussed the issue of racism within the Jewish community between Ashkenazim and Mizrachim. On one hand, the Ashkenazim saw themselves as the true chalutzim of Israel, who built the nation up from the ground, and saw the Mizrachim as refugees coming in to enjoy the fruits of their labor without any contribution. On the other hand, the Mizrachim saw themselves as just as valuable as the Ashkenazim, but lacking a voice in the European Jewry-dominated country. Racism during the 60s and 70s took the most obvious forms of unofficial community segregation, poverty and discrimination. Today racism still exists between the two groupings of Jews but to a much lesser extent. In class, the general consensus to solve racism in Israel was to have an official push for integration between communities and to support the education system for Mizrachim.
What about Palestinian Arabs, living in Israel today? Can the same methods be applied to eliminate racism between Israeli Jews and Arabs that we agreed should be applied for the Ashkenazim and Mizrachim? Why, or why not?
-Noah Arnold
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