Israel Confronts Discrimination Without Prejudice

Being an advocate for Israel does not mean I am blind to Israel’s faults. In fact, as someone who loves Israel as much as I do, I strive to help advance Israeli society.

Opponents of Israel point out her faults with the view to de-legitimize her place among the nations.

The bogus apartheid allegations  – which we have repeatedly demonstrated to be utter nonsense – is one example.

The pointing out of racism in Israeli society is another.

Just like in every other country in the world, racism and prejudice exists. Not rampant, but troubling enough to cause the Israeli government to release the following advertisement (I added the English captions)

Now I am sure the Israel haters will be posting this video as proof Israeli racism exists. But I posit the advert’s very existence does more to underline how unacceptable racism in Israel is, rather than to point out it is a bigger problem than anywhere else.

Not only that, but would an “apartheid state” release such an advertisement that shows discrimination against Arabs is unacceptable?

And do you see any Arab state or the Palestinian Authority releasing such advertisements targeting discrimination against Jews (and in the case of Arab states, against palestinians?)

I would also just add that in 13+ years of living in Israel, I have never witnessed any such discrimination (in fact, the opposite), and the advertisement seems a bit exaggerated. But I get fully behind its message and purpose.

13 thoughts on “Israel Confronts Discrimination Without Prejudice”

  1. I would also just add that in 13+ years of living in Israel, I have never witnessed any such discrimination (in fact, the opposite), and the advertisement seems a bit exaggerated. But I get fully behind its message and purpose.

    I don’t get behind its message and purpose at all. I, too, have never seen such blatant examples of discrimination in Israel – in fact – as you also say – just the opposite. So why paint Israel as an inherently racist society, where the problem is so big, it needs its own ad campaign? IMO, it’s a fail.

  2. For the billionth time, most people who are “against” Israel don’t claim that Israel is overtly racist/hostile to minorities within the green-line.

    What they admonish Israel for, is its treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories. There, Palestinians are routinely beaten, humiliated, and abused. Illegal blockades result in humanitarian crisis and Palestinian homes are bull-dozed to make way for Jewish-only settlements/roads/walls.

    Israel’s greatest strength is its treatment of minorities within the green-line. Its greatest weakness, is its treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories. Until you are able to address the latter, your compliments about the former will fall on deaf ears.

    1. So just leave the west bank and let it become another Gaza? What will you say then to all the Israelis under rocket fire? If humiliation and abuse of Palestinians is the problem, why do the Gazans insist that the towns inside the green line they are firing on are “settlements”?

      1. You seem to be under the impression that Israel withdrew from Gaza, and Gaza responded with rocket attacks.

        Israel withdrew settlers/military from Gaza, but according to most international institutions, maintained the occupation, by controlling Gaza’s borders, airspace, and territorial waters.

        Shortly after the “withdrawal”, Hamas was elected, though a US/Israeli coalition attempted to use the Fatah party to stage a coupe against Hamas, and assassinate its leaders. When the effort failed, and Hamas consolidated control in Gaza, the US/Israel began a crushing economic blockade on Gaza (deemed illegal by the UN and World Court).

        In response, rockets were fired by Hamas (few ever a threat to do damage to Israel), and Israel responded by tightening the blockade, and initiating military strikes of its own.

        Since then there have been sporadic and sometimes heavy doses of violence between Gaza and Israel. Israel has broken ceasefires and struck with force first, and Hamas has done the same.

        The proper way to “leave” Palestinian territory is this. Withdraw all settlers behind the 1967 line (unless the PLO/Hamas agree to certain land-swaps), give Palestine control of its resources, and make Jerusalem an “international” territory, with both people’s sharing it as a cultural/economic/religious center of the region.

        1. And you seem to know nothing about this area and the Palestinians. There is no symmetry here. Gaza is filled to the brim with Jihadists. Syria has 30,000 Jihadists. Sinai is full of Jihadists, although the new regime in Egypt started making life more difficult for them after throwing out the MB government. Your utopia of just withdrawing to the 67 borders (why 67? The PLO was established to “free” Israel that is within the green lines, in 1964) and letting the Pals manage all their affairs will result in one certain reality: in a few months, the west bank will fill with thousands of “Islamic holy warriors” from all around the Muslim world, from Chechnia to Saudi Arabia. They will come for the the glory of fighting against the Jews and the West. The Palestinians won’t block their entrance, because without the war against the Jews they have nothing – no status at all with the Arab world, no identity, no political clout and no money. Your “simple solution” is born of simple ignorance.

          While I support a Palestinian state in the west bank, this cannot just be accomplished by retreating and letting things take care of themselves. We are in the midst of a chaotic Arab/Muslim world, with many parties whose existence, material as well as ideological, hinges on a continuing war with the Jewish state. Your way of doing things will only escalate this war to the and cause many more casualties. Save your utopian plans to childrens’ games, because in reality they will get many people killed.

          1. Irrational fear isn’t a reason to deny Palestinians their rights.

            Egypt, Jordan, and Syria all share borders with Israel, not to mention a large open water-way. I don’t see legions of “Muslim holy-warriors” invading, and then waging war on Israel from these avenues, so why would this happen in a new Palestine state?

            Regardless, both sides have agreed since 2,000, that Israeli withdrawal will be marked by International-forces present in the new Palestine state, at least for a time.

        2. P.S

          And if you really think the Gazans will stop firing at Israel when they have open airspace and territorial water, you are highly delusional. I also saw you ignored my question of the Gazans shelling Israeli towns deep within the green line and calling them “settlements”. Just ignoring the parts of reality that don’t fit your clean and pretty picture?

          1. Gaza largely stopped firing rockets at Israel when both sides had a truce…until Israel broke it with a military strike in Gaza, and then refused to reinstate it after Hamas responded.

            If Gaza says they will cease rocket attacks if Israel ends the illegal occupation, I see no reason to disregard that claim, since they have given us little reason to doubt it.

            I ignored your “question” because it its relevant. I don’t really care if every single Palestinian believes that Israel is one large occupation, just as I don’t really care if every single Israeli believes that whole land belongs to them. I care what each party is wiling to do to bring peace. The entire Arab world, and the Palestinians, are prepared to obey the international and legal consensus, and return to the pre-67 borders. The ball is in Israel’s court.

  3. “…Hamas was elected,…”
    That is misleading, the way you use it. Hamas won parliamentary elections, but not PM. They then “consolidated” (your word) control in Gaza through extreme violence, killing Fatah supporters and terrorizing the populace. Hamas has no legitimate “electoral” claim on Gaza, especially since they have refused to hold any more elections. One person-one vote-one time only! Of course, in this respect Hamas and the PA are similar. Abbas was elected….once only.

  4. “I would also just add that in 13+ years of living in Israel, I have never witnessed any such discrimination (in fact, the opposite), and the advertisement seems a bit exaggerated. But I get fully behind its message and purpose.”
    With all due respect, you are not one of the groups being discriminated against. They are the ones who would be attuned to such episodes. Such episodes don’t happen in such a concentrated sequence, but no doubt they are based on something. I have not witnessed blatant anti gay discrimination. But I am a woman, and not gay, and though I have friends who are gay, I haven’t witnessed such situations. My perspective would be very different. Another example, I would imagine a black person finding himself in a predominantly white neighbourhood in Mississippi, would probably feel different to being in about any neighbourhood in NY, but one would need to ask a black person for the point of reference. The ad is actually very good in that it shows situations from the perspective of those being discriminated against, and it was created to raise awareness among those who have not witnessed it, and to shame those who have perpetrated it or agree with it. As for Israel specifically, I have definitely witnessed such attitudes, if not overt demonstrations just during brief visits. However, it does not happen on state level, and is not condoned at work places, schools etc, if anything, the opposite is true.

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