A sociological analysis of Israeli culture and history, the hypocrisy outlined.

[u/xGentian_violet]

Israel often claims that Israel existing means all Jews can now be in tune to their heritage and cherish the history.

Yet most of the very religious Jews in Israel, regardless of of descent, even if they are Mizrahim or Sephardim, dress in 19th/early 20th century Polish Ashkenazi fashion. The assimilation into the dominant eurocentric western culture has not preserved, but extirpated most unique Jewish traditions from various different Jewish groups around the world.

At the same time Israel en masse constantly devastates historical archeological sites (primarily by bombing them), and the environment of this new land that they colonised (and continue to colonise). The famous example of the cutting of ancient olive trees planted by Palestinians illustrates a complete lack of genuine connection to this land, which is seen as an entity to be dominated and brutalised, to be colonised and settled.

What is the land they supposedly see as the "Holy Land" made into? a slew of shopping malls and car centric concrete wastelands.

When Israel was created by Zionist ashkenazim, it was created knowing that the lives of one million Jews in Muslim countries will be jeopardized by the establishment of a Jewish state.” They were warned and knew that such a move would lead to geopolitical instability and that all Jews in arab countries would be seen as supporters of Zionism, that even Arab countries which previously maintained religious tolerance or had been on a path of progressive improvement would turn on Jews within their borders as a result

But this was all in line with the plan, as these people were intented as an underclass to be exploited anyway.

When Mizrahim got off the planes that brought them to Israel, first they were sprayed with the insecticide DDT to “disinfect” and “delouse” them. Then they were sent to live in transit camps known as ma’abarot — tent cities with no electricity, running water, or basic sanitation. Originally seen as completely inferior and barbarous, they were brought over with a false promise just to serve as an underclass of servants (thus the Israeli Black Panthers) for much wealthier Ashkenazi families.
Now, many decades later, a pseduo-acceptence has been achieved by assimilating into the monolithic Israeli western settler colonial culture, by Mizrahi kids just being told over and over again while growing up (including at school) that they are fundamentally different to and better than "the Arabs" (whom they share genetic ancestry and physical appearence with the majority of the time).

It's a twisted union through erasure of variation, assimilation and a shared sense of racist hatred directed at a third group. This is behind the general Mizrahi rightward political shift over the decades; attempts by Mizahim as a group to assert themselves as real Israelis.

Israeli culture behaves like any other racist colonial culture that has ever existed, it is alien to the land it finds itself in, it dominates and brutalises both the native inhabitants of this land (Palestinians) and the land itself, it appropriates some of the traditions of supposedly "savage", inherently "terrorist" Palestinians/Arabs (e.g. food) to be sold to tourists as curiosities and rebranded as uniquely Israeli culture (as opposed to non-speciifc and shared various various Arabs/Arabised peoples, but ironically not between European Jews and MENA Jews).

EDIT: minor edits were made post-hoc in a couple spots for the sake of better readability, and higher specificity/accuracy, for any future readers. 09/24

[u/xGentian_violet]

whats most sad for me, aside from the astronomically greater and central issue of Palestinian suffering and ongoing genocide, is the hidden censored nature of Mizrahi history (by the Israeli govt). Mizahim in Israel are not even aware of this because their govt brainwashes them. If they did know how they've been manipulated i wonder what they'd think.

I hate it when liars write history.

There was for a time and could have continued to exist a Mizrahi-Palestinian alliance, but due to the manipulative divide et impera assimilationist approach of the israeli govt, that destroyed their civil rights movement, the exact opposite has happened, the average Mizrahi Israeli is extremely quick and decisive at distancing themselves from Palestinians, and has moved to the right. They'd fling theselves into a different universe if they could just to separate themselves from Palestinians..

It's such a lost opportunity

[u/specialistsets → u/xGentian_violet]

is the hidden censored nature of Mizrahi history (by the Israeli govt). Mizahim in Israel are not even aware of this because their govt brainwashes them. If they did know how they've been manipulated i wonder what they'd think.

Mizrahim are well aware of their own history. Israeli society is predominantly Mizrahi and Mizrahi culture is the dominant culture and continuing to thrive.

[u/xGentian_violet → u/specialistsets]

Mizrahim are well aware of their own history.

Im not talking about mizrahim globally rather Mizrahim in israel. it's not taught in their schools and the vast majority of them dont have insight into what the society of their grandparents was pre-israel's formation

Israeli society is predominantly Mizrahi and Mizrahi culture is the dominant culture and continuing to thrive.

This is mentioned in a comment of mine as a common reactionary fallacious argument that misses the point, accidentally or intentionally. Its equivalent to "most mexicans have native ancestry so the country cant be eurocentric and racist"

From your comment history you sound like a zionist, or a fence sitter. Anyone active* and uncensored on israelpalestne and judaism is suspect, but the nature of your comments consirms that suspicion

[u/Emotional_Shop8741 → u/xGentian_violet]

I'm sorry, this post seems so fringe and idiotic, and not at ALL accurate to Mizrahi experiences in Israel. MAJORITY of jews in Israel are Mizrahi, and it is VERY documented about our experiences from the middle east, living in the middle east, language, clothes, customs, etc in documentaries, in our educational textbooks, students discussing where their families come from (constant discussions bordering jokes over ashkenazi vs mizrahi food, culture, traditions, etc in the news, publicly, w friends). We have ethiopian jewish celebrations for their specific holidays in the country, we celebrate morrocan jewish mimouna after passover, there's literal quarters/ homogenous cultural groups in Jerusalem like the bukharian quarter, the armenian quarter, etc for different specific ethnic jewish groups. Families constantly intermix cultutal traditions, where grandparents could speak mixes of russian, arabic, persian, bukharian, etc wherever you go. History of Jews in the middle east, africa, europe, etc is very much taught in schools, especally in the context of the neighboring people groups we lived near, and our explusions.

Also, you said insight into our history?? Israel was only created less than 80 years ago, our grandparents were born BEFORE the creation of the state. Of course we know our history, what kind of take is this??

I hope you could take the time to educate yourself on the reality of Israelis, and stop the antagonization of different subsets of jewish groups; it's absurd how you're trying to explain to other Jews what life in Israel as a Mizrahi jew is like, when you yourself are not Jewish at all.