13/08/2013

Loud, proud Jewish racism - now in a town near you - Opinion - Israel News | Haaretz
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Loud, proud Jewish racism - now in a town near you

The Israeli strain of hidden, 'justified' racism was doing fine, but Upper Nazareth Mayor Shimon Gapso had to break with convention and bring it out of the closet.
By Zvi Bar'el | Aug. 7, 2013 | 2:35 AM |
1 Tw eet 41

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Hidden racism, like blood in a stool sample, can be an indication of a malignancy or simply an ulcer. When it comes to concealed forms of racism, the danger is that urgent treatment is put off on the misguided belief that everything will be all right. Take, for example, the court decision against Israel Aerospace Industries ordering the company to pay hefty compensation for refusing to hire a paramedic whose last name labeled him as coming from a Mizrahi Jewish family. The court decision generated good feelingsa sense that the malady of racism was being treated.

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The chief rabbi of Safed urges residents not to rent to Arabs? That's not so Zvi Bar'el horrible. He represents the exception. The Knesset is in the process of passing laws designed to prevent the election of Arabs to parliament? That's not exactly racism. After all, the law is also liable to hurt Jewish parties, too. And besides, the Arab parties always have the option of overcoming the proposed legislation by running as a RELATED ARTICLES single ticket. Bank Hapoalim and Bank MizrahiIsraeli civil right s groups urge AG t o probe Tefahot deny equal treatment to Arabs? But after all, Upper Nazaret h may or for racial the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee responded incit ement by scheduling a hearing on the issue. By Eli Ashkenazi | Aug. 7, 2013 | 3:17 AM | 10 Concealed racism is a form of denial, involving defensiveness and self-justification, that grows out of the need to protect something: Jewish identity, the Zionist mission, protecting the country from the
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13/08/2013

Loud, proud Jewish racism - now in a town near you - Opinion - Israel News | Haaretz
By Oudeh Basharat | Aug. 5, 2013 | 3:22 AM |
6 By Yitzhak Laor | 06:36 AM

domestic enemy. Of course, no one wants to be racist, but there's no alternative. It's either them or us.

The national scale of priorities, says the hidden racist, requires racism, on the condition that it is as measured, hidden and polite as possible, and that it's monitored by the courts. It should be of the type that can reconcile our desire to be a Western country with the fear of losing our Jewish identity. For example, it's important to make sure that Israeli racism doesn't exceed what exists in France toward immigrants from Muslim countries, or Americans toward Hispanics, Germans toward Turks, or Ukraine toward its Russian minority. It should be a kind of consensual, universal racism that wouldn't engender self-righteous accusations against us, and would also let us show that on an international scale of racism, we are no worse than others and are actually better. Because our racism does not discriminate between Arabs and Mizrahi Jews, or Ethiopians and those with no designated religion. Our hidden racism is more just, more equal; racism that can serve as a light unto the nations, an example to the world. It would have been possible to continue to cultivate this species of racism had it not been for the decision by Upper Nazareth Mayor Shimon Gapso to break with convention and bring racism out of the closet. Gapso, who is basing his reelection campaign on openly racist slogans, is perhaps the only one around who understands that there really is no difference between hidden and open forms of racism. He is a straight-talking racist who spares us the self-righteousness. He understands that concealed racism only has electoral value if one is prepared to call it what it is, taking off the wraps and turning it into a value deserving of respect. His election posters on the streets of Upper Nazareth, which feature quotes from Arabs condemning his racism, have done the trick. Gapso is certain the slogans will make him a hero after he manages, as he sees it, to instill hatred of Arabs deep within his election supporters. And they don't even have to publicly identify with his views. Everyone who votes for him can simply continue with their hidden racism, without public exposure. But by identifying his candidacy with racism, hes doing a favor not only for the residents of his city. Every Jewish Israeli who fails to go out and protest against Gapso, every politician who continues to maintain cordial relations with him, is no different from Upper Nazareth residents who give him their votes. Gapso is the spokesman for a loud, proud form of racism. He despises those hidden racists, the ones who are not prepared, as he is, to acknowledge that Judaism is racism and one should not be embarrassed about it. To Gapsos misfortune, this victory for racism may be foiled by the bribery indictment against him. It's a shame the citizens of Israel (the Jewish ones anyway) would be losing a courageous, straight-talking leader who could symbolize pure racism, paving the way for the coming-out of other politicians who have taken cover behind convoluted laws, vague municipal bylaws and seemingly liberal slogans that muffle their true convictions.

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Loud, proud Jewish racism - now in a town near you - Opinion - Israel News | Haaretz

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7 40

06

hahahaha....but y ou dont seem t o even writ e about abbas not want ing even ONE jew t o remain in t he new pal st at e...
By jonathan in montreal 07 Aug 2013 04:10PM

not so...t hey reject squat t ers in palest ine because t hey are criminals
By johnny you are liar and you and w e know it 07 Aug 2013

35 09:44PM 3

jews of palest ine were palest inians prior t o t he invent ion of israel.
By clearcut 08 Aug 2013 00:57PM

reut ers:Abbas said t hat no Israeli set t lers or border forces could remain in a fut ure Pal st at e and t hat Pals deem illegal all Jewish
By don't lie jonathan!!! 10 Aug 2013 03:28PM

10

Y our comment is not at all relevant t o t he art icle.

By Runner1983 10 Aug 2013 04:12PM

05

I'm afraid t o say t hat a "Jewish st at e" can only be racist , if "Jewish" is not a cit izenship.
By Peter 07 Aug 2013 02:16PM

52

Pet er
By zionist forever 07 Aug 2013

8 51 05:19PM 12 30

There are over 50 Islamic st at es so why not a single Jewish?

By Tony Silver - Kopenhagen 07 Aug 2013 06:49PM

1) Judaism is not a race, it 's a religion. 2) There IS a Jewish st at e, no one is cont est ing t hat .
By Melissa 07 Aug 2013 09:28PM

25

t here is israeli st at e, adding "jewish" means t hat t he st at e negat es ot her ppl t hat are living t here,and have been living before t he st at e
By correction melissa 10 Aug 2013 06:11PM

04

Mr. Barel, please do not pret end as Gapsos are present and visible
By brk 07 Aug 2013 11:36AM

43

Visa 03 By Akbar boohar

7 07 Aug 2013 07:47AM

I Take Issue Wit h The Following St at ement ... 02 By Nicole Czarnecki 07 Aug 2013 06:57AM "Those who pervert Judaism int o racism" are t he Zionist s.
By Jung1 07 Aug 2013 11:13AM 22 5 02:13PM

27

50

Post of t he Day !
By Melissa 07 Aug 2013

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13/08/2013
Hat red wit hin Judaism
By Carole 07 Aug 2013 09:04PM 13

Loud, proud Jewish racism - now in a town near you - Opinion - Israel News | Haaretz
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01

The t rut h hurt s

By Hannah 07 Aug 2013 03:49AM

52

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