The Battle for Civil Rights In Israel

 

Jews came from all over the world to live in Eretz Yisrael. Some Jews had an easier time adjusting while other’s experienced more difficulty. The modern state of Israel was founded by Ashkenazi Secular Jews with leftist leanings who wanted to create the state in their own image and create a new Jew. The founding fathers believed in socialism more than the torah or Jewish law. Their vision of a modern civilization was mid 19th century Europe. The new Jew would shed his religion. The founding fathers wanted to emulate Europe. The vision of Zionism faced the west although they were located in the East . This view point locked out anyone with a traditional view or middle eastern cultural outlook.

The Jews from the Middle East, the Mizrachim , were torah observant and held in esteem a different form of Zionism.

Upon their arrival the Mizrachim were forced into the less desirable parts of the country.  They were herded into tent camps called Maabarot. Later these would get upgrade to tin shacks. These camps were like prisons. Guards at the gate and barbed wire fences they could not leave the camp without permission. Like military prisoners. Ashkenazi from Europe got better housing, better jobs and more access to a good education. The Mizrachim in many instances did nit get the same passage. They did not take this lying down and they fought against it in a variety of ways.

Their first method was non violent protests. They would post themselves in front of government offices and camp offices asking for better housing and jobs. These protests were often brutally suppressed by the police. Golda Meir would later adopt the tactic of selecting a delegation from the protestors who would then air their grievances. Meir made them promises she never followed through on.

The police were a tool used by the state in order to suppress the Mizrachim. The police would hold educational events and other kind activities for the Mizrachim. Mizrachi Jews were also shoved into police work. As the oppression worsened the riots would get more violent. Things would eventually escalate into breaking into offices and smashing things up. There were also fights between different ethnic groups situated in the camps. To counter the oppression these Mizrachim would join opposition parties hoping for better treatment.

Two major rebellions stand out. The first is the Wadi Salib rebellion of 1959. This started out with a Moroccan Jew being drunk and disorderly the police arrived and fired warning shots in the air that managed to hit the guy in the spine. He was crippled for life. This sparked violent protests filled with anger at the abusive treatment by the Ashkenazi elite. The second was the Hatikvah Rebbellion of 1965. This was caused by the Dan bus line not extending their service to this town. Lack of services sparked riots and drag racing.

In Israel there is a two tiered system for the countries Jews. On tier one you have Ashkenazi Jews that have access to better jobs, better housing, more political right. The second tier is for Jews of the Middle East. They have menial jobs, stuck in substandard housing, lacking educTion opportunities etc. many Middle eastern Jews wanted to emigrate elsewhere.

The Plight of Single Mizrachi Mothers

 Vicki Knafo made history with her famous march to Jerusalem to protect Netanyahu’s austerity measures. These measures cut the welfare allowance for singe unemployed mothers. This brought the plight of single mothers into Israel’s national spotlight. The authoress ,Smadar Lavie, is a university professor with a doctorate. She studied this movement and lived it. Professor Lavie is a single mother in Israel who also is part Yemenite. Single mothers have it tough but if you are a Jew if middle eastern descent it is even worse.

Smadar writes about the feeling of waiting hours in line only to be told that she has to go to another office to collect her check, which means more hours in line. There are times when she would be sent to this interview for this job or that many of which she was over qualified for. The clerks who run things sometime take advantage of these desperate single mothers. The buracracy is an instrument of torture.  The clerk if they are well intentioned thinks they are helping the single mother. It is just torture.

The cards are stacked against the Mizrachi Jews, those Jews who hail from Middle East. Originally they were brought here for labor so the pioneers from Europe would not have to rely on Arab labor. As cheap labor these Jews were abused by their fellow Ashkenazi brothers and sister. It persists to this day as Mizrachi Jews do not earn as much as their Ashkenazi counterparts. They are pegged into low paying manual labor jobs. Mizrachi Jews comprise well over 50 percent of the population yet they only occupy a small minority of white collar jobs. There are no Mizrachi professors who made it on their own steam. The ones who made it are married to Ashkenazi husbands or wives.

The country was founded by leftist, secular Ashkenazi Jews and they still hold the power. There are femsist organizations among both Ashekanzim and Mizrachi. The Ashkenazi ones are more international and focus on the rights of women elsewhere, especially Palestinians yet they ignore the plight of Mizrachi women. The Mizrachi women are fighting this on their own. The system is against them. They can be punished for protesting by denying checks or if they demonstrate lack of ability to care for their children then the children can be removed. Ashkenazi women have funds and connections so it will not effect them that much.

Many Mizrachi Jews vote for Likud or the right. It was the Mizrachi vote that got Menachem Begin voted in. They feel and rightfully so that the left took advantage of them and abused them. It was the Likud that focused on their plight. But alas things never end. No systematic change is on the horizon.