Jewish
Racism
FP 17. Aug. 2013

Haaretz Aug. 7, 2013

Loud, proud Jewish racism - now in a town near you
By Zvi Bar'el

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.

Excerpts:
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 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.

But by identifying his candidacy with racism, he’s 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.

Full article:
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 feelings—a sense that the malady of racism was being treated.

The chief rabbi of Safed urges residents not to rent to Arabs? That's not so 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 single ticket. Bank Hapoalim and Bank Mizrahi-Tefahot deny equal treatment to Arabs? But after all, the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee responded by scheduling a hearing on the issue.

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 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, he’s 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 Gapso’s 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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