The Zionist dream was born in Europe more than a hundred years ago under the cloud of increasing anti-Semitism. The dream of a country where Jews could live as Jews, in freedom and prosperity, without the fear of being prosecuted, denigrated and discriminated against for the simple reason that they are Jewish. The flow of Jews to the Land of Israel started long before World War II and the ancient land, once almost devoid of Jews, was once again populated by “the Chosen People”.
Since the Zionist dream was born in Europe, the large majority of the Jews who made it to Palestine in the early days, were Jews from Europe, and thus “Ashkenazim”. (The origin of the word Ashkenazim is complicated but today indicates, Jews of European origin).
After WW2 and in particular the War of Independence, which resulted in often violent anti-Semitism in Arab countries, the Jewish State decided that efforts should be made to bring “home” these Jews as well, and make sure that these “Sephardim” would live in peace and prosperity in Israel. The name “Sephardim” originates from the Hebrew name of Spain, “Spharad.” After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, they spread out to European countries but also to many Arab lands, and their off-spring came to be known as “Sephardim”.
And hundreds of thousands of Jews arrived. From Yemen, from Iraq, from Morocco, from Egypt. Brought from a totally different world, a different culture, a different religious experience (even though they were undoubtedly Jews). Many of them were uneducated and their arrival in Israel caused reactions that could have been expected, and maybe were expected but nevertheless, rather shocking. The Sephardi Jews were exposed to intense discrimination, to denigration and humiliation. The scars of this period are still raw and every now and then they are torn open by a new book, a TV documentary or the release of (secret) papers from the State archive. It is heartbreaking to read in (recently released) letters from young Moroccan soldiers to their family at home, that “they met Jews with hearts of Germans” and urging their family not to come to Israel, or another one who writes: “The European Jews, who suffered tremendously from Nazism, see themselves as a superior race and the Sephardi [Mizrahi] Jews as belonging to an inferior one”.
The Jewish people, who suffered more discrimination than any other, did not hesitate to apply the same discrimination, and to their own brothers! In 1977, an Ashkenazi Jew, leader of the Likud party, Menachem Begin, found a way to address the Sephardi population, many of whom by then lived in development towns far from the center of the country, and they helped him to defeat the thirty-year rule of the Labor party and Menachem Begin became Prime Minister. It must be noted that by then the “Sephardic” problem was already recognized by many and attempts were made, also on an official level, to rectify this evil. Begin and his party, (a real Ashkenazi party!) worked with Sephardi factions, including David Levy, to eradicate the discrepancies between Ashkenazim and Sephardim. The problem is far from solved, and discrimination still exists. Sephardi men earn less than Ashkenazi men. There are less Sephardim in occupations like lawyers and doctors, and also in academics the par remains. But things do improve and probably the biggest improvement (that Begin laid the groundwork for) is the fact that Sephardim do no longer feel inferior, no longer behave only to please their one-time masters, the Ashkenazim, and are regaining their self-confidence.
And then along comes Ms. Miri Regev. Today, a Knesset member for the Likud party, erstwhile minister, and former IDF spokesperson with the rank of Brigadier General. She is the daughter of Sephardi Jews, and recently has proclaimed that it is time for the Likud to stop voting for “white DNA” and make sure that Sephardim will take over the leadership of the party. And of course, what she means that it is time for her to take over the leadership of the party.
With Netanyahu on his last legs, the unrest in the Likud is growing and several candidates are vying to replace the long-time leader, when he retires, is sent to jail, or is voted out, whatever comes first. The leadership contest was expected and is justified and necessary, and probably the sooner the better. But to bring the Ashkenazi-Sephardi divide into this political fight is scandalous and unforgivable. The Sephardim really do not need to have this fire lit up again, and most also don’t want to see this burn again. It is inconceivable that an (admittedly) viable candidate would lower herself to such deep ends for political gain. And of course that is all that Regev is looking for. Political gain. Regev has been in politics long enough and succeeded for two reasons only. Her big mouth, which she opens at any occasion where she feels she is not getting her way, and her selfishness, because only by being an egoist can you succeed in Israeli politics. Regev doesn’t care for one moment about Sephardic inequality. Regev cares only about Regev. And even more so. Time and again it has been shown that she heavily relies on “advisors”, who implant in her, ideas that she is not intelligent enough to discard at first sight.
The Likud cannot allow this to move forward and needs to stop Regev before it will do irreparable damage to the party, and with that also to the country, and the Sephardic Jews in Israel.
The only positive thing that may come out of this shameful episode, is maybe the renewed look inward by Likud members that the party is also today being led by Ashkenazi Jews. Change is necessary, but it cannot and will not be achieved by the hateful path that Regev has chosen.
I hope you found this article interesting and I welcome any comments you may have.
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