A day after the Knesset passed legislation canceling the Supreme Court's ability to invoke the reasonableness clause, the front pages of major Israeli newspapers were covered in black by an ad placed by protesting high-tech workers, which read in small white print at the bottom: "A Black Day for Israeli Democracy."
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Many Ethiopian Jews have been offended by the publication of the ad on the front pages of the major Israeli daily newspapers, including Yedioth Ahronoth – both by the portrayal and the use of the word "black" to describe something negative.
"It's an invalid use, and I have been talking about this issue for years," said Zohar Damasa Balau, a 38-year-old social activist of Ethiopian origin from Ramla.
So, where did the practice of describing negative things as "black" originate, and what are its implications?
"As long as we Ethiopians are considered 'black' within society – using the word 'black' as something negative is invalid," according to Balau. It's a matter of a change in language usage. Just as Transport Minister Merav Michaeli uses language that speaks to both women and men, we need to act in the same way. We must stop using the word 'black' as a derogatory term, and stop describing things like mourning and destruction with this color. Using the word 'black' as something negative creates insecurity among children."
Balau says that seeing the black ads is painful. "It's clear that I feel sad and hurt, and it's frustrating to have to explain myself over and over again, but it doesn't break me like it used to. I've gone through a process of self-love and self-acceptance. I try to create a better starting point for my children. If someone reads these words and it sparks something in their mind - then I've done my part," Balau said.
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Knesset member Pnina Tamano-Shata came to Israel from Ethiopia as a young girl
(Photo: Shalev Shalom)
Knesset lawmaker Pnina Tamano-Shata, from the National Unity party, said that "it is preferable for anyone who influences public opinion, including journalists and public platforms, to show more awareness and understanding that using the word 'black' in a negative and harsh connotation can create a negative reality toward the color itself and also toward black people. Unfortunately, throughout history, black people have suffered from negative labeling, profiling, stereotypes and even violence. Undoubtedly, in Israel, there is little awareness of this issue. The word 'black' is used negatively and derogatorily, and if we compare it to the United States, I assume we would never see headlines with the words 'It's a black day' there."
In the Western world, the prevailing claim is that the color black evokes negative feelings because it is the darkest color and symbolizes darkness – the absence of any light – in contrast to white. Surrounding darkness, there are feelings of fear, which lead to associating it with gloom and negativity.
Professor Eran Halperin, a researcher of racism in the Department of Psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusaelm, added: "It is clear that people make connections, and our brain makes connections very quickly. Even if there is no intentional malice, when we attribute negative associations to a symbol – in this case, a color – that symbol communicates negative sentiments toward a specific group of people."