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Photo: Gadi Kabalo
Not just at the Superland. 'The air we breathe in this country is racist'
Photo: Gadi Kabalo

Superland? Jewish land

Op-ed: Ongoing obsession with State's Jewishness is hotbed for racist atmosphere against Arabs, any person who is different

This column will not discuss the saga surrounding the Superland affair, because it's neither interesting nor important. Indeed, there are times when the obvious must be explained, for example that the air we breathe in this country is racist. But making its way to roller coasters and water games? That's enough!

 

Expressions of racism and hatred have become part of the landscape long ago. It's not a cliché. Someone is making certain to institutionalize racism and design the racist landscape. This someone is called the government. It seems that in Israel's governments, there is at least a basic law for every problem. These laws escort citizens everywhere, to every corner of our lives.

 

Instead of fulfilling its executive role, the government is busy with legislation, mostly declarative, which aims to strengthen the superiority of the Jewish state. Some will say it's the "rock of our existence" and that "that's what we're here for." What about the existence of us Arabs? Did you know that we're here too?

 

The obsession that can't get enough with the Jewishness of the State and the Jews' state serves as the hotbed for the racist atmosphere against Arabs and against any other person who is different. This engagement blurs the distinction between living here and controlling here. According to the Jewish state, only Jews are allowed to control. Everyone is allowed to live, under the Jews' control. Turning the issue into dry legal matter is an even more serious issue.

 

The ongoing engagement in Superland-style expressions of racism sometimes misses the point. The topic makes headlines for several days, and that's it, it's over. All that instead of dealing with the essential matter supporting the development of racism: The Jewish state is the essential matter which designs the racist consciousness. Racism is a matter of cognition. It originates in the definition of Israel as the Jewish state and nothing else.

 

If the denouncers of racism fail to call the child by its name – nothing will change, and no one will be interested, for example, in curbing the planned Basic Law: The Jewish State, or in the expulsion of 40,000 Arabs from their homes in the Negev. Yes, that's what I said. A friend of mine wrote about it on Facebook: "Imagine, it's like 40,000 Arabs would be deported from Nazareth."

 

"Did you know that the Arabs are here too?" is not a whiner's question, but a factual question. Even if we go as far as recognizing the Jewish people's exclusive right to this land or fulfill the vision of the end of the days, there will be no state here exclusively for Jews. You cannot divide the land into two pieces: One pure Jewish part and life goes on.

 

It's not just a controversial ideological issue – it's reality. A Jewish state with Arabs in it will always be racist. Even one small foolish argument between an Arab and a Jew over the queue to the water slides at the Superland could turn into a racist clash.

 

There are those who will likely read these words and give the typical Israeli response: "You don't like it here? Go to Gaza or Syria." Well, the thing is we're not going anywhere. And that’s another reason to reflect once again on the unrealistic dream of the "Jewish state." Another reason to stop being racist.

 

The writer is a lawyer and political activist with a master's degree in conflict resolution

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 06.05.13, 19:46
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