I have always tried my best to differentiate between Jews and Israelis. It bothers me when Palestinians use these two terms interchangeably.
Every time I cross the Jordan River, I overhear people talking on their cell phones, saying how they just got into the Jewish side, left the Jewish side, or were waiting to go through the Jewish side. Such comments can be heard as people approach or leave an Israeli checkpoint or have any other dealings with Israelis.
Religious preachers use the terms interchangeably when referring to negative actions of the Israelis or the lack of trust in Jewish negotiators, etc.
When I used to cover the Intifada and travel through the occupied territories, I had a similar concern. People would be telling me that Jews came from a certain side, Jewish soldiers beat up someone's son, Jews shot from behind some trees, statements that referred to the actions of the occupying Israeli forces.
When I would go with foreign journalists, I would have to interpret and I would find myself in a bind, wondering whether I should literally translate words or just refer to the adjective used for the soldiers as Israeli.
Using the word Jew for Israeli is not restricted to Palestinians from certain geographic areas or those from a particular economic background. I would hear it and get upset whenever a university professor or a person from my own family would use the term Jewish referring to Israelis. I would think of a number of American Jewish friends that I know and who would have nothing to do with the occupiers and the state of Israel, or would be anti-Zionist and share with Palestinians their aspiration to be rid of the Israeli occupation.
I thought of these terms a lot in recent weeks as we have been inundated with continuous demands by Israel's leaders that Palestinians not only recognise the state of Israel, but its Jewishness as well. These demands also included a set of new laws that the Israeli government has approved, demanding others to refer to the Jewishness of the state and paying little attention to the 20 per cent of the non-Jewish citizens of Israel.
What bothered me was what seems to be a muted reaction from the world's Jewish population. I can understand the diaspora Jews having special feelings towards the state of Israel for ethnic and religious reasons. But I always thought that those Jews insisted on their local nationality (American, British or Hungarian), while stressing their unique Jewish faith and culture.
Regarding the subject of Jews in the diaspora, I feel that it is problematic to erase differences between Israeli and Jew. The attempts to blur these differences certainly play into the hands of those trying to describe every anti-Israeli action or statement as anti-Semitic.
Palestinians have rejected, and will continue to do so, equating the two terms, for a variety of reasons. Palestinian nationalists insist that the Arab-Israeli conflict is a political national struggle and not a religious one. And although Palestinians have recognised Israelis within the 1967 borders, they totally refuse the concept that Jews have a biblical right to the land of historic Palestine or beyond.
Furthermore, Palestinian leaders will not give up on their brethren who are Palestinian citizens of Israel and whose status would be further hurt by such an attempt that cancels the concept that Israel is the state for its citizens irrespective of their religion.
Right-wing Israeli leaders led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman might think that they have found a winning strategy to obstruct Palestinian demands for an end to their military occupation. Palestinians and most level-headed people around the world will accept the Palestinian position that Israel can call itself whatever it wants. But by ramming the Jewishness of Israel down the throat of Palestinians, the Israeli leadership is harming the attempts by Jews around the world to distance themselves from the political state of Israel even if they support it ethnically, culturally and emotionally.
This will have much longer negative effects on world Jewry than on Palestinians. I hope they will realise this dangerous move and will act to stop it before it is too late.
Follow Daoud Kuttab on Twitter: www.twitter.com/daoudkuttab
The fact of the matter is -- in the eyes of the majority of the media and in the influential circles of the Arab world (if not the Arab population in general) the word Jew is synonymous with Israeli, and the word "Israeli" is synonymous with "Jew"... Which is synonymous with "Zionist"... (As evident by the various "Anti-Zionist" media demonizing Jews as people, ethnic group and Judaism as religion. Which... makes the word "Anti-Zionism" synonymous with "Anti-Semitic".
What is also shameful is the number of non-bigots willing to ignore - or even defend - the bigotry
Since there are more jews in America then there are in Israel, the words jewish and israeli are not interchangeable.
Wyoming was invaded and ethnically cleansed by colonists just like Palestine was
After the Napoleonic era, when most European Jews gradually obtained citizenship rights in the various lands of exile, they wanted to deflect the usual charges of "dual loyalty" constantly levelled at them. Many indeed wanted to convince themselves as well as their neighbors, that they were merely a religious sect and that any "return from exile" would have to await some divinely sent Messiah, who would bring them back in a supernatural and miraculous manner.
But as antisemitism began to increase, rather than decrease, the more Jews insinuated and tried to integrate themselves into the societies of the host nations, the more they were accused as parasites and polluters of national cultures. This gradually led some to conclusion that Jews had to take history into their own hands, and the Zionist movement was born. But most Jews were not political Zionists, and it took the vast and murderous betrayal by their fellow citizens during the Nazi era to make the bulk of Jewry see reality.
Strange that it has happened in virtually every country, every society since the beginning of recorded history. Has virtually every society just been anti-semitic?
Here's a list;
http://www.eretzyisroel.org/~jkatz/expulsions.html
Anybody convert the other side yet?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Pavlov
This conflation is Israel's fault alone. It's entire schpeel is that it is the homeland of all of the world's Jews, and has made it beyond obvious that only Jews--and again, all Jews--are welcome citizens. Heaven forbid the Palestinians listen to them on this?
Claiming that attacks on NON-Israeli Jews are simply "anti-Zionism" is Israel's fault?
Oh, and if you ARE going to use Yiddish, spell it correctly
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/abraham-h-foxman/jimmy-carter-have-you-no_b_775593.html?ir=World#commentsTell it to this guy:
As to the reasons why Israel is THE Jewish state? I leave you with this tidbit:
On November 29, 1947 in NY the General Assembly of the United Nations debated the UNSCOP proposals. During the debate, the Soviet representative, Andrei Gromyko, astonished the Zionists representatives by his warm endorsement of their desire for statehood. "The Jewish people had been closely linked with Palestine for a considerable period in history. As a result of the war, the Jews as a people have suffered more than any other people. The total number of the Jewish population who perished at the hands of the Nazi executioners is estimated at approximately six million. The Jewish people were therefore striving to create a State of their own, and it would be unjust to deny them that right'.
When the vote was taken, the partition proposal was accepted by thirty-three votes to thirteen, with ten abstentions. Britain was among those states which abstained. All six independent Arab states voted against the plan, as did four Muslim states- Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey - and 3 other states, Cuba, Greece and India. Among those in favor of partition were the US, Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland and Sweden.
But, regardless of that. The state of Israel has arguably more legitimacy than most nations.
1) The multi millenia long association the Jews have with that land
2) The fact that 19th and 20th century Jews bought the land ( at inflated prices ) from absentee landlords
3) The Balfour declaration
4) The agreement with the arabs at Versailles in 1919 in which the arabs agreed to the formation of the state
5) UN 181
6) Israel's survival despite repeated attempts by the arabs to exterminate the Jews
Israel is as legitimate as any nation on earth. The idea that a nation with such a history is not legitimate is merely a cover for the crime against humanity that the arabs would like to achieve.