 |
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.
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.
Jewish or Israeli ?
By Daoud Kuttab*
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 talk 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
someones'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, because
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 ?id
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
persons 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 aro?nd the world to distance
themselves from the political state of
Israel even if they support it ethnically,
culturally and emotionally. This will
have a 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.
Source
between Jews and Israelis. It bothers me
when Palestinians use these two terms
interchangeably.
Every time I cross the Jordan River,
I overhear people talk 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
someones'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, because
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 ?id
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
persons 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 aro?nd the world to distance
themselves from the political state of
Israel even if they support it ethnically,
culturally and emotionally. This will
have a 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.
Source
*Daoud Kuttab is a former Ferris Professor
of Journalism at Princeton University
('07-'08). While at Princeton he taught
a seminar on new media in the Arab world.
Kuttab is a Palestinian journalist and
media activists. Born in Jerusalem in
1955, Kuttab studied in the United
States and has been working in
journalism ever since 1980. He has
worked in the Arabic print press (Al Fajr,
Al Quds and Assinara) before moving to the
audio visual
field. He established and presided over the
Jerusalem Film Institute in the 90s.
In 1995 he helped establish the Aabic
Media Internet Network (AMIN)
a censorship free Arab web site. www.amin.org .He established and has headed since 1996
the Institute of Modern Media at Al Quds
University until
January 2008 when he resigned to focus
on Community Media Network an Arab
Media NGO registered in Jordan and
Palestine. In 1997 he partially moved
to Amman (because of family tragedy
and remarriage) and in 2000 established
the Arab world's first internet radio
station AmmanNet (www.ammannet.net ).
Mr. Kuttab is
active in media freedom efforts in the
Middle East. He is an award winning
journalist and TV producer.
Community Media Network includes
Radio al Balad a community radio
station broadcasting on 92.4 FM in
Amman, Jordan, AmmanNet.net and
PEN Media a media NGO that has been
contracted to produce 52 new episodes
of Shara'a Simsim, the Palestinian
version of Sesame Street.
of Journalism at Princeton University
('07-'08). While at Princeton he taught
a seminar on new media in the Arab world.
Kuttab is a Palestinian journalist and
media activists. Born in Jerusalem in
1955, Kuttab studied in the United
States and has been working in
journalism ever since 1980. He has
worked in the Arabic print press (Al Fajr,
Al Quds and Assinara) before moving to the
audio visual
field. He established and presided over the
Jerusalem Film Institute in the 90s.
In 1995 he helped establish the Aabic
Media Internet Network (AMIN)
a censorship free Arab web site. www.amin.org .He established and has headed since 1996
the Institute of Modern Media at Al Quds
University until
January 2008 when he resigned to focus
on Community Media Network an Arab
Media NGO registered in Jordan and
Palestine. In 1997 he partially moved
to Amman (because of family tragedy
and remarriage) and in 2000 established
the Arab world's first internet radio
station AmmanNet (www.ammannet.net ).
Mr. Kuttab is
active in media freedom efforts in the
Middle East. He is an award winning
journalist and TV producer.
Community Media Network includes
Radio al Balad a community radio
station broadcasting on 92.4 FM in
Amman, Jordan, AmmanNet.net and
PEN Media a media NGO that has been
contracted to produce 52 new episodes
of Shara'a Simsim, the Palestinian
version of Sesame Street.
0 Have Your Say!:
Post a Comment