Cultural Hegemony

In Professor Mendelsson’s class, we discussed the Kulturkampf in Israeli society.  I think it really resonated with me for several reasons.  I think I’m fascinated by the duality of Israeli society.  To some extent, it has greatly opened up and become more pluralistic and multi-cultural.  Mizrahi music is on the radio and in the bars, Yemeni food is delicious and not so hard to find, etc.  What I find fascinating, however, is how much discrimination happens here.  In talking to some of my new Israeli friends, I’ve heard terrible things said about Palestinians, Bedouins, the Haredim and other minority groups.  Crazy stories and over-generalizations.

As offended and shocked as I may have been in most cases, I am glad that I’m hearing these things.  Not because they’re good things to be said, but because they are viewpoints found in Israeli society that I’m not hearing from the academic setting.  I by no means agree with the majority of what’s said about Bedouins or Palestianians, etc., but I think it’s a good balance to the academic narrative.

Instead of the Bedouins being victimized and forced to settle and give up their traditional ways, I now see more of the complexities of the Bedouin story, since Wafa’s father himself said that most Bedouin-Israelis wanted to settle down.  An Israeli Jewish friend agreed that they wanted to settle down, but then painted a picture of lazy welfare beneficiaries who steal nice cars and tax-payer dollars.  I think it’s a much better perspective than I had on birthright or in the spring semester, because I have seen more varied opinions and experiences.

All of my secular Israeli friends complain about the Haredim and their government stipends.  While I understand the various ideologies from class, I now see why the conflict between secular and ultra-orthodox is so tense.

While Israel may have been growing more open and tolerant to pluralism, having abandoned the Labour parties model of the “New Jew”, there is still a level of Kulturkampf going on in Israeli society, but now the parties are struggling for acceptance alongside one another.