Deconstructing the Myth of Unity; Inequality and Class Conflict among Jews in Israel
The formation of the Jewish national homeland in Israel was intended to provide a safe haven for Jews worldwide, escaping centuries of so called discrimination and persecution. However, the reality within Israeli society is far more complex. Historical evidence suggests that class conflict among Jews in Israel is prevalent, challenging the notion of a unified community. This article investigates the significance of these class conflicts, focusing on the socio-economic and political dynamics that contribute to ongoing disparities.
The research delves into various factors, including demographic changes, ethnic diversity, and religious differences, which have led to the emergence of distinct social classes among Jews. The migration of Jews from diverse backgrounds has resulted in a multifaceted society, yet it has also exacerbated tensions and inequalities. The article further examines the implications of these class conflicts on political representation, economic opportunities, and social cohesion. By analyzing these issues, the study aims to shed light on the contradictions inherent in the Israeli narrative and the challenges faced by its citizens.
Has the Formation of the Jewish National Homeland Prevented the Creation of Class Conflict Among Jews in Israel?
Documented historical facts show that class conflict is widely seen among the Jews of Israel. But where is the importance of such statistics? Why should the existence of class conflict among Jews in Israel be important to us, and what facts do these class conflicts indicate?
In the battle of beliefs, each side strives to properly explain their ideology to others. But do Zionist Jews clearly explain their beliefs to others? Regardless of Zionists’ belief about non-Jews, the existence of a great class conflict between the masses of Jews and Ashkenazi Jews reveals the fact that the Israeli society, contrary to what the media portrays, is not the utopia of Jews worldwide, and in reality, many Jews are merely tools to advance Zionist goals.
Some people, looking at the apparent story of the formation of a Jewish state in Palestine, imagine that there exists a united society of Jews, who claim to be tired of oppression, discrimination, the behavior of various governments and nations, and anti-Semitism, and have decided to establish the utopia of Jews by migrating to the Promised Land. But is this the reality of the situation?
In examining the roots of the formation of an independent Jewish state in the land of Palestine, we get to know with a person named Theodor Herzl as the founder and leader of the Zionist movement. Herzl believed that anti-Semitism and anti-Jewish sentiments were the problem that did not allow Jews to live peacefully, and the only solution was to establish an independent state for Jews in a separate land. They outwardly protested against discriminations that governments and nations made between Jews and followers of other religions, but studying the Zionist movement shows that the hidden thought behind this movement is a form of extreme racism. They considered themselves superior to all and looked down upon others. The main goal of this movement has been to gain superiority in all aspects, including political, economic, cultural, artistic, social, and military, over all races and nationalities existing in the world.
Usually, the formation of any movement, discourse, or group should create a particular coordination and uniformity among its members, eliminating internal differences and discriminations. With this definition, it is expected that Zionism has brought together Jews in a unified and coordinated manner by forming an independent Jewish state.
When objection to discrimination and differences is the excuse for the formation of an independent state, there should no longer be any sign of these issues in that state and country. Examining Israel’s internal situation shows that there are specific classifications in economic, religious, and social areas among Jews. Is this issue not contradictory to the primary goals of establishing a Jewish national homeland?
In this article, we attempt to examine the issue of class conflict among Jews by reviewing some of the social, political, and economic issues existing in Israel and discover whether Israel is a truly unified nation, or one marked by internal divisions?
Social Issues of Jews in Israel
To examine the social situation of any society, indicators such as population, ethnicity, race, and religious thoughts of its people should be considered. In order to identify the existence or absence of class conflict among Jews in Israel, it is necessary to study these aspects regarding the Jewish residents of this land. The image that Israelis are trying to show to the outside world is that of a united and harmonious state and nation, all gathered together with a common goal; but the internal reality indicates the presence of diversity in social issues as well as class conflicts among the Jews in Israel. There are various issues that could cause such a conflict. In the following, we will examine some of the indicators of the social situation in Israel and their role in creating class conflicts among Jews.
Population Issue
Population is one of the indicators that has a dual function in either strengthening or weakening countries. Population increase that aligns with the goals and ideals of a country is considered an important strength for it. In the early years of Israel’s establishment and through several different waves, Jews from around the world migrated to this land, leading to an increase in and accumulation of the Jewish population in Israel; an event that benefited the goals of the founders of this regime. However, checking the recent statistics shows a decrease in the population rate among the majority of Jewish groups. This decline in population is a result of decrease in the birth rate, the decrease in immigration to Israel as well as increase in the reverse migration of Jews to other lands. The population issue, once considered as a factor in strengthening power by the Zionist regime’s founders, has now become the most important challenge to the survival of this regime.
Israel, by establishing the “Law of Return” and providing services to Jews and Jewish descendants entering this land, is trying to manage the population issue. However, an examination of the reasons for the decline in migration to Israel and the trend of reverse migration out of this land indicates dissatisfaction among Jews with the state of welfare, social justice, and security in this country. This issue is a bitter reality for Jews who have left their countries with dreams of security and prosperity to immigrate to Israel. People who once left their homeland in protest against discrimination against Jews are now facing the dilemma of class conflict among Jews in Israel.
Multiplicity of Ethnicities and Nationalities
Sometimes a solution proposed to solve a problem can itself be the cause of creating new problems. The migration of Jews from around the world to Israel was initially presented as a solution to increase the population, but later this same solution became the cause of multiple factions and class conflicts among the Jews of Israel. Different groups of Jews with diverse races, nationalities, languages, and cultures were brought together, making it challenging to determine a common culture and language to govern them all.
Despite the general perception of Israel which many consider to be a land filled with Jewish people, Israel’s population is a diverse mix of races, nationalities, and religions. The proportions of these groups have changed over time, with Jews being the largest group, followed by Arabs, and then other minorities. Examples of ethnic groups residing in Israel include Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews, Falashas, Circassians, Druze, Mizrahi, Armenians, Assyrians, Arab Christians, Kurds, Samaritans, and Palestinian Muslims! If we only consider the Jewish population in Israel, we still encounter various social classes. because a group of Jews, who consider themselves to have a superior culture and civilization compared to other Jewish groups, have a greater sense of ownership over this land and believe they are entitled to more resources and special conditions, leading to some Jews being placed in higher social ranks.
One of the main roots of class conflict among Jews is their division into three ranks and groups; as illustrated in figure 1, this classification consists of Western immigrant Jews, Eastern immigrant Jews and Arabs, and African and black-skinned immigrant Jews. These classifications determine which groups have legal rights such as the right to vote and hold government positions. The most discrimination has been directed toward the third category, namely black-skinned Jews. This group has the fewest citizenship rights.
One of the consequences of class conflict among Jews is the occurrence of a medical tragedy regarding Yemeni Jews, to which we will refer.
Migration to the Promised Land or Slaughterhouse?
“A land without a nation for a people without a land” was the slogan that pushed Jews from their original lands toward occupied Palestine at the beginning of the 20th century. People who were mostly from the lower classes of their societies and seeking an easier life entered camps and newly established camps and settlements in the land of Palestine. Following the Ashkenazi Jews, who were originally of European descent, the first migrations to Palestine occurred from Yemen and Syria. Hundreds of Jewish Yemeni children, upon stepping foot at the Tel Aviv airport then called “Lod” or after being transferred to the temporary camp of “Mabarut” that was assigned to them, were separated from their families under various pretexts such as illness, quarantine, and testing and sent to hospitals. These children are no longer remembered in history; they were reported dead just days after being forcibly separated from their families who received the news without being given their bodies or the location of their graves. The strange thing is that even the authorities at that time refused to issue official death certificates for these children and give them to their waiting and unbelieving families.
In 1953, the highest number of missing children among Yemeni immigrant families occurred, leading to severe protests from many immigrant families, including those who had lost their children. Three truth-finding committees were formed in the years 1967, 1988, and 1995, and in 2001, a report was submitted to the then cabinet of the Zionist regime. All three committees announced that these children had died due to illness, but their families, while denying these reports, revealed that they had been threatened by the officials and relevant authorities and were asked not to pursue their complaints.
At first, it was thought that most of these children had been sold to Ashkenazi families, but over time, other dimensions of this crime became apparent. A report from the Israeli newspaper Hayom revealed that scientific and medical experiments were conducted on Yemeni children without their families’ knowledge or consent. Documents indicate that these experiments contributed to the disappearance of 5,000 Yemeni children between 1948 and 1954.
Israel today (HaYom) emphasizes: “For the first time, it possesses documents and witness certificates that prove these children have been subjected to various medical tests while alive, which are being performed for the first time in the world. And in fact, these Jewish children have been turned into laboratory mice of Israel and have been murdered by these criminal scientists. Moreover, there are documents of the trafficking of their hearts.”
Of course, This tragedy is not limited to just Yemeni immigrant children; many Jewish families who emigrated from Poland, Germany, Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Slovakia and settled in occupied territories such as Dimona, Kfar Saba, Quds, Tel Aviv, and Haifa have faced one of these two tragedies: the disappearance of their children or news of the deaths of their few-day-old infants. In reality, all these children are innocent victims of deep class conflicts present in the political beliefs of the fabricated Israeli regime. Contrary to what Jews believe, these conflicts and discriminations are clearly visible even among the people of Israel.
Jewish Religious Thoughts
When it comes to Jews living in Israel, many people think that they are faced with a large and harmonious group of followers of the Jewish religion who live alongside a small number of followers of other religions in this land. But the reality is that Jews are not united even in the matter of religion and religious thoughts, and there is a class conflict among Jews in this field as well.
Due to the presence of Jews from different races and nationalities in this land, the chief rabbis of Israel determine the Jewish authenticity of individuals, and based on their own criteria, they do not consider some residents to be Jewish. This problem has led to the division of Jewish groups into different degrees, examples of these groups and religious thoughts are: Haredi, Hasidic, Modern Orthodox, Dati, Masorti, Hiloni, and Karaim.
The difference between these groups is related to the type and intensity of their beliefs, and this difference in belief has led to different life styles; sects that are not approved by the chief rabbis have less credibility and importance. These classifications in the religious field have gradually led to class conflicts among Jews and the creation of a social gap, that is intensifying over time and could be one of the factors of the collapse and deterioration of Israel from within.
Political and Economic Issues among the Jews in Israel
In addition to social problems, there are many challenges and differences in the political and economic arenas in Israel. The existence of different Jewish groups, both in terms of religious beliefs and nationality, has led to the formation of various parties and factions, each seeking influence and power. Jews who have immigrated to Israel from Europe and America consider themselves to be the first in the division of Jews, and this has made them always occupy the highest government positions in political matters—a feat that is difficult, if not nearly impossible, for Eastern immigrant Jews. The situation for black Jews in this regard is very distressing, as they are even denied the right to vote in political matters.
The existence of class conflict among Jews has created a political multi-polar atmosphere, preventing political movements from uniting. This lack of political unity is a major barrier to achieving national unity, a vision that Israelis promised to Jews worldwide during the establishment of the Jewish national homeland.
Examining Israel’s economic issues shows that a person’s background and origins play a direct role in shaping their economic and financial status. Currently, financial policies are set in favor of Ashkenazi Jews, leading to poverty and unemployment among Sephardic Jews.
The existence of class conflict among Jews is directly related to Israel’s political, economic, and social crises that have disappointed many people from living in this land. Alongside these factors, the incident of the October 7th is another reason for many Israeli Jews to migrate out of this land. According to the latest statistics from the International Jewish Agency, 70 percent of Israelis believe that if provided with material facilities in other countries, they would leave Israel; 68 percent are seeking citizenship in other countries, and 73 percent believe in the inability of Zionist authorities to provide a bright future for the children and youth of this land.
Surveys and statistical studies show that the level of satisfaction of Israeli people with the authorities of this regime has decreased sharply. In protests against Netanyahu’s policies and issues leading to class conflicts among Jews, various gatherings have been held, perhaps the most important of which is the Tel Aviv protest Saturdays.
Figure 1. Class Division Among Israeli Jews
Conclusion
The existence of different groups of races, nationalities, and diverse religious thoughts has created class conflicts among Jews in Israel. The examination of class conflict among Israeli Jews reveals a society fraught with discrimination that undermines the ideals of unity and equality. Despite the founding principles of the Zionist movement, the reality is one of significant disparities among various Jewish groups, influenced by historical, social, and economic factors. The persistence of discrimination and class divisions not only challenges the narrative of a cohesive national identity but also poses serious implications for the future of the Israeli society. As dissatisfaction grows among different communities, the potential for social unrest and further fragmentation increases, leading to the despair of people who have left their homelands for Israel in hopes of living under fair conditions and without discrimination.
