'We are a group of JOC in solidarity with Palestine who are organizing in partnership with JVP (Jewish Voice for Palestinians). For us, “Jews of Color” includes Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, and other Jewish people, like Romaniote Jews, who are minoritized under white Ashkenazi-dominated Jewishness.
We share a commitment to the liberation of Palestine and an end to the occupation. We say “organizing in partnership with JVP,” rather than as JVP, because our work is distinct in that it centers racial justice, challenges Ashkenazi-centrism, and because we are autonomous from JVP even as we receive JVP support. '
Read letter in full
My comment: it is a shame that these young Jews, unrepresentative of the great majority of the community, have allowed themselves to be co-opted into a pan-Arab imperialist narrative that whitewashes the plight of 'colonised' Mizrahi Jews under Muslim domination, while spreading pseudo-colonial smears against 'white' Ashkenazi Jews. But then, even Stalinism had its fellow travellers and 'useful idiots'.
Don't excuse Muslim antisemitism
Why are you surprised? The forward has always been like this. Not unlike the new York times. In fact, I've seen articles in the forward that are worse than this one.
ReplyDeleteThe Forward as well as the self-styled "Mizrahi Jews of color" outfit are just parts of a very large operation operated and manipulated by the Obama administration and parts of the US foreign policy establishment to create a hostile climate of opinion for Israel in the United States. It overlaps with efforts to persuade/brainwash/indoctrinate Jews in the USA to support Obama's deal to give a nuke bomb to Iran. See how this operation placed ads in the Times of Israel and tried or succeeded in doing so in the JPost but were refused by the Jewish Press. See link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/report-j-street-received-more-than-500000-to-promote-obamas-iran-deal/2016/05/22/
As to Jewish skin color, I can attest that most of my Ashkenazi family on my father's and mother's sides are/were on the swarthy or olive-skinned or "non-white" side, literally and empirically, although it was not something much discussed among us when I was a kid.
Conquest's 2nd law applies.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I may sympathize with any movement whose focus of activism is social equality (or lessening the social disparities, because when all is said and done, no society on earth can be "truly" equal, non existed in the past nor will they emerge in the future). I,however, cannot for the life of me, understand the blind faith with the Palestinian problems. Using social activism as a cover for undermining the state of Israel. It is utterly a self-hatred psychological condition, and of course rubbish political activism.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, in the article, is there a mention of the Falashas? Well I guess they forget them, perhaps because these proud Ethiopians Jews do not hate themselves despite the discrimination they may encounter.
(NOTE to Point of No Return Blog: The following comment clarifies and corrects the comment which I anonymously posted above earlier this evening, and which may now be deleted, by necessity, from your end, given the anonymity...Many thanks in advance.)
ReplyDeleteSadly, "racial" (perceptions grounded upon the fallacy of the social construct of "race") and economic injustice do, indeed, exist within the Jewish community. There is sinah within, as well as sinah without...
That being said, to shape one's desire to seek social justice, including "racial" and economic justice, as a Jew primarily around secular socio-political concepts, theories and constructs, rather than a solid spiritual Torah foundation, is unfortunate, as well.
For example, the selected name "JOC" ("Jews of Color") is poorly chosen and inherently lacking for the intended mission and purpose stated and defined in the open letter published. No one Jew or Jewish community identifying as Jews of color may claim to speak for all Jews of color (who may or may not self-identify as such). No one Jew or Jewish community identifying as Jews of color may define how one should view and pursue peace and justice for Israelis, Palestinians, the larger Middle East and the larger world. What does it mean to imply that one is speaking for all "Jews of color" while simultaneously and explicitly protesting that one is weary of one's own unique voice being excluded from the perceived mainstream or establishment Jewish community? I, for one, am particularly weary of people seeking to politically "frame" or limit my thought and expression as an observant Jew with Musta'arabi/Misrahi/Sepharadi and both Jewish and non-Jewish African heritage because of the way in which I may or may not be perceived based upon my background, history and tradition in Diaspora, and what I may, or may not, "look like".
Hashem has blessed us all with free will, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and freedom of choice of action (or inaction). While I wholeheartedly applaud the desire to seek justice and peace, and the particular desire to seek an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the underlying dialogue, as structured by "JOC", has the potential to be very limiting in a manner which undermines the very peace and justice which the movement's founding members seek, not only on an individual level, but also on the larger communitarian and societal level.
I encourage the members of "JOC" to remain open and welcoming to all Jews of color, who, according to the definition stated in the open letter, may or may not self-identify as such (not to mention the fact that many Ashkenazim do not view themselves as "white" or solely "European" in terms of "racial" construct...); perhaps such might warrant a name for the organization which calls upon the spiritual, rather than the (overly) reductionist, physical and implied secular socio-political. Those who, like the members of "JOC", seek peace and justice for Israelis, Palestinians, the larger Middle East, and the larger world, but whose points of view (about how they view their own Jewish identity, about how they view the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, about how they view the path to social justice and peace...) may differ from the points of view of the founding members of "JOC", also have a voice, as equally as valid and important to the entire Jewish community as a whole, whatever their background, history, and tradition in Diaspora, whatever they may "look like"...