In Israel, racism is standard procedure

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

http://mondoweiss.net/2015/05/racism-standard-procedure

“Identification cards, please,” said the woman at the entrance. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach as soon as I heard the words. I passed the woman my card. She looked over it without a second thought and my female friend was given the same treatment. We were quickly waved through to enter the party. As soon as she saw our male friend’s ID, she clucked and shook her head slightly. I knew exactly what had happened; she saw his city of residence and his name, both of which are distinctly Arab. She raised her hand in a “Stop” gesture and the security guards made sure that the three Arab men in our group stayed on the other side of the barrier, as the harsh May sun beat down from above.

We came to Rishon LeTzion for a daytime pool party featuring a DJ from the Netherlands. We arrived early, and as we approached the entrance I was happy to see that there wasn’t a line of people waiting to come in. The parking lot outside the event was relatively empty as well; by every measure, the party was just beginning and certainly wasn’t crowded yet. All seemed to be going smoothly until our friends’ Arab ethnicity was established by their identification cards. “Why aren’t you letting our friends in?” I asked. The stony-faced security guards remained silent, and the woman at the door rolled her eyes. “They must wait,” she said. When I asked what exactly we were waiting for, she refused to answer. Several minutes passed. One of the security guards pointed at my female friend and me and said, “You two are fine to go in. You’re not the problem here.” We refused to enter without our other friends and waited for them to be admitted. Meanwhile, several visibly intoxicated Jews were allowed to enter easily, save for the occasional pat-down by security, while my friends continued to stand in the sweltering heat.
---
This incident is hardly the most egregious example of racism in Israel, but I feel compelled to share this story for a specific reason. It illustrates an ugly aspect of Israeli culture, in which discrimination based on ethnicity is standard procedure. Perhaps people from abroad might find this story outrageous, but the majority of Israelis would hardly be shocked because this type of discrimination is widely practiced. In a country in which interaction between Arabs and Jews is minimal at best and discouraged at worst, one would hope that an event like this, while obviously not the most serious arena to foster trust between the groups, could at least serve as a neutral space where everyone is able to enjoy music and dancing. Unfortunately, this incident reinforces the truth; in Israel, racism permeates nearly every situation in day-to-day life. Although there is little chance that writing about this will change anything, I still want to make it clear that this behavior is unacceptable, and driving citizens of this country even further apart.

[oberliner]

1. "The harsh May sun beat down from above"

First time writer?

Anyway, what oddly gets left out from this is the fact that Taybeh is not in Israel - it is in the West Bank, so the three men in the group were not Israelis and did not have Israeli IDs - which would explain the situation. Their race was irrelevant.

If they were Palestinian citizens of Israel there would not have been an issue.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

2. Ah, yes it's absurdly simple. The were denied entry due to their place of origin,

non-Israeli names and Palestinian appearance.

It all makes sense now.

And of course, ober spins in to splain away how that's not racism.

"If they were Palestinian citizens of Israel there would not have been an issue."

Anyway what oddly seems to be missing from your repertoire tonight is the factual.

[oberliner]

4. What's an Israeli name?

Is Lauren an Israeli name?

Anyway, you have no idea what you are talking about.

They were all asked for their ID cards. Regardless of their names being Israeli or non-Israeli and regardless of their appearance.

Those are facts.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

6. Try reading the story again, ober.

[King_David]

5. This is from Mondoweiss, a vanity site and a site considered to be a hate site by some

It's reader beware...


http://www.democraticunderground.com/1134102914

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

7. "considered to be a hate site by *some"

*See: those who want to shut down discussion, criticism and the reality of Israeli apartheid.

[brush]

3. And they're against the two-state solution

Seems they would be all for it to get rid of the Arabs they seem to detest.

Guess many there are victims of that same old "needing to feel superior to the 'other'" like the racists here in this country.