Diversity in Israeli Demographics

          The demographics that make up Israeli society is quite diverse. For instance, Israeli Jews derive from Eastern European countries, North African and Arab countries, and even Ethiopia, Africa. Ethiopian Jews are recognized as the last tribe of Jews from the old world, because they have been disconnected from modern Judaism, such as the teachings of the Talmud.

Female Ethiopian Israeli Jew 

Nevertheless, “Whatever their origins, for centuries Ethiopian Jews worshipped according to the ancient rituals laid down in the Five Books of Moses (Torah) and older parts of the Bible (Prophets and the first half of Writings)” (Rosenthal, 163). During an era of migration through airlifts and treks from Ethiopia into Israel, the Ethiopians are sometimes ridiculed for their extent of Jewish observance from other Israelis questioning if they are “authentic Israelis.” According to Rosenthal, “No other groups of Israelis is as cut off from information as the Ethiopians: only one and a half hours of radio are broadcast in Amharic daily and only a half hour of Amharic television on Friday afternoons” (168). Some Ethiopian Israelis feel their government does not respect their community, because broadcasted information is rarely shown in Amharic while the majority is broadcasted in Hebrew. They are not considered “authentic Israelis,” because their culture is quite different, especially their language. Even the “Chief Rabbinate insists [Ethiopian Israelis] go through a symbolic conversion ceremony to remove all doubts about their Jewishness” (Rosenthal, 177).

Rabbis from the Chief Rabbinate

Because Ethiopian Jews practiced the earlier version of Judaism, the Chief Rabbinate is questioning their extent of Jewishness since the religion has evolved since the Torah and older parts of the Bible. This is astonishing, because there is no law in the Torah that questions the extent of one’s knowledge of Judaism to be considered a full Jew. Ethiopians have practiced Judaism by their own terms while living in Africa, however the Israeli government and other Israeli Jews are questioning their authenticity and are heavily lacking cultural competence.

             The news agency, The Times of Israel, wrote an article regarding the Ethiopian Israelis failure to elope by rabbis, because the rabbis cannot justify their Jewishness. This is a subtle act of discrimination, because other Israelis are not questioned about their Jewish authenticity like Ethiopian Israelis. The article focuses on the town of Petah Tivka, where Ethiopians from the Falash Mura community are Jews who were forced into Christian conversion during the 19^th century and now must undergo a complete conversion back to Judaism to wed through the Rabbinate (Tamar Pillegi). When couples show their conversion certificates to Judaism, the rabbis still reject their marriage and deny wedding them. The author, Pillegi, shares her point of view, regarding this denial by the rabbis as justifiable since most converts to Judaism are questioned about their commitment to Orthodox conversion. Through the state-funded rabbinical authorities, governmental policies do not respect the Ethiopian Israeli communities.

Ethiopian Israel Jewish Couple on Their Wedding Day

The author is very reliable in the information presented, because there are quotes from Rabbi Chuck Davidson, who is also an “independent activist working for the conversion reform in Israel” (Pillegi). The author also quotes citizens who are facing the discriminatory laws that deny them to wed. The article strongly agrees that this is a form of discrimination, because there are further examples about the Chief Rabbinate investigating the marriage denials in Petah Tivka. Nevertheless, the sufficient details about this town and community prove that this article is quite reliable. 

            Another community that is questioned about their authenticity of Israeli citizenship is the Druze community. The Times of Israel published an article, “Netanyahu vows to empower Druze: ‘You are part of us, we are part ofyou’” by Toi Staff. According to the book, The Israelis by Donna Rosenthal, she states that, “unlike most Palestinian Arabs, Druze did not become refugees and their villages and lands remained intact” while Palestinians fled during the 1948 War of Independence (Rosenthal, 308). The article conveys the Prime Minster of Israel, Netanyahu, as accepting the Druze into Israeli society without discrimination. On the other hand, “Druze leaders have lambasted the legislation as creating official discrimination between Jews and non-Jews” after Israel was declared the official nation-state for Jewish peoples (Times of Israel Staff -Toi Staff).

Druze IDF Soldiers

Many non-Jews of Israel have served in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and assimilated into Israel culture and the Hebrew language. As Israel become a more diverse society, the non-Jewish population feel discriminated against when policies and statements are made that focus solely on the Jewish population. Druze are authentic Israelis, because “their religion teaches that they must be loyal to the country in which they live” (Rosenthal, 304). The authors viewpoint is in favor of the Druze community being authentically Israeli, however the author suggests they are a minority group among a majority Jewish population. The article is very reliable, because it uses direct quotes from the Prime Minister, Netanyahu. The article also provides strong statistics regarding Druze infrastructure development compared to Jewish towns. This evidence also expresses the author’s viewpoint, because it is justifying the Druze minority as being below Jewish development. Nevertheless, the Druze population have contributed to the Israeli economy and therefore stand as Israeli citizens despite their Arab identities. 

Arabs & Jews Eliminate Hate

Flag of Israel with Flag of Palestine

Not all Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs hate each other, nor does one group wish to expel the other out of Israel entirely. Israeli Arabs are different than Palestinians living in the West Bank or Gaza Strip, because they are diversified by levels of religious observance and ideologies. According to the book, The Israelis, some Arab Israelis “dress no differently from their secular Jewish friends. In fact, they know more about the Jewish religion and customs than some secular Jews” (Rosenthal, 261). Israel's population is a predominantly Jewish, and the residents who are not Jewish are learning the customs and culture of the majority population. Through this acceptance of culture, it is evident that Israeli Arabs are indifferent and adjustable towards the customs and clothing of state of Israel.

Author: Donna Rosenthal

One viewpoint from the author is that Israeli settlers living near the West Bank permit violence on their Palestinian neighbors, however, “The Israeli government outlawed the Kach Party for preaching anti-Arab violence. Some settler leaders privately said the ban was long overdue” (Rosenthal, 220). The government appropriately advocated forpolicies that do not promote violence towards Arabs, and the hearsay evidence from the author suggests that Israelis agree that a policy is finally in place to protect Palestinians. Her viewpoint towards the settlers near the West Bank is negative, because she writes about the violence they initiate towards Palestinians. In her chapter, “The Muslims”, she views Arab Israelis as a strong nationalist community that is positive towards peaceful cooperation between Jews and Arabs. She mentions a Palestinian lawyer living in Israel that fights for equality between Arabs and Jews in a Jewish state. Rosenthal does not provide very reliable information; however, she does incorporate individual stories from citizens that convey their experiences of living in Israel. The author’s information is based on hearsay evidence, and an interpretation of facts due to the abundance of quotes from the people she interviews. She does have a strong sample size of citizens that she interviewed, however they are relative to regions and religious observance.

According to the “Poll:Jews/Arabs much less divided than Israeli politics lets on,” the Arab Israelis and Israeli Jews convey cooperation and collaboration rather than hatred and expulsion. The sample includes feedback from about 400 Arabs and 400 Jewish Israelis. One statistic from the poll explains that “Jewish respondents (53 percent) said that in their day-to-day lives, relations between Jews and Arabs are generally positive” (Dhalia Scheindlin). Aside from proximity factors, this data explains the overall message that Jews are accepting of Arabs as their neighbors. The poll continues to explain that “across the entire sample, between 55 and 58 percent said that cooperation would help advance issues” that are brought on by the Israel-Palestine conflict (Scheindlin). Nevertheless, polls regarding the recognition of existence for Palestinians and Jews in the region are positive (more than 50%). 

Statistics from +972 Magazine

It is apparent that the author is in favor of the positive statistics in this poll, stating that “one cannot factually say that Israeli Jews have no partner among Arab citizens. On a social and civic level, Jews too believe in cooperation and the inclusion of Jews and Arabs alike. Perhaps the day is not far off when that sentiment extends to political power as well” (Scheindlin).  The author is hopeful for the future, and notices that Israeli Jews do not overall hate their Palestinian and/or Arab Israeli neighbors. The poll is very reliable, because it is based on a large sample size (more than 800 respondents) and well-articulated and presented statistics. The author includes disclaimers between statistical evidence so that readers to not stray from the facts that are given. 

           The PEW Research Center “Israel’sReligiously Divided Society” portrays evidence that religious groups interviewed for this dataset prove a majority of Israeli Jews and Arab Israelis do not hate each other. In fact, “among the 8% of Jews who say they lean left, an overwhelming majority either disagree (25%) or strongly disagree (61 %) that Arabs should be expelled” (pg. 8). It is important to note that the religious Israeli Jewish groups, “Haredim [and] Datiim take right-leaning positions” in political ideologies that are more for Palestinian expulsion. Religious groups in Israel take up a small proportion of the entire Israeli population, so it is safe to conclude that the majority of Israeli Jews don’t wish to expel Palestinians from Israel.

Logo for the PEW Research Center

This research center is very reliable, because the “survey uses the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics’ definition of the Israeli population, which includes Jews living in the West Bank as well as Arab residents of East Jerusalem” (pg. 4). This is based on factual evidence from surveys of the people. There is no author attributed to this research center online, however the viewpoint is diverse and willing to explore the different social and political realms that Jews and Arabs confide in while living in this region. The writer of this research material does not convey any subjective opinion, and just reveals the statistics.  

Hamas & Israel: Still Awaiting a Ceasefire

       On April 2^nd, 2019, The Jerusalem Post published an article regarding a timeline for a potential ceasefire based on understandings between Hamas and Israel. The terms for an agreement was initially administered by Egypt and Israel, and Egyptian intelligence officials delivered the understandings to the head of the Hamas “political bureau,” Ismail Haniyeh. Hamas is demanding the removal of signal jamming devices used in Israeli prisons, and Hamas requests a pause on punishment towards Palestinian prisoners who stabbed two Israeli guards at the Negev Ketziot Prison about two weeks ago. Another ceasefire detail is the return of these Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli captives and two bodies of IDF soldiers killed in Operation Protective Edge in 2014.

Hamas Leader, Ismail Haniyeh

 Ismail Haniyeh did not assure Palestinians about the understandings and agreements upon a potential ceasefire despite the recent rockets from Gaza into Israel last week injuring seven Israeli family members. Palestinian sources confirm that parts of the ceasefire understandings have already been implemented, such as decreasing the sea blockade for an expansion of fishing zones, and reopening the border towns, Kerem Shalom and Erez. United Nations diplomatic representative for the Middle East, Nickolay Mladenov carried out discussions with Hamas officials regarding the Palestinian prisoners to be exchanged for Israeli captives, however the prisoners intend to go on a hunger strike next week. Hamas also asks Qatar and Egypt to negotiate with Israel to lessen the restrictions on these inmates.  A Hamas official in Gaza, Ismail Radwan, explains that no long-term ceasefire is included in the understandings, however Hamas is working with Palestinians to stabilize factions and their truce agreement with Israel after Operation Protective Edge 2014. Justice Minister of Israel, Ayelet Shaked claims that a ceasefire will not be permitted unless the bodies and captives are returned to the Israeli families. The UN envoy, Mladenov is urging both Israel and Hamas to deescalate any further violence and focus their efforts on aiding the suffering citizens of Gaza.

United Nations Middle East envoy, Nickolay Mladenov

The Ad Hoc Liaison Committee has raised about $110 million for humanitarian costs of health, water sanitation, and employment for Gazan inhabitants. Mladenov also asks Fatah and Hamas to reconcile their differences and work together to restore the Gaza economy and bring hope to the suffering population. The families of the deceased IDF soldiers from the 2014 operation have yet to be returned, and Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has failed to negotiate with Hamas to return the bodies. Hamas is continuing to hold two Israeli citizens captive, and one of the two suffers from a mental illness. A ceasefire still awaits to become in effect. 

       The informative article was written by three authors: Khaled Abu Toameh, Tovah Lazaroff, and Yvette J. Deane, which is a mix of one Israeli Arab, and two American Jews living in Israel. All the authors have an extensive background of writing articles regarding Israel and Palestinian politics, which confirms strong reliability of the information included in this article. Multiple sources are identified, and quotes are incorporated, for instance the Hamas Chief, Ismail Haniyeh (indirect quotes are used for him) and the UN envoy for the Middle East, Nickolay Mladenov. The quotes of many important political figures ensure that the information is first hand evidence for the involved parties of the ceasefire understandings. As the reader, the intriguing sufficient details about the ceasefire demands and constraints are easily understood. The well-balanced article moves smoothly along different aspects of the ceasefire, prisoners and captives, and reconciliations for the amelioration of Gaza citizens.

Hamas militants (Egypt-brokered Ceasefire with Hamas & Israel) 

In an article by Haaretz from August 15^th, 2018, the same topic information correlates with this news article from the Jerusalem Post. The same UN envoy, Mladenov and Israel political leaders are quoted with their opinions and stance on the ceasefire agreements. 

       The multiple authors restrain their opinions and views regarding the political ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. The overall language is respectful for all the parties, however Ismail Haniyeh is stated to be the head of the Hamas “political bureau,” and the quotation marks suggest the bureau or position is not formally recognized. Another interesting use of language was explaining a rocket launch from “Israel Gaza” rather than constituting Gaza as a Palestinian territory.

Israel Ministers from the far right, Bennett and Shaked

One significant viewpoint from the authors is claiming that Israeli political figures, Bennett and Shaked are members of the “far right” implying they have strong right-wing opinions on Palestinian politics. As mentioned earlier, the Haaretz news agency is known to be a left-wing liberal article source. The article from Haaretz ensures readers that the ceasefire went into effect, while the Jerusalem Post explains it is still under consideration and negotiation from all sides since 2014. There is still many factors of the ceasefire that must be negotiated in order to come to a complete ceasefire agreement.

           

            

"8,000 People for One Voice: Free Movement Marathon Runs for Palestine" by Palestinian News Network

         On March 23rd, 2019, the Palestinian News Network (PNN) published an article about the Free Movement Marathon that takes place in Bethlehem City located in the West Bank. This year marks the seventh anniversary of the marathon, and individuals from around the world have joined the movement alongside Palestinian civilians. The article states an increasing amount of international interest among the Palestinian cause that calls for freedom against Israeli occupancy. The West Bank has been occupied under Israeli control since the War of 1967. Palestinian people desire independence of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to create a future state of Palestine. The marathon was established by the Palestine Olympic Committee (POC), an organization that highlights freedom of movement for Palestinians against Israeli occupancy. The Free Movement Marathon (also referred to as thePalestine Marathon) gathers Palestinians and outsiders from around the world to join in the efforts of peaceful protest against Israel by moving freely in Palestinian territory. It begins at the main square in Bethlehem and guides the runners through the Aida Refugee Camp and al-Khader village. Bethlehem, a holy site, attracts tourism for its historical connections to Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. The Marathon designedly proceeds alongside the refugee camp and the West Bank Barrier (or separation wall) to demonstrate the Palestinian perspective of living in an occupied territory surrounded by barriers.

Israeli West Bank Barrier (Separation Wall)

The article explains one instance of Palestinian members of the Aida Refugee Camp joining the marathon near an Israeli watchtower. They were accompanied by international volunteers for a peaceful non-aggressive protest by entering the marathon away from the starting point. Palestinians are able to share their struggles with the world, and they will continue to fight for Palestinian independence of the West Bank and constrained Gaza strip. About 600 participants of the 8,000 total were European Union (EU) members that joined the marathon movement to show their support for Palestine under the theme “EU4Palestine.” The participation of members from outside countries signifies the international recognition and participation of the basic human rights that Palestinians are fighting for today. The article quotes EU Representative in Jerusalem, RalphTarraf , who believes the Palestine Marathon is a platform for Palestinians to share their message of fighting for freedom to the world. 

Participants of the Palestine Marathon with Medals

        There is no author attributed to the news article, however the viewpoint of the author is in favor of Palestinian rights and simultaneously against the “illegal occupation” of Palestinian territories. The emotional ties to nationalism and fighting for freedom are key components of the article and clear reflections of the subjective opinion of the writer. The repetition of "basic human rights" of movement and freedom are abundant and thematic undertones as the purpose of the media story.  The title given for the article states the non-profit organization, OneVoice, but fails to discuss its connection to the Palestine Marathon throughout the article. OneVoice is a grassroots organization, mainly in the U.S. and Britain, to initiate negotiations of reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.

OneVoice (Grassroots Org. for Israel/Palestine Conflict) Logo

The author describes the international participants “freely” moving outside designated tourist areas and “breaking into” candid Palestine alongside the separation wall and refugee camp. The author articulates the attention-grabbing conditions of Palestinian lives under Israeli occupancy through the images of the structures that exist. The author uses pejorative language when describing Israeli occupation, because the article never refers to ‘the state of Israel’ as an involved figure in the marathon despite mentioning OneVoice which is a conflict resolution grassroots project. Instead Israeli occupation is referred to as “illegal” and a “struggle” for Palestinians in their fight for self-determination. The article quotes EU Representative, Ralph Tarraf, twice with the same quote at the beginning and end of the article. Ralph Tarraf is a representative of the EU in Jerusalem that frequently writes about the Palestinian rights to freedom, and in using his quote conveys speculative affirmation of European Union support. An array of photographs taken at the marathon are displayed throughout the article. Aside from photos of women and children, one interesting photo on the last page of the article is a young boy holding a sign that reads “EuroVision:Art Washing Apartheid” and “BDS” which are forms of boycotting and protest of Israel. The article ends with a positive point of view for Palestine pursuing the marathon as a basic human right to freedom, yet the last photo portrays the struggle of protest against Israel among civilians who continually fight for an independent state of Palestine.

Ralph Tarraf, EU Representative in Jerusalem

"US Consulate Merges with Embassy in Jerusalem" by Ma'an News Agency

       On Monday, March 4^th, 2019, the news agency called Ma’an reported on the United States consulate merging with the embassyin Jerusalem. The consulate was first established in the old city (East Jerusalem) in 1844 under the Ottoman Empire for communicative relations between Jerusalem, West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. It was created for the local communities to inquire and have access to government affairs and processes.  Over the years, the consulate has served predominantly Palestinians in Jerusalem, however it was open to all citizens that lived in Jerusalem. Palestinians will now be under the supervision of US Ambassador, David Friedman (selected by President Trump) who allegedly favors illegal settlement expansion. This places the Palestinians at a disadvantage for future diplomatic missions within the new consulate and embassy. 

City of Jerusalem

       The article quotes US Deputy State Department spokesperson, Robert Palladino, insisting that the merge will not stop any diplomatic or consular performance. Palladino also explains that the merge is meant to increase the effectiveness and quality of operations handled by the consulate alongside the embassy. Future communication between Palestinians with the consulate are now being directed by the Palestinian Affairs Unit located at Agron Road. The Palestinians feel inadequately represented in diplomatic affairs due to the merging of the two political entities which subsequently favors Israeli politics. Israel has longed for Jerusalem to be recognized as its capital, and with the movement of the embassy and now the merging of the consulate, they seem to be closer to their goal. On the other hand, Palestinians desperately have hoped for Jerusalem to be there capital once they obtain an independent state of Palestine. The merging reduces the ability for the Palestinians ambitious plans to have East Jerusalem as their capital.

The article includes the point of view from PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) Executive Committee Member, Hanan Ashrawi on behalf of the merge. She believes that this is “an act of political assault on the Palestinian rights and identity” since the historical foundation of the consulate served mostly Palestinian peoples living in Jerusalem for many centuries (Ma’an). Her subjective opinion portrays a discontent with US political authority and administration and stresses the point that the Trump administration does not care for Palestinian lives. Ashrawi is correct to claim the consulate aided Palestinians for many years (since 1844 – but not centuries), however her quote is based on hearsay evidence and not actual fact.

There is no author attributed, but the language of the article is speculative towards the act of the merging between the US consulate and embassy in Jerusalem. The reporter or journalist for this article uses reliable information, however they do not emphasize accurate statistics regarding the International consensus for the status of Jerusalem. According to the article, the International Consensus has implied its positionality for a peaceful resolution on behalf of Jerusalem’s status to be the capital for either side without political party prejudices. This is an objective statement by the reporter, because it is not in favor of one side over the other. It is not clear which countries have made their opinion public and if it was accounted for within the consensus. It also does not mention if the consensus may have been from a vote in the UN General Assembly. The tone of the article highlights the setbacks for Palestinians more so than the gratitude of the Israelis.

In news agency named Arutz Sheva has a notably different perspective about the US consulate merging with the embassy in Jerusalem. The article, “US to close east Jerusalem consulate,merge it with embassy” was written by a staff member with favorable language towards Israel and the merge. Arutz Sheva is a right-wing news agency, and right-wingpolitics in Israel tends to favors settlement expansion, and believes that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot be resolved by negotiations. The article has a predictive subject matter when it quotes US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo as claiming the merge as a step towards a peaceful future for a collaborative work space between Palestinians and Israelis in the consulate and embassy. He is a more credible source to quote, and this article paints a much different perspective about the action of a merge in Jerusalem.