Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., May 03, 2009 Iyyar 9, 5769 | | Israel Time: 01:50 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Focus U.S.A. Travel Week's End Anglo File TLV 100

The 10 tribes By Gideon Levy Tags: Israel news The flags made in China have once again been folded and put back in the closet. The pathos, tales of bravery and stories of bereavement have been stored away until next year. All the speeches of unity have been completed and the nation?s week has come to an end. We must ask this weekend: Has one people arisen here? Has the melting pot been successful? This is extremely doubtful. Despite the impressive national recruitment, the (sometimes imposed) Hebraicizing of names, service in the Israel Defense Forces, ingathering of the exiles and integration, Israel has remained a tribal, multinational, multiethnic and multicultural immigrant society. This is so perhaps more than ever, despite a number of unifying symbols including wars and Gilad Shalit. Alongside integration, many processes of segregation and separation prevail, and the lofty words about unity are no more than hollow cliches. Let's recognize that, for better or worse. First, one-quarter of the Jewish state's population is not Jewish, and one-fifth are members of the Arab nation. The language of the Arabs in Israel, their world, culture and viewpoints certainly do not allow them to be part of "the Israeli people." Excluded, discriminated against, ostracized, alienated, and secluded in their towns and villages, they certainly are not part of the tribal campfire. Advertisement The same is true, but to a lesser extent, of the 1 million immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Among them, too, one can see trends of seclusion and sometimes even arrogance, alongside a measured integration by the second generation. They are all "Russians" rather than Israelis, and it's doubtful whether this will change in the near future. Fact - even the "Mizrahim", most of whom have lived here for around 50 years, are still a separate tribe. Possibly due to discrimination and other reasons, they have not found a respectable place in the country's elite/ Don't mention the exceptions, don't talk about the two presidents, the two foreign ministers and the two chiefs of staff - the Jews of eastern origin, and in particular those from North Africa, have not made it here. They have not secured a place of equality two generations after arriving. Most of them live on the outskirts of large cities or in outlying development towns, and a there are still a great many more immigrants from North Africa in prison than in the top echelons. Every Ashkenazi reader should ask himself how many of his friends are Mizrahim, and every Mizrahi Jew, how many of his friends are Ashkenazi. Let each of us examine whether it?s a matter of chance that we have not had a prime minister of Mizrahi origin. And how many members of the economic, defense, scientific, legal, media and cultural elites are Mizrahim? Yes, there are marriages between the ethnic groups and success stories, which prove the rule, but after two generations the gap has been perpetuated, the bitterness is deep and the way to true integration is still long.; The ingathering of the exiles is good only for Independence Day. And there's more, of course. The ultra-Orthodox Jews live in their own world, more so now than 50 years ago. You will barely see ultra-Orthodox families today in a secular environment. They have less in common with secular Jews than the secular Jews have with members of other peoples. A visit by a secular person to Mea She'arim is like an anthropological tour. The language, newspapers, customs, dress, culture and even the morals are different. The national religious Jews have also become more secluded. What do the hilltop youth have in common with the youth who lit the candles? Very little. The settlers are a closed, isolated and different group. The distance between Tel Aviv and Yitzhar in the West Bank is greater than between Tel Aviv and New York. It?s greater than it ever was. More Tel Avivians have visited New York than Yitzhar. The settlers are living in a bubble; half a century ago, no one spoke of that. Young people are developing a new and strange language. The culture of nightclubs is unfamiliar to most Israelis. This, too, is a new tribe. The old-time kibbutz and moshav sector is a tribe of the past and is disappearing. The youngsters call each other "bro," but the only brothers here are biological ones. The IDF and the education system, which were supposed to be integration's growth engines, did not succeed in unifying. The ultra-Orthodox and the Arabs do not serve in the army, and Tel Avivians enlist less than people in other places do, so there are plenty of ethnic units in the people?s army. This is also true of the schools, only some of which are integrated. In their stead, more and more segregated schools are being established. One nation? That's a far cry from reality. Perhaps not yet lost, but still 10 tribes Bookmark to del.icio.us   Israel's new U.S. envoy Michael Oren beats competition to be appointed ambassador to Washington Hamas and terror Gaza ruler Haniyeh urges European community to remove group from terror watch list

Read & React U.S. Jewish prof. probed after comparing Israel to Nazis Responses: 126 Shulamit Aloni: Sadly, Israel is no longer democratic Responses: 102 UN: Israel must freeze East Jerusalem home demolitions Responses: 120 Is Netanyahu bringing Israel closer to a 'second Holocaust'? Responses: 109 Saudis: U.S. lied about king's talks with Peres Responses: 44 More Headlines 22:29 Two IDF troops arrested during clashes between settlers, Palestinians 21:55 Palestinians: 2 killed in IAF strike on Gaza tunnel 23:27 3 more Israelis suspected of contracting swine flu 23:17 Netanyahu candidate Michael Oren tapped as U.S. envoy 19:08 Report: Lebanon arrests suspected spy for Israel 21:24 Haniyeh urges Europe: Remove Hamas from terror group list 19:46 Pope says coming to Middle East as 'pilgrim for peace' 22:45 Did FDR try to save Jews from the Nazi Holocaust? 21:58 WATCH: Daily news round-up from Israel 23:32 Israeli team heads to India to examine swine flu drugs 17:48 Iran bows to pressure to review U.S. reporter's jail sentence 20:17 Ahmadinejad's opponents accuse him of faking support 19:09 Kibbutz Movement freezes intake of Mexicans over swine flu fears 02:06 U.S. drops spy charges against two ex-AIPAC officials 19:33 3 suspected of setting fire to Bnei Brak police station in revenge attack 22:46 Elderly Bat Yam man said to have stabbed himself to death Previous Editions Select Day 01 may 30 apr 29 apr 28 apr 27 apr 26 apr 24 apr 23 apr 22 apr 21 apr 20 apr 19 apr

Special Offers Advertisement Spring Specials-Dan Hotels Jerusalem from 179$. Tel-Aviv from 223$. Herzliya from 336$ The Meier on Rothschild Tower Masterpiece Residence in the Heart of Tel Aviv Dead Sea Skin Care Quality cosmetics from the Dead Sea. Coupon code HAARETZ for 12% off! Camp Kimama Israel 2009 The best place for your children this summer Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations Jewish Singles Personal Ads Find the love of your life on JDate.com Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | | Israel 2009 election results

Site rules | Makom: Engaging on Israel | Search engine marketing

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved