thread

the mizrahi vs ashkenazi ‘debate’ which originally arose as mizrahim/sephardim voicing valid criticisms of the power dynamic, representation, and erasure between the two communities as well as ashkenormitivity has evolved into a petty argument fuelled by anger and spite

this has happened because when mizrahim or sephardim dare speak on these issues, they are gaslighted. immediately told they are ‘furthering the divide’ or ‘creating conflicts that don’t exist’ by ashkenazim. these issues do exist. they need to be talked about.

mizrahim and sephardim are more likely to live in israel, where ashkenazim do have privilege over mizrahim, sephardim, and arabs. ashkenazim usually live in the western diaspora such as America, where this power and privilege doesn’t exist.

ashkenazim in America aren’t privileged as ashkenazim in Israel are. whilst privileged in relation to mizrahim and sephardim within the community, they are not the privileged ethnic/cultural group as a whole.

this leads to ashkenazim in the diaspora being furious at being labelled as ‘so privileged’ and mizrahim and sephardim being furious that ashkenazim won’t recognise the privilege they would have in Israel and do have within the community.

with the rise of ashkenazim not being seen as ‘middle eastern’/being seen as ‘white’/white colonists in israel to goyim and mizrahim/sephardim distinguishing themselves as ‘MENA Jews’, to some Ashkenazim it feels as if they are being de-legitimised by their own community.

whilst mizrahim and sephardim feel as if the pushback to calling themselves MENA Jews, erases the different cultures that have formed, and their more recent experiences living in the region compared to ashkenazim.

with the constant shutdown of conversation surrounding ashkenormitivity, representation, privilege, etc - real issues that must by spoken about, by ashkenazim, mizrahim and sephardim become rightly angry at being silenced

here we see the rise of jokes at ashkenazim culture/foods/etc. That are not intended to be spiteful, just as jews joke about goyim, lgbt people joke about straight people, etc. It’s lighthearted.

However, with this occurring more frequently, ashkenazim become angry, and hurt.

this leads to pushback, anger at mizrahim who have already been silenced for talking about real issues, and now are being forbidden from joking about gefilte fish.

this leads to arguments surrounding who has ‘had it worse’ (answer: no one had it worse than eachother) - Often in response to Mizrahim rightfully discussing how antisemitism in the Arab world is never discussed, compared to the immortalisation of the Shoah.

Or who is ‘truly indigenous’ to the land, when discussing the topic of ‘whiteness’, modern settlements, etc. (Answer: all ethnic Jews are)

and here we are.

this argument has progressed into a feud because different communities were silenced, felt threatened, angry, spiteful, and have played on each others insecurities.

and it still continues to happen, and it’ll continue to happen.

that’s my ‘hot take’ coming from both communities. feeling as if my Sephardi families history is unimportant, being silenced every time I speak on it - or any issues relating to ashkenormitivity, and then feeling as if my russian Jewish family are not as indigenous to israel.

compared to mizrahim/sephardim. I feel as if by belonging to both communities, I can see both perspectives, and see how clearly this has happened. but this is only my opinion.