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I have so little patience for this sort of garbage. Jews are indigenous to Eretz Yisrael by any reasonable definition of the term. But let& #39;s take UN criteria, to which he links later in the thread: 1/ https://twitter.com/rabbiandykahn/status/1280482583898476544">https://twitter.com/rabbiandy...
Our people refers to ourselves by two names, primarily. "Jew" and "Israel". Israel is the name of a people, and that people referred to its (often distant) homeland as "the land of Israel" or "Eretz Yisrael". In our (Hebrew) liturgy, you will not find the word "Jew". 2/
But we have been known as "Jews" (Yehudim, Iudaeoi, Yahud, Yidn, Zhid) for a very long time - since c. 500 BCE. The term first appears in the books of Zechariah, Esther, and Ezra. It is a geographic term, referring to the tribal lands of Judea and its exiles. 3/
So Mordechai was an "Ish Yehudi" even though he lived in Persia and was from the tribe of Benjamin." Jesus was a "Judean" even though he lived in the Galilee.
Nowadays the term "Jew" is used differently, but there is clearly "historical continuity with pre-settler societies"
4/
Nowadays the term "Jew" is used differently, but there is clearly "historical continuity with pre-settler societies"
4/
Thus, if one calls themselves a Jew and is accepted by the Jewish community ("Am Yisrael", "Klal Yisrael"), one is essentially identifying as indigenous, even if they and others protest "Jews are not indigenous". It& #39;s like the Original Americans who are cool with "Redskins" 5/
Do Jews have strong links to the territory? Yes. Praying facing it 3x a day, yearning for return, sending money to support communities there; tomorrow, Jewish communities will mourn the siege of Jerusalem kicking off 3 weeks of mourning the Temple& #39;s destruction 1950 years ago 6/
Do Jews have distinct social, economic, or political systems? Yes. Wherever Jews lived, they had a high degree of cultural and judicial autonomy - until Emancipation.
Did they have a distinct language? Yes, several, all of which used an alphabet unique to the Jewish people. 7/
Did they have a distinct language? Yes, several, all of which used an alphabet unique to the Jewish people. 7/
Hebrew was not a vernacular, but Jews (mainly men) wrote and studied in Hebrew. Almost every Jew could read Hebrew, even if they couldn& #39;t understand. It was a means of communication for disparate Jewish communities - and only Jewish communities. 8/
Did Jews have distinct beliefs? Of course. So much so that it allowed the myth that Judaism is "only a religion" to propagate.
Did Jews form non-dominant groups of society? Ummm, ya think?
Did Jews resolve to remain distinct? Well, the ones who didn& #39;t are long gone by now. 9/
Did Jews form non-dominant groups of society? Ummm, ya think?
Did Jews resolve to remain distinct? Well, the ones who didn& #39;t are long gone by now. 9/
So by every single UN criterion, Jews are indigenous in Eretz Yisrael. We are privileged to be in a situation where we no longer need to demand indigenous rights, because we have largely attained them, and fought wars to keep them. 10/
It is important to add that saying that Jews are indigenous does not imply that Palestinians are not indigenous to the very same territories, and vice versa. If fact, I don& #39;t think there will ever be peace until each side accepts the other& #39;s indigenous status. 11/
And for that very reason, @rabbiandykahn& #39;s misguided view that Jews are not indigenous to Eretz Yisrael, in addition to being wrong, only furthers us from the type of mutual understanding that can be a foundation for peace. /end
Just for fun: Read the testimony of Eliahu Eliachar to UNSCOP in 1947.
https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-211828/
He,">https://www.un.org/unispal/d... a Sephardic Jew, claims indigeneity for *all* Jews in Palestine - 1947. So much for "appropriation".
https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-211828/
He,">https://www.un.org/unispal/d... a Sephardic Jew, claims indigeneity for *all* Jews in Palestine - 1947. So much for "appropriation".
