She's a woman. She's Mizrahi. She's the daughter of former Foreign Minister David Levy. She's Moroccan. She is the "second Israel", the voice of the periphery communities. A minority, oppressed by the Mapai party, disadvantaged, and meets all the criteria that are meant to mean that condescending Ashkenazis from Meretz do not criticize her because they feel uncomfortable. Nevertheless, nonetheless and despite all of that – Orly Levy-Abekasis should resign her seat and go home.
Less than 75,000 votes – that is all she got when she ran alone in April 2019. The Labor Party covered all her debts, took her in with open arms. Meretz people moved aside for her - Issawi Frej, who brought a whole extra seat for the party with his own hands, was shunted down into the 11th slot. And despite all of this, all the respect and the political and financial lifeline that she was given, she stabbed in the back those who extended a helping hand.
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And that, to put it nicely, is unforgivable. It is brash and vulgar, a swindle. It does not matter who does it, a Mizrahi woman or an Ashkenazi man - to spit in people's faces is not a privilege that anyone has, no matter their gender or whether their name is Zilverberg or Busskila.
Many people use the term "disadvantaged". Some do it to attract voters, but some in order to cause others to feel guilty. The best way to shut down a critical discussion is by telling someone he is a racist, condescending Ashkenazi. Many people of Ashkenazi background tiptoe when it comes to Mizrahim, because they fear being labeled in this way. Don't you dare say anything bad about anyone. "My grandmother left me an apartment on the Tel Aviv-Ramat Gan border, but his family were dumped in the periphery – it's not right, it's not pleasant."
Disadvantaged and Mizrahi origin have become an immunity necklace in this game of survival. A flak jacket, a protective edge, an iron dome. Those who are defined as privileged are not permitted to grumble about those who they have themselves deprived. There is no objective discourse, only an identity discourse.
So enough already. Really. There must be a limit. People can and should be criticized for their actions, and not according to their ethnicity or nationality. Moroccans, Arabs, even African-Americans sometimes act in inappropriate, ugly and illegitimate ways. And not because their families were disadvantaged. It's simply down to them and it's their fault.
People should be judged on their actions – especially people in politics. These are grown-up people who are aware of their actions and have power – they are not a bunch of helpless children or from disadvantaged groups. None of them have the right to play the victim – especially in the name of their family.
Levy-Abekasis entered the union with Meretz with open eyes. No one forced her. She can run again alone next time around, or join another party. She deserves every denunciation for her current behavior. And that's not because I'm Ashkenazi and she's Moroccan. It's because she did something that simply is not done.
