I was amazed this week when a Jewish youngster at Tel Aviv University told me that the main problem in Israel – in his opinion – was that the Jews have not yet decided what kind of country they want.
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And there I was thinking that as a Palestinian Arab who lives in Israel, I was the one who was pendulating between two identities created by the establishment of the Jewish state.
Just like that, our identity as Palestinians turned more complex as we became citizens of Israel. Most of us managed to come to terms with our identity, being torn between belonging to the Palestinian people and carrying Israeli citizenship, and made a great effort to integrate into the society. Some efforts were successful, such as in education, while others much less so, such as employment, with the employment rate in the Arab sector being much lower than the average population.
Contrary to the Israeli-Palestinian dilemma, the Israeli-Jewish identity dilemma surprised me. Yes, the Jewish people have a state that was defined in the Declaration of Independence as Jewish and democratic. The same people who fought to preserve their religion in Europe, greatly impacted the world's economy, and suffered a terrible loss during the Holocaust, finally established a state, even if at the expense of a bloody conflict with the Palestinians.
I guess I had not internalized the fact that Jews in Israel have not yet decided what they want their country to look like. Consisting of Jews only? Of seculars only? A state of Jewish law? A bi-national state? A state for all its citizens? These questions form the basis of the Jews' internal struggle in Israel, the greatest of which at the moment is the fight against the proposed legal overhaul.
It illustrates this identity struggle, much like a triangle.
Hypotenuse – these are the many Jews who have no problem with Israel becoming a non-democratic state with a Jewish majority rule, based on the growing ultra-Orthodox sector.
Base – these are the minority Jews, but who contribute the most to the economy, who are fighting to preserve Israel's secular identity and separation of powers.
Height – this is the National Religious sector, which is fighting in all ways possible for full control over all parts of the country.
Within this triangle, we – the Arabs – are struggling to survive, until the identity of the Jewish state is decided. We are fighting for equal rights and against racism, for a good livelihood and education, and for life without violence stemming from a poor socio-economic situation.
We fight, but remain confined in the middle of the triangle, wondering if we still have a chance of becoming a fourth side – as a sector that contributes to the country's economy, education, and culture and brings benefits rather than endless struggles.
As someone who has recently been awarded for social involvement in Israel, I say it is time for the Arab sector to become that side – without being asked to give up its historical Palestinian identity and the natural and human sense of empathy with the Palestinian people's suffering.
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