Loading ...Talk about racism, discrimination in Israel spurs conversation at MU
The subjects of racism and discrimination were topics of conversation not only on the Mel Carnahan Quadrangle on Monday but also at a talk at MU’s Neff Hall about the living conditions of Palestinians and African refugees in Israel.
David Sheen, an independent journalist based in Dimona, Israel, spoke for more than 90 minutes about instances of prejudice he said he had witnessed abroad. Sheen said Palestinians face institutional discrimination in realms including housing, labor, recreational facilities and the political round.
The event was organized by MU Socialists and Mid-Missourians for Justice in Palestine and was sponsored by the Islamic Center of Central Missouri, the Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation, the MU Department of Black Studies and the MU Peace Studies Program, according to a MU Socialists news release.
One example Sheen cited was Palestinians being denied housing because they had Arabic accents or names. Usually, he said, housing companies simply respond to those Palestinians trying to get housing information that they “do not sell to Arabs.”
Palestinians also face discrimination in the workforce, Sheen said. Sheen showed the audience hiring advertisements that said employers were looking for only Jewish workers, which purposely excludes qualified Palestinian workers.
Sheen, who has been living in Israel for 16 years, said discrimination affects not only Palestinians, but also black Jews and African refugees living in Israel, and that this discrimination has existed in Israel before and since he has lived in the country. Sheen said he believes non-Jews in Israel have simply been ignored by the Israeli government and the media.
“Why do I have to come all the way over from Israel to tell you these things?” Sheen said. “It’s a complete, massive failure of the mainstream media.”
Sheen was born in Toronto, and he moved to Israel in 1999 to blog and work as a graphic designer before joining Israeli newspaper Haaretz in 2010. He told the Missourian in an interview that he considers himself to be an advocate journalist and said “I think it’s dishonest to try to pretend to be completely objective.”
Audience responses
The majority of the audience members who spoke up after Sheen’s comments said they agreed with Sheen’s take on racism against non-Jews in Israel, though some people indicated disagreement with Sheen’s views.
Ibtisam Barakat, a Palestinian-American author, thanked Sheen for his work and his efforts to address the living conditions of Palestinians in Israel. She said the Palestinian people were forgotten when Israel was established in 1948 and said that “an entire people have been displaced” in their own country.
Dan Swindell, an MU graduate who said he opposed Sheen’s coverage of Palestinians in Israel, stood outside Neff Hall before Sheen’s talk to distribute literature critical of Sheen and the Palestinian political party Hamas, including one article from The Times of Israel titled, “7 reasons why the Palestinian crisis & the Black struggle for freedom are absolutely nothing alike.”
Swindell called Sheen a “sensationalist” who exaggerated facts and didn’t fairly portray race in Israel. While some people voiced their approval of Swindell’s comments, others were vocally dismissive of his remarks. Sheen suggested that Swindell give a talk of his own to express his viewpoint and theories.
Another audience asked Sheen about his thoughts on a possible two-state solution for Israel and Palestine where each is recognized as its own nation.
Sheen responded that he did not support such a compromise, and said if Palestinians acknowledged Israel as a “legitimate Jewish state,” then it would be “a license (for Israel) to be even more discriminatory toward non-Jewish people,” especially black Jews and African refugees living in Israel.
Source: www.columbiamissourian.com