Palestinian pride: Israel protests influenced by Arab world

[Jefferson23]

Palestinian social leaders believe Israel is 'inadvertantly becoming part of the Middle East', however, there is little Palestinian interest in the protests that have erupted throughout Israel in recent weeks.

By Amira Hass


Palestinian social leaders believe the social protests that have erupted throughout Israel are largely influenced by the Arab Spring, contending Israelis must realize they too are suffering due to the occupation and money spent on settlements in the West Bank.

Israelis are imitating the Arab world, and West Bank Palestinians believe this to be a good thing. According to the Ma’an news agency, 14,032 (nearly 75%) of the 18,722 readers who responded to their online survey, believe that what is happening in Israel’s streets is influenced by and imitating the “Arab Spring”.

“Israel is inadvertantly becoming a part of the Middle East,” said sociologist Honaida Ghanim, who researches Israeli society, adding that“this is the power of bottom-up activity, when the country’s ideologists aren’t consulted.”

Ghanim wasn’t surprised when the protests began. As an Israeli citizen, born in Marja and General Director of “MADAR” the Palestinian Forum for Israeli Studies, the sociologist is well acquainted with Israeli polarization. However, she is certain that the recent events in Egypt and Tunisia had a large impact on the Israeli protest movement.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/palestinian-pride-israel-protests-influenced-by-arab-world-1.377230

[Igel]

1. Well, yes.

That happened in the 1920s and '30s, and can be seen in the rise of parallels to tribal militias and some of the more pigheaded elements in Israeli politics.

She makes it sound like it's a good thing.


The whole Palestinian pride thing is also characteristically vicarious and 2nd-hand. "I'm very proud of being a Palestinian because we're Arabs, and from where we sit the Israelis are imitating Arabs--which means that while we're doing nothing like what the other Arabs are doing, the Israelis are also imitating us." Anything to grab some pride from somewhere. Sort of like the halo in the Sugar Ray song, "Every morning."