Eisenkot and Lazimi Do Not Represent Mizrahi Israelis, Author Argues
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
The article argues that former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot and MK Naama Lazimi, despite their Mizrahi heritage, do not represent the Mizrahi public's interests. It criticizes their perceived alignment with the Ashkenazi establishment and their silence on Mizrahi-specific issues, contrasting it with their support for protests seen as anti-government. The author contends that promoting them as Mizrahi leaders is a cynical exploitation and a form of racism.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Gadi Eisenkot and Naama Lazimi, though Mizrahi, do not represent the Mizrahi public's interests, the article claims.
- The author questions their public engagement on peripheral development and discrimination issues.
- Eisenkot and Lazimi are accused of consistently siding with the Ashkenazi establishment.
- Their support for the Kaplan protests is criticized as aligning with an Ashkenazi revolt.
- The article labels attempts to portray them as Mizrahi leaders as cynical exploitation and racism.
The article contends that Gadi Eisenkot, former IDF Chief of Staff, and MK Naama Lazimi, despite their Mizrahi heritage, do not genuinely represent the Mizrahi public or its concerns. The author questions when either has publicly addressed issues like peripheral development, inequality, or discrimination within the IDF, such as the alleged nepotism in the Air Force and Intelligence Corps. Instead, the piece asserts, they have consistently aligned themselves with the Ashkenazi establishment, particularly during key political junctures.
Eisenkot and Lazimi are described as Mizrahi in name and lineage only, failing to champion Mizrahi struggles or advocate for equality, citing their silence on issues like the struggle to open access to Nahal Asi. The article criticizes their support for the Kaplan protests, which it characterizes as an Ashkenazi revolt against the current "most Mizrahi government ever elected," while accusing Lazimi of acting as a Mizrahi shield for the protest movement.
The author argues that while it is permissible to be Mizrahi and left-wing, or Mizrahi and part of the establishment, it is unacceptable to promote individuals as leaders of the Mizrahi public when their actions contradict the majority's stance. This is labeled as blatant racism and a cynical exploitation of Mizrahi culture and politics. The piece concludes by likening the situation to the saying, "if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's a duck," suggesting that despite claims otherwise, Eisenkot and Lazimi's actions align them with the Ashkenazi left, not the Mizrahi public.
