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Seminar talk with: Dr. Itamar MannPI at the Center, Faculty of Law, University of Haifa Disentangling Displacements: Historical Justice for Mizrahis and Palestinians in IsraelThursday, April 16, 2020 between 14:15-15:45 The event is available on our Facebook Page. and YouTube Abstract Israel’s discursive strategy for legitimizing the displacement of Palestinians in 1948 involved describing it as part of a regional “population exchange”. This argument contributed to three critical characteristics of Israeli citizenship. First, it solidified an understanding of citizenship as a negation of persecution and a haven for would-be Jewish refugees. Second, it tied Mizrahi claims against states across the Middle East to Palestinian claims against Israel. Israel thus exploited Mizrahi refugee rights for its geostrategic interests -- a fight against the claims of Palestinian refugees. This had detrimental material consequences for both groups. Third, this strategy contributed to the construction of Palestinians as an “exchangeable remainder”, and a demographic threat that could potentially pose a risk to the Jewish majority. Ultimately, Israel irrevocably entangled the displacement histories of three groups: Ashkenazi Jews, Mizrahi Jews, and Arab Palestinians. This Gordian knot remains with us today, and is reflected in a stratified Israeli society. But the vision this symposium offers us to consider, that of “historical justice”, demands that it be undone. The essay thus offers a way in which the refugee histories could perhaps one bay be disentangled: a program of reparations for Mizrahi and Palestinian citizens of Israel. Draft paper is available, contact Itamar at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
* The Center is located on floor 1 of the Terrace building (Hamadrega). See map |
