Resulting from the rotation of the earth, and the Gulf Stream across the Atlantic Ocean, the wind direction in the northern hemisphere is predominantly from west to east. That’s why aircraft take less time when flying from America to Israel, than flying westerly into wind.
As if also helped by the wind, the concept of fast food was blown across the Atlantic, bringing KFC, McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts and many more such establishment into our lives. We learned to live with them and even adapted to the lifestyle they virtually imposed on us to such an extent, that their products are copied and even available under kosher supervision.
There are also various noises like punk rock, rap and other styles masquerading as music, the louder the better, to which those of us who were brought up in traditional style, where songs were melodic, and lyrics were clearly discernible, are now frequently exposed.
All those are still bearable cultural imports from the new world.
But the wind does not distinguish between acceptable and unwelcome arrivals. It seems that one of the latest imports from the US that made it across at lightning speed is their “Critical Race Theory” adapted into Israeli style by MK Miri Regev of the Likud Party. Because she is of Sephardi origin, she apparently carries a chip on her shoulder.
She believes that the color of our citizen’s skin determines their destiny, that it is “white privilege” that dominates our government and by implication the highest positions in the land.
It is important to demonstrate that Regev’s parentage and slightly darker than white skin tone had no detrimental or retarding effect on her own career. During a long service in the IDF spanning 25 years, Regev rose to the rank Brigadier General. She served in a variety of professional and command roles including chief military censor for the media and IDF spokesperson.
Regev also served as national head of IDF information dissemination in the Prime Minister’s Office in preparation for the Second Gulf War in 2002.
In 2009 she was voted a member of Knesset, serving among others as chair of the Internal Affairs and Environment Committee, and member of the Finance Committee, the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and of the House Committee. During the government of Benyamin Netanyahu, she held the posts of Culture and Sport minister and Communication minister. Regev even served as acting prime minister on the occasions of Netanyahu’s absence abroad.
So, her criticism of discrimination against Sephardi Jews is nothing but a political tool to garner support among the Sephardi right wing voters to be able to fulfil her ambition to become leader of the Likud after the Netanyahu era.
“In the year 2021, there are hardly any Sephardic Jews in senior positions,” she claimed. “Something is very wrong here. It is time we had a Sephardic Prime Minister [and] I definitely see myself as leadership material.”
However, she knows well, that to stand for that position in any primaries is the right of every member of the Likud party, regardless of color, religion or background. It is the membership that decides who they believe is best qualified to lead the party into an election.
Regev expressed her frustration that too few of the senior members of her own party are Jews of Sephardi origin whose parents came from Middle-Eastern or North African countries.
Miri Regev described to Yediot Aharonot her plans for a “Golden Revolution” to lead a new type of elite to power that will emerge from Sephardic ranks. She believes that changes would begin to be felt as early as next year. Do those views sound familiar in American BLM terms?
“I would like to be heading an alliance of leading Sephardic Jews by 2022 or 2023. Likud members should be selecting people from their own circles to represent them. Because – and listen carefully to what I’m saying – if the [present] Likud continues to opt for people with white DNA, a different type of Likud is liable to appear on the scene, a genuine Sephardic Likud that will give voice to Sephardic views, views that haven’t been expressed by anyone in the past, and this has to change” she stressed.
I ask again, do those views sound familiar in American BLM terms?
Miri Regev has certainly taken a leaf out of the mission statement of Black Lives Matter.
Yet in May 2012, at a demonstration against illegal immigrants in Tel Aviv, Regev said that “Sudanese infiltrators are a cancer in the nation’s body.” Her inconsistent assertions reek of the hypocrisy of a power-crazed woman.
Let’s examine her allegations. The Internet lists 49 names of prominent former and present politicians and high-ranking military officers all of Sephardi background including Moshe Katzav, Moshe Kahlon, Shaul Mofaz, Dalia Itzik, Gabi Ashkenazi, Gadi Eizenkot and others. That does not look like discrimination.
Regev’s public pronouncements are divisive and designed to replace what she claims to be a white elite, with a Sephardi elite, to the exclusion of other Jews. She is a danger to the progress of creating a cohesive and inclusive society.
The writer, 97, holds the Guinness World Record as the oldest active journalist and radio show host.