By Amnon Raz-Krakotzkin
Translated by Alan Traister
Reprinted Courtesy of mahsom.com

The responses of the commentators to the racist cries of the fans of the Betar Jerusalem football team were to be expected. Just as it was not at all surprising to see the many condemnations, so we didn’t have to wait much time for Knesset member Yossi Sarid’s call to close the Teddy football stadium. It was clear that all of these critics would react to these acts as ripe fruit to pick. There is nothing like those fans of Betar Jerusalem to turn them into enlightened anti-racists.

Of this there is no doubt. The crude, vulgar and violent racism of the Betar fans is such a serious phenomenon that condemnation is really only a minor response to it. In no other place, including those sport stadiums known for their racism, would this be allowed to happen without serious reaction. A similar response to a Jewish athlete anywhere in the world would have already caused the meeting of UN agencies. Nevertheless, despite all the expected responses, not one of those organizations that search out anti-Semitism throughout the world had anything to say on the matter. But, even the condemnations of the Israeli commentators and politicians were mostly exploited in order to hide the basic racism of the entire Israeli society. The commentators took pleasure in the goals that the Arab players made for the national team, and they thus celebrated the liberalism and democracy of the country.

There was much less condemnation about the government’s decision, that was taken on the very same day, to lengthen the racist order which prohibits the given of legal status to Palestinian women (and their children) who marry Israeli citizens. This decision was not made by the “masses” and not by a “handful”. This “order of the hour” (a very, very long hour) was lengthened this time without even the excuse of national security. “We must defend the Jewish character of the Israel”, said Sharon in explaining the necessity of the law. Abbas Savan can make goal for the national team, and we will condemn anyone who says that he does not represent us—but it is forbidden for him to marry whoever he wants. This might destroy the Jewish character of Israel. The enlightened sport commentators will continue to praise themselves that they live in an enlightened country that allows Arabs to play on the national team. They are less preoccupied with racist laws.

In an excellent article that was published in the Theory and Criticism with the title of “From Death of the Arab to Death to the Arabs”, Anat Rimon-Or analyzes how the system which is based to the Arab-Jewish duality, leads the fans to racism. At the beginning of her article she states:

“At times it would seem that the calls of ‘Death to the Arabs’ bothers the peace of the Israeli public much more than the actual death caused to Arabs by Israelis within and without Israel.” By means of the Betar fans, Rimon-Or fascinately uncovers the complex factors of the Israeli colonial consciousness—about the Jewish-Arab opposition which have been imposed on the Oriental Jews, about the self-hatred that is embodied in the calls of “Death to the Arabs”, and about the ways in which such calls form a challenge to the apparently “enlightened” elite. This is the result of a culture that defines itself on the basis of the Jewish-Arab opposition, and which at the same time that it takes steps to dispose and dislocate its Arab citizens, sends the Oriental Jews to the margins. Brutal racism remains the way to connect to the country which defines itself as Jewish. The cries of “Death to the Arabs” by those whose culture is Arabic, is the conclusion of the Jewish-Liberal consciousness.

Therefore, the “liberal” Israeli consciousness needs the fans of Betar in order to celebrate it enlightenment and to blur its own racism. These elite circles create the anti-Arab racism, create the ferment, and afterwards they denounce it and distance themselves from it. The events of October 2000 should be remembered: the brutal violence that the police exhibited and the killing of the Arab citizens won the support of the Israeli elite. Neither the Right nor the Betar fans were responsible, but rather a left-wing government with full backing of the “liberal” elites. The unending incitement of the media during that period and the frightening appearance of political analyst Ehud Yari should also be remembered. There was no voice of protest against the brutality of the police under the leadership of Ehud Barak and Shlomi Ben-Ami. Not one of the enlightened politicians came to stop the killing of Israeli citizens. However, when as a result of this wave of incitement, disturbances took place against the Arabs in several places, these same people immediately became shocked and condemned and criticized.

This is the fixed colonial dynamics. The elite incite and afterwards condemn. This is not to say that we shouldn’t condemn the increasing racism of the Betar fans. But, it is much more important to understand the forgiveness with which it is ultimately received as a kind of “characteristic” of the fans. It is even more important to understand how the condemnations blur the real racism. In the end, the Betar fans are also victims of the colonial policies. Actually, the fanatically nationalistic fans of Betar have remained loyal to the Zionist slogan of “Hebrew Work”, which was later transformed into “ Non-Arab work”. They don’t want Arabs on their team. They are not the only ones.

Instead of condemning the Betar fans, we should condemn the institutionalized racism that is many times more violent and brutal. This racism is embodied in the fundamental laws of the country, and by definition this racism is applied on a continuous and daily basis in the destruction of homes, in the elimination of agricultural lands, in the denial of civil and social rights, and in discrimination in every field. This is the racism of those who encourage the discourse about the population problem, and warn against the “demographic genie”, and afterwards become amazed when a large percentage of Israeli students support transfer of the Arabs. We must fall into the trap of vulgar racism because this only helps to strengthen that racism called “liberal”.

Amnon Raz-Krakotzkin is professor of History at Ben Gurion University. Raz-Krakotzkin's "Lack of a Vision" appeared in the January/February 2005 edition of Tikkun.