Lizrael Update

A black hole in the Israeli outlook.

On Eretz Nehederet last week, the cast poked fun at Tzipi Livni and Condi Rice who met to discuss the usual. I’m sure there was a lot of good material there, otherwise why would they give it focus?

But I was totally embarrassed when it showed that the extent they were going to poke fun was to go into base, stupid stereotypes about Black American culture – playing Aretha Franklin in the background, having Condi say “girlfriend” more than once, the head sway, the whole stereotypical shabang. It all had nothing to do with politics or even Tzipi Livni. It was just bringing on a “Black woman” and then going through the stereotypical motions of imitating what is perceived as “Black culture.”

I really had trouble stomaching it. I felt totally embarrassed as an American; if anyone I knew in America – black or white – had seen it, I feel like I would have started apologizing. It reminded me of the way I hear some Israelis talk about East Asians with complete ignorance – despite having been there.

I just really can’t stand the ignorance of a lot of Israelis towards other cultures, peoples, religions, the world-at-large…

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  1. Katherine Avatar
    Katherine

    a little late to post here but it looks like you have been busy posting a lot. I saw that episode too and I was also quite embarassed – Israelis really do show their ignorance sometimes. Which I suppose is backed up by the ad I heard on the radio this morning, telling Israelis that they couldn’t go travelling outside the country, without their passport. Because too many Israelis have been trying to get past the border control people at the airport without said passports. duh!

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  2. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Hey, I think you got the wrong impression. Although I agree the imitation wasn’t remotely funny it was not the result of the “ignorance of Israelis”. It was an imitation of a black woman as she would perhaps appear on “Ricky Lake” and I think that was the “inspiration” for the character. No doubt about it, it has nothing to do with Condi, but it does not mean that it is the common Israeli outlook on blacks. The fact the crew there ran out of ideas is no reason to accuse all Israelis.
    A proud Israeli

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