Comments on: Misspokesman: IDF New Media officer poses ‘Obama Style’ – in blackface

By: israeli

israeli — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 22:00:53 +0000

“court said” so what if a single judge said it’s a racial slur? read the whole article, not just this single line, and you’ll see it says it is an old hebrew term, which is being used to describe all sort of things, for example chocolate cake is called in hebrew a kushite cake, or to call people that have dark skin but aren’t even african, like kushi rimon, a famous israli inn keeper. saying kushi in hebrew is like saying latino, europian, or asian in english.

By: The Trespasser

The Trespasser — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:45:16 +0000

“Kushi” is Israel is about as racist as “Arvi”, “Rusi” or “Marrokai”

I suppose it takes a great deal of mental sickness to claim that it is racist.

By: Piotr Berman

Piotr Berman — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 08:11:36 +0000

It is more complicated. When people say Eskimo rather than Innuit, or Gypsy rather the Roma, it is usually simply traditional. On the other hand, when Germans say “Polacken” it is not good even though Polak is a proper Polish word for a Polish man (but impolite in German).

In this case, the photo itself is simply dark military camouflage, and without the context of hatred of Obama that was widely expressed in Israel the caption could be good-natured humor. But that context does exist. (Luckily for Dratwa, he did not apply lipstick to exaggerate the size of his lips, that would make it a proper blackface.)

By: Greg Pollock

Greg Pollock — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 03:24:04 +0000

When racism prevails it is not racism but, rather, correct, life protecting thought. And, indeed, racism is often a life tool. People get very angry when you take a tool of life from them, especially if they then have little left in their bag.

A military officer should never contact a civilian journalist over any story unless to report an error and ask for printed correction. Any threatening contact constitutes a breach of civil society and misuse of military social power.

I understand better some of your other opinion pieces now.

By: Greg Pollock

Greg Pollock — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 03:18:12 +0000

No, Danny, the Lt. will have no difficulty entering the US. In fact, I hazard that if Obama knew of this event he would insist the Lt. admitted on a visa. And there’s the difference.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 03:15:25 +0000

You’re right that there is a wikipedia article on the word, and that article says the word is used as a pejorative. The article even cites an Israeli court decision that agrees.

Here’s a basic guideline: calling ethnic or racial groups by names they don’t choose for themselves is generally meant to oppress/otherize, and certainly will offend.

By: israeli

israeli — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 22:29:33 +0000

You can spread all the lies you want, and it won’t change the facts.
the real truth, for those of you that are interested in facts and not in lies with no evidence, is that the word “Kushi” means a person who comes from the land “Kush”, both are from the bible, and the land “kush” is lower egypt to sudan. there is even an article about it in wikipedia. so you see, it doesn’t matter how much lies you’ll spread, you cannot change the facts. the truth and justice will always prevail.

By: Danny

Danny — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 18:43:33 +0000

The word ‘kushi’ is a Hebrew slang word for a black person, just like the word ‘nigger’ is in English. Both words are offensive in exactly the same way, except the latter’s use has become taboo while the former is quite ubiquitous in Israel.
.
As for Lt. Dratwa – he may find that getting a visa to the U.S. has now become a much more difficult task, and that he will probably have to put on hold any trips he was planning to the U.S. Ever thus to racists!

By: Arad

Arad — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 17:19:34 +0000

There is nothing racist about the word ‘Kushi’. It means someone who comes from Kush. It is the least racist word you can think of, as it identifies a man by his origin and not by his color. For some reason, people here decided it was racist, which is a real shame.

As for the picture, it is racist. But the guy could simply be ignorant and not know that blackface is offensive. He should apologize.

By: Danny

Danny — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 15:53:54 +0000

Typical Israeli racism, which has always existed in Israel and is integral in Israeli culture. Even the word ‘kushi’ is still a very common one on the Israeli street, as it has always been. Making fun of Arabs and kushim is the God-given right of every Israeli, since it is well-known that Jews are better than both. Also one of the reasons the IDF continues to get embarrassed on the battlefield lately, because, after all, everyone knows that Arabs are dummies who cannot fight.