hebrew labor racist connotations from center for policy research cpr subject hebrew labor racist connotations avoda ivrit hebrew labor hebrew labor is a concept which has served the zionist movement for a long time it has a double barreled message the new jew must learn to do physical labor i e working the land the land in this country must pass into jewish hands i e to the same new jew who has learned to work it both aspects of the two pronged concept of hebrew labor have racist connotations on the one hand the diaspora jew s lack of training in physical labor is a myth shared by zionists and antisemites on the other hand its meaning in practice has been the displacement of the arab farmer from the source of his livelihood the occupation and the cheap palestinian labor which streamed from the occupied territories to the factories orchards and hot houses of israel relegated the myth of hebrew labor to the history books and nostalgic memories of the zionist movement it has blossomed forth anew however as the government s answer to problems caused by the closure of the territories today too this concept has two functions to give a progressive look to the closing of the palestinian population or in the words of environment minister yossi sarid i have no tears for those who get rich off of cheap labor to furnish an answer to the unemployed israeli who complains of being obliged to work for wages that are lower than the unemployment insurance he receives the israeli government is considering plans to import labor from the far east to replace native people palestinians who work in their own country thus creating conflicting interests between two ethnical communities and ruling over them
