Fandom and the Jews + Common and Hidden Knowledge

[eumelia]

Some of you know, some of you don't. But about a week or so ago there was an explosion in fandom regarding Antisemitism(1). Seeing as it was all very US-Centric I didn't feel I had much to contribute and to tell the truth I didn't think I could give any proper account for being a minority seeing as the country I live in, being Jewish is the privileged majority, specifically Ashkenazi Jews, like me.
Basically, in Israel, religiously, racially and ethnically, I'm the "WASP"(2). I am greatly privileged by this, even in countries outside Israel, unless I told someone no would know I was Jewish (I'm pale and fair and have no physical characteristics that would mark me as Jew), when I speak English I have a South African accent, thanks to being the child of immigrants, and my name isn't a Hebrew name, again, thanks to being the child of immigrants.
All this makes me extremely, extremely privileged.
At home I am "the majority" and don't need to pretend to be anything else and in other "White Majority" countries I can pass with little effort.

In fandom, I enjoy finding the token Jews, just like when I read the credits at the end of movies I enjoy finding the Jewish surnames and saying "Yehudi" - which is Hebrew for "Jew". I don't find that exclusive, at least, it never felt exclusive to me, that there were less Jewish characters than non-Jewish characters, it seemed... well, normal! There are less Jews than in the world than Christians and Muslims, for instance. We are, in general, a minority and I personally have no problem with that in the popular media and fandom.

The problem, I believe, and this has been stated time and time again in all the links I've posted here, isn't that we're a minority. The problem is that the majority forgets that this minority or any other "non-majority" doesn't share the culture in exactly the same way.

Most of during September were the Jewish High Holidays and everyone in Israel was taking time off and spending time with their family and going to Shul and generally saying "Shana Tova" - Have a Good Year, "Tzom Kal" - Have an easy Fast, etc.
No one mentioned that Ramadan was starting in September. The media in Israel either mentioned it in passing or practically ignored it.
That too is the mark of being the privileged Jewish majority in Israel.

Another thing that erupted from this whole kerfuffle, is a meme (that's what it is) that began at oyceter and it's called common and hidden knowledge and it comes to challenge what we know or what we thing we know about certain things in cultures no our own. Lots of people have already done their own, some of them have been about Judaism, so it seems redundant for me to do one about that.
So I've decided to test my readers knowledge about the basics of the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
I ask you not to answer the questions in the comments, as I'll be posting the answers sometime later on, you can tell me if you think you know the answers, but actual answers later.

Common and Hidden Knowledge on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict
1. What is the difference between Hamas and Fatah?

2. What was the catalyst event to the eruption of the Second Intifiada?

3. What was Al-Nakba and when is it commemorated?

4. What is the Green Line?

5. What is the Right of Return? What is the Law of Return and what laws is it based on?

6. What is Al-Awda?

7. What was stated in the Oslo Accords?

8. What was the disengagement plan? Did it succeed? Did it fail?

9. What are the colours of the Palestinian flag?

10. What are the colours of the Israeli flag?

11. What is a Shahid?

12. Why is the Israeli army called the "Israeli Defense Force"?

13. What happened in 1967 and why does everyone always talk about the border?

14. Who are the Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigade?

15. What is Mt. Moriah? Why is it important both to Jews and Muslims? And what does have to do with the conflict?

Hope you guys do well!

Notes:
(1) A few more links: here, here, here and here. There will probably be more later today or tomorrow so just keep track of metafandom which is a great link gathering comm in any event.
(2) If I start on the personal politics, woman and queer thing I'll never get to my point, but having certain politics, being female and queer, does cause trouble.

ETA: coffeeandink made a link roundup of other "Hidden and Common Knowledge" posts, including others in the comments.

21/10/07 ETA: The answers to the Hidden and Common Knowledge questions are here.

In addition, the genocide in Darfur must be stopped.

וכמו כן, צריך לעצור את רצח העם בדרפור.

Comments

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

1) Uhm, is one the political wing and one the armed wing? Like the IRA and Sinn Fein?

2)I'm not sure how many intifadas there have been. Was that the one that started fairly recently? I have no idea what started it though.

3) No idea.

4) The line that seperates Israel from her neighbours that was drawn up after the first big Jewish/Arab war?

5) The right of return... not a scooby. I'd guess it's something that gives preferential legal status to jewish people 'returning' to the Holy Land to buy up land owned by the natives?

6) No idea. never heard it before.

7) One of the deals that was supposed to bring about an Israeli/Palestine peace settlement, but which failed horribly?

8) Was that the scheme to remove some of the more violently fundementalist jewish settlers from the occupied territories? If so, I remember when it was going on, but I never heard if it succeeded or not.

9) Pretty sure tehre's green in there somewhere.

10) Blue and white.

11) No idea.

12) Because every nation since the birth of civilisation likes to pretend that their army is just for defence.

13) The Six Day War happened.

14) Suicide bombers?

15) Uhm... Im not sure. Unless Mount Moria is another name for the Temple Mount?

[aesiron.livejournal.com]

I know 10 and 13 and maybe 12 but can't say for certain.

I'm clueless on the rest.

[lifeofresearch.livejournal.com]

I answered all the questions and I did not post my answers here but did write them down and posted them on my journal if you want to look and comment. I am curious if I am right.

[antongarou.livejournal.com]

Naturally, I know most of these just by growing up here.Only ones I don't know are 7 and the laws the Right of Return is based on- unless you're talking UN declarations, in which case I do know of them.

[antongarou.livejournal.com]

typo:it should be "6 and" of course.

[beckyzoole.livejournal.com]

I know at least a little about all of these except for #6 -- and so #6 bothers me. I'll go look it up.

In general, I wish Israel were more aware of Arab culture. Arabs are a large minority among Israeli citizens. They ought to be acknowledged, I think.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

*nods*

[roga.livejournal.com]

Oh, hey, another fandom Israeli! Nice to meet you :-)

I didn't know 6, and 7 all too vaguely. And 8, methinks, is a trick question... I hope you post answers to these later on. (I mean, yeah, folks are encouraged to look it up for themselves, but you know how it goes. Just seeing the words Israeli-Palestinian-conflict can make one want to jump off a cliff.)

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Ha! I wondered who would get the trickiness of #8, I suspected only other Israeli's would.

Nice to meet you as well :-)

Checked you out, wanna be LJ friends?

[roga.livejournal.com]

Mais oui! I don't know how many of the same fandoms we have, but who cares. Israeli + fandom = WIN.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Aha! I see you like House... that's good enough for me, for I live the Laurie as well :)