Israeli reality TV could not be further from reality

By Ami Kaufman January 15, 2014 | Edit

There’s been a string of victories for minorities on Israeli reality TV – does it mean anything?

There are probably a lot of people in Israel today who are really proud of their country. Last night, a Filipina cleaning lady won the final of the Israeli X-Factor – one of the highest rating shows in the country. Israelis are probably saying to themselves: “See, we just voted for a 47-year-old, lesbian Filipina – have you ever seen such a liberal and modern society?”

And, it’s not the first time Israelis have voted en masse for a minority figure in the top reality shows.

Sorry to rain on your parade, but the problem is that the love Israelis show for those people pretty much ends there.

I mean, Rose Fostanes had a pretty good night singing Sinatra.

But in the morning, Filipino children better be careful not to be taken from their homes, arrested and deported by Israeli authorities.

Sure, Tahuniya, the beautiful model of Ethiopian descent was a refreshing win for the Israeli version of Big Brother,

And another Ethiopian representative, Hagit Yaso, won a couple of years ago Israel’s “A Star is Born” (our American Idol),

And even though it’s not exactly a reality show, Titi Aynaw last year was anointed Miss Israel,

But let’s just hope all three of them won’t have any problems finding a place to live, since some neighborhoods in Israel don’t really like black people.

And how can we forget the amazing Lina Makhoul, a Christian Arab who dazzled us with her angelic voice in the Israeli “The Voice” and beat everyone at the finals.

Well, I don’t really have to tell you about discrimination against Arabs in Israel, do I?

Bottom line? Israelis love their minorities looking gorgeous and singing beautifully. Not when they demand their rights.

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TEST TEST GAL Our team has been devastated by the horrific events of this latest war. The world is reeling from Israel’s unprecedented onslaught on Gaza, inflicting mass devastation and death upon besieged Palestinians, as well as the atrocious attack and kidnappings by Hamas in Israel on October 7. Our hearts are with all the people and communities facing this violence. We are in an extraordinarily dangerous era in Israel-Palestine. The bloodshed has reached extreme levels of brutality and threatens to engulf the entire region. Emboldened settlers in the West Bank, backed by the army, are seizing the opportunity to intensify their attacks on Palestinians. The most far-right government in Israel’s history is ramping up its policing of dissent, using the cover of war to silence Palestinian citizens and left-wing Jews who object to its policies. This escalation has a very clear context, one that +972 has spent the past 14 years covering: Israeli society’s growing racism and militarism, entrenched occupation and apartheid, and a normalized siege on Gaza. We are well positioned to cover this perilous moment – but we need your help to do it. This terrible period will challenge the humanity of all of those working for a better future in this land. Palestinians and Israelis are already organizing and strategizing to put up the fight of their lives. Can we count on your support? +972 Magazine is a leading media voice of this movement, a desperately needed platform where Palestinian and Israeli journalists, activists, and thinkers can report on and analyze what is happening, guided by humanism, equality, and justice. Join us.

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