Abstract
The presentation traces the genealogy of situating Mizrahim as Mediators, as go-betweens who operate on the borderline that emerged between the Jew and the Arab and between Hebrew and Arabic. It explores how this position was perceived as “bridging” the two cultures and national identities while maintaining the clear separation lines between them. On the one were expected to support the Jewish national struggle as translators and interpreters, yet were also associated with the danger of mixing with the Arab-Palestinians and crossing the linguistic, social, and cultural borders and were suspected of dual loyalties, treason, and promoting cultural assimilation.
By focusing on “becoming mediators” as a process and not a fixed position, the presentation expands the scope of cultural and social activities that could be considered under the title of “Mediation,” from actions that aim to bring people closer or reconcile, to other roles such as a platform for spying, collaboration, and propaganda.
One of the case studies discussed in the presentation is the role of Mizrahi Jews in The Voice of Israel in Arabic (Kol Yisrael in Arabic). Most radio workers were Mizrahi immigrants born and raised in mixed urban centers such as Baghdad, Cairo, and Damascus. The station was considered a bed for psychological warfare and propaganda for years. Their work on the radio is seen as part of Israeli propaganda and, therefore, overlooked in the discussion on Mizrahim as translators and mediators. The lecture re-explores this work and integrates it within the larger context of Arab-Jews becoming mediators, traces the different continuations and connections between the various positions and projects, and how they problematize and transgress the binary partitions between the Jew and the Arab and between Hebrew and Arabic.