berman@ihopb.UUCP (Rational Chutzpah) (01/18/85)
>Will someone please tell me what a Vus-vus is ????? > Dave Bloom ============================================= "Vus-Vus" is a derogatory term used by Sephardic Jews (Jews from non-European origin) such As Martillo against Askenazi Jews (Jews of European origin) such as Rubin. The etymology is from the Yiddish (language of European Jewry) word "vus" (similar to the German word "vas") meaning "what?" It is based on the conception that Askenazi Jews go around asking a lot of questions, and mocks them for this. In Israeli society, there is a severe cultural barrier between the Askenazi and the Sephardic Jews. By and large the Sephardic are at the bottom of the economic pile. The political implications are contradictory. On one hand you find the most rascist anti-Muslim elements among the Sephardic (such as Martillo). On the other hand there are progressive strains of people at the bottom fighting for economic justice. And just possibly, because the Sephadic Jews generally come from Arabic cultures (Morrocco, Iraq, etc.), there is a strain of understanding the plight of the Palestineans among some Sephadic Jews that may someday be the key to a just solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Andy Berman ---------------------------------------------------------------
dave@lsuc.UUCP (David Sherman) (01/18/85)
In article <660@ihopb.UUCP> berman@ihopb.UUCP (Andy Berman) writes: || And just possibly, because the Sephardic ||Jews generally come from Arabic cultures (Morrocco, Iraq, etc.), ||there is a strain of understanding the plight of the Palestinians ||among some Sephadic Jews that may someday be the key to a just ||solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. I guess my Ashkenazi heritage must make me immune to the poor Palestinians' "plight" and somehow insensitive to this "just solution". Sure there's a just solution: the Arab countries should long ago have resettled those now in refugee camps. They have both the money and land to do so; they chose not to in order to keep the pressure on Israel. The tiny country of Israel absorbed hundreds of thousands of Jews from Arab countries; there is no reason why the Arab countries could not have done the same for their brethren. David Sherman Toronto -- {utzoo pesnta nrcaero utcs}!lsuc!dave {allegra decvax ihnp4 linus}!utcsrgv!lsuc!dave