How Is Every Identity Sacred — Except Yours?
How Is Every Identity Sacred — Except Yours?
Why Everyone Gets to Be Proud — Except You
Once, when someone asked, “Where are you from?” you’d answer with pride:
“I’m Israeli. Jewish. Zionist.”
Today, say that out loud — and someone in the room will flinch, whisper about your T-shirt, and ask the teacher if it’s still legal to call you a fascist.
But don’t worry.
Had you introduced yourself as a “binary post-colonial mixed-ethnic spiritual entity,” you’d have received a standing ovation.
Because that’s how it works now:
Your identity counts — only if it checks the right boxes.
| Identity | Status in Western Culture |
|---|---|
| Proud Jew in Israel | Problematic |
| Settler? | Extremist |
| Combat soldier? | Colonial oppressor |
| Ultra-Orthodox Jew? | Primitive |
| Traditional Mizrahi? | Welcome — as long as he votes left |
| Arab? | Oppressed minority — every argument is “lived experience” |
| Palestinian? | Sanctified martyr |
| Tel Aviv vegan with a Brooklyn accent? | Global cultural passport |
What Are We Being Sold in the Name of “Identity”?
That “every voice matters” — except yours.
That “no culture should be judged” — except yours, of course.
That “identity is complex” — until you simply say you’re Jewish, and then suddenly it’s… suspicious.
And when you dare ask, “Wait — do I get a voice too?”
The answer is always: “It’s complicated.”
(Code for: Shut up.)
How It Looks on the Ground
A Palestinian rally with Hamas flags? Authentic political expression.
A Jewish family singing Hatikva in blue and white? Arrogant provocation.
An oppressed ethnic group in America? Festivals, funding, university courses.
Right-leaning Jews in America? Traitors to the community.
Zionism? A white colonial movement dripping with privilege.
Bedouins in the Negev with illegal weapons? A “complex social issue requiring sensitivity.”
The Rule Is Simple:
Every identity is sacred — except the one with roots.
If you’re connected to your tradition — you’re suspicious.
If you’re proud of your nation — you’re problematic.
If you wish to preserve your culture — you’re accused of hating others.
But if you dissolve every boundary, mix every meaning, cancel every anchor — you’re “progressive.”
You’re “enlightened.”
You’re “fluid.”
(And no one notices that all that fluidity mostly washes away the spine.)
The Strangest Part?
You — the descendant of the oldest, most persecuted, most resilient people on Earth —
have become the default suspect in every discussion about identity.
Because your identity is:
- Too strong.
- Too clear.
- And worst of all — too connected: to the land, to history, to something larger than yourself.
And in postmodern culture?
That’s the one unforgivable sin.
So What Do You Do?
You stand tall — and you don’t apologize.
You remember: a strong identity doesn’t erase others — it just refuses to erase itself.
You build a new conversation — one that honors every identity, including yours.
And above all, you don’t fall for a “progress” that sanctifies confusion — while erasing roots.
הירשמו כדי לקבל את הפוסטים האחרונים אל המייל שלכם
Great, finally someone is saying it out loud! I felt exactly that way recently. There are clear rules about who is allowed to be “proud” of their identity and who needs to apologize. Your point about Jewish identity and its connection to roots, which is perceived as “too strong” in postmodern culture, is an accurate and thought-provoking diagnosis. It is important that we continue to stand our ground without apologizing.
A bit too simplistic. I agree with some of the frustration, but the article seems to miss the fact that minority identities have struggled for years to gain recognition. When we talk about “sacred identity,” we are usually talking about disadvantaged groups whose identity has been suppressed. The “strong” identity you describe is one that has held power for a long time, and a little criticism of it is not a disaster, but a necessary balance.
How relevant to Israelis abroad. I live in Berlin, and the atmosphere you describe, in which Israeli-Zionist identity is seen as an automatic guarantee, is daily. The article gives me peace of mind that I am not alone in this frustration. We need to keep talking about it and stop being silent.