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History in the Making

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This paper looks to explore the complex combination of those who are both Arab in culture and Jewish by faith. This complex dual identity is generally known as Mizrahim or Arab Jews. Within the general Arab-Israeli dispute, this identity complicates the conflict by challenging the normative understanding of nationalism. Moreover, this paper examines the history of the Mizrahim through the Palestinian-Jewish experience in pre-establishment Israel and further examines the social changes that affected Mizrahim within the Israeli State after the 1948 War. Various primary source documents, essays, personal accounts, peer-reviewed journals, and surveys are used to understand the identity and role of the Mizrahim within Israeli society. This paper seeks to illuminate the fact that Israeli society is not homogenous, but a state with a diverse population, making it difficult for the Israeli state to establish a strong unified sense of nationalism.

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