Semitic Action
Encyclopedia
Semitic Action was a small Israeli political group of the 1950s and 1960s which sought the creation of a regional federation encompassing Israel and its Arab neighbors. Created in 1956, the group's key members were Uri Avnery
, Natan Yellin-Mor, and Boaz Evron
, with other members including Maxim Ghilan
, Shalom Cohen
, and Amos Kenan. Joel Beinin
describes the group as "a political expression of the Canaanite movement
" which "advocated that Hebrew-speaking Israelis cut their ties with the Jewish diaspora and integrate into the Middle East as natives of the region on the basis of an anticolonialist alliance with its indigenous Arab inhabitants."
In 1958 the group published a platform, titled "The Hebrew Manifesto." It described the "Hebrew nation" in Israel as a new entity, albeit one linked to the Jewish diaspora, and called for moving beyond outmoded Zionist ideas that were now holding back the nation's development. It put forward a program of secularism, complete civic equality between Jews and Arabs, support for anti-colonial movements, and a relationship with the diaspora based on national interest rather than ethnic, religious, or cultural ties. Jacob Shavit writes that the manifesto emerged from the meeting of three groups: former Canaanites, former Lehi
members who had moved to the Left, and Avnery and his associates, who Shavit describes as "neither Left nor Right."
The group published a journal, Etgar (אתגר, "Challenge"), edited by Yellin-Mor, weekly or biweekly from April 1960 until March 1967. It also attempted to run for the Knesset
. One of its founders, Yaakov Yeredor (a former Lehi member), represented the Arab nationalist group al-Ard
in three of its trials.
In December 1960 several members of Semitic Action (Avnery, Yellin-Mor, Ghilan, Cohen, and Kenan) created the Israeli Committee for a Free Algeria, a group supportive of the FLN
in the Algerian War, in opposition to Israel's official policy. The impetus for this decision came from Henri Curiel
, who had introduced Avnery to members of the FLN and suggested to him that an independent Algeria would repay Israeli support by becoming Israel's first friend in the region.
Semitic Action was revived in early 2011 as a grassroots peace movement by activists seeking what they call "a revolutionary alternative to foreign-backed organizations that only exacerbate local frictions and bring the peoples of our region further from genuine peace."
The new Semitic Action describes itself as a non-political "social movement working towards the advancement of dialogue between the Jewish people and other indigenous peoples of the Middle East." Since its resurrection, the movement has organized meetings between Palestinians and Israeli settlers in the West Bank
, initiated campaigns to raise support for an independent Kurdistan and promoted a unified front of indigenous peoples against foreign political influences in the Middle East. The movement has also been vocal against westernization
, globalization
, pro-Israel support from the American Christian right
, Islamophobia
in Israeli society, capitalism
and the funding of local political organizations by foreign governments.
Uri Avnery
Uri Avnery is an Israeli writer and founder of the Gush Shalom peace movement.A member of the Irgun as a teenager, Avnery sat in the Knesset from 1965–74 and 1979–81...
, Natan Yellin-Mor, and Boaz Evron
Boaz Evron
Boaz Evron is a left-wing Israeli journalist and critic. Evron was born in Jerusalem and attended Herzliya Hebrew High School and Hebrew University. Evron's family had lived in Palestine since the early nineteenth century; he is the great-grandson of Yoel Moshe Salomon, one of the founders of...
, with other members including Maxim Ghilan
Maxim Ghilan
Maxim Ghilan was the director of the International Jewish Peace Union, the first Jewish organization to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization as a partner in dialogue. He was the co-founder, in 1971, of the periodical Israel and Palestine Political Report.-Early life:Ghilan was born in...
, Shalom Cohen
Shalom Cohen (politician)
Shalom Cohen was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset between 1969 and 1974.-Biography:Born in Baghdad in Iraq, Cohen's family moved to Egypt when he was six years old. He attended an English college in Alexandria, where he was one of the founders of the local Hashomer...
, and Amos Kenan. Joel Beinin
Joel Beinin
Joel Beinin is Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History and Professor of Middle East History at Stanford University. From 2006 to 2008 he served as Director of Middle East Studies and Professor of History at the American University in Cairo.-Education:...
describes the group as "a political expression of the Canaanite movement
Canaanism
Canaanism was a cultural and ideological movement founded in 1939 that reached its peak in the 1940s among the Jews of Palestine. It has significantly impacted the course of Israeli art, literature, and spiritual and political thought. Its adherents were called Canaanites...
" which "advocated that Hebrew-speaking Israelis cut their ties with the Jewish diaspora and integrate into the Middle East as natives of the region on the basis of an anticolonialist alliance with its indigenous Arab inhabitants."
In 1958 the group published a platform, titled "The Hebrew Manifesto." It described the "Hebrew nation" in Israel as a new entity, albeit one linked to the Jewish diaspora, and called for moving beyond outmoded Zionist ideas that were now holding back the nation's development. It put forward a program of secularism, complete civic equality between Jews and Arabs, support for anti-colonial movements, and a relationship with the diaspora based on national interest rather than ethnic, religious, or cultural ties. Jacob Shavit writes that the manifesto emerged from the meeting of three groups: former Canaanites, former Lehi
Lehi (group)
Lehi , commonly referred to in English as the Stern Group or Stern Gang, was a militant Zionist group founded by Avraham Stern in the British Mandate of Palestine...
members who had moved to the Left, and Avnery and his associates, who Shavit describes as "neither Left nor Right."
The group published a journal, Etgar (אתגר, "Challenge"), edited by Yellin-Mor, weekly or biweekly from April 1960 until March 1967. It also attempted to run for the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
. One of its founders, Yaakov Yeredor (a former Lehi member), represented the Arab nationalist group al-Ard
Al-Ard
Al-Ard was a political movement made up of Arab citizens of Israel active between 1958 and some time in the 1970s. It was the first Arab dissident group of significance to emerge from within Israel that managed to attract the attention of parallel Palestinian nationalist movements outside...
in three of its trials.
In December 1960 several members of Semitic Action (Avnery, Yellin-Mor, Ghilan, Cohen, and Kenan) created the Israeli Committee for a Free Algeria, a group supportive of the FLN
National Liberation Front (Algeria)
The National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Algeria. It was set up on November 1, 1954 as a merger of other smaller groups, to obtain independence for Algeria from France.- Anticolonial struggle :...
in the Algerian War, in opposition to Israel's official policy. The impetus for this decision came from Henri Curiel
Henri Curiel
Henri Curiel was a left-wing political activist. Born in Egypt, Curiel led the communist Democratic Movement for National Liberation until he was expelled from the country in 1950. Settling in France, Curiel aided the Algerian Front de Libération Nationale and other national liberation causes...
, who had introduced Avnery to members of the FLN and suggested to him that an independent Algeria would repay Israeli support by becoming Israel's first friend in the region.
Semitic Action was revived in early 2011 as a grassroots peace movement by activists seeking what they call "a revolutionary alternative to foreign-backed organizations that only exacerbate local frictions and bring the peoples of our region further from genuine peace."
The new Semitic Action describes itself as a non-political "social movement working towards the advancement of dialogue between the Jewish people and other indigenous peoples of the Middle East." Since its resurrection, the movement has organized meetings between Palestinians and Israeli settlers in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, initiated campaigns to raise support for an independent Kurdistan and promoted a unified front of indigenous peoples against foreign political influences in the Middle East. The movement has also been vocal against westernization
Westernization
Westernization or Westernisation , also occidentalization or occidentalisation , is a process whereby societies come under or adopt Western culture in such matters as industry, technology, law, politics, economics, lifestyle, diet, language, alphabet,...
, globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
, pro-Israel support from the American Christian right
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
, Islamophobia
Islamophobia
Islamophobia describes prejudice against, hatred or irrational fear of Islam or MuslimsThe term dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, but came into common usage after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States....
in Israeli society, capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
and the funding of local political organizations by foreign governments.