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Political Absorption The Case of New Immigrants fr om the CIS in Israel Dina Siegel Siugel, Dina 1995 : l'oliticali\b�orption. The Case ofNuw Immigrants from tlw CIS in lRmel. Ethnnlogia Eurnpnen 25: 45-54 . The wavu of,ll.!wish umigrat ion from thu filrmur Soviet Union sincu tlw latu 1 980s h:u; cru:ll.ud variou� group�, iduological trunds and new political movemunt.s. 'l'hu sut.Ling up of political organ izations among thu nuw immigrants in )�raul is prusuntud huru a� a ruaction to powur-rulations, both within the Russian Juwi;;h co m munity, and in tlw lsrauli sociuty around it. 'l'his papur presunts sonw umpir·ic fi ndings of my fiuld-work, conducted in lsraul in 1994 , about the dynamics ofthu involvement of new i mmigrants into Israeli's political life, their political tenden­ cius and thu activitius oftheir leaders. 1\vopo litical movements are presented heru: J . ) tlw indupundunt party of nuw immigrants, basud on tlw rupresentativu� ofthu Hu�sian-Juwish intl.!iligentsia, who considur Hussian and Hussian-Jewish culture and history to be commonly sh ared . On the other side they realize that in order to mobiliw widu �upport among thu potential Israeli voters they have to �earch filr a special strategy to combine diflerent identities and ethnic symbols; 2.) the ultra­ nationalist movement of new i mmi grants, based on representati ves of the exist ing ultra-Right parties, trying to unite the Russian Jews against the governmental policy on the territories after the peace agreement with the Palestinians. Some aspect s ofthe relationship between new i m migrants and Israeli Arabs, which l ead to the tendency of many Russian Jews to identify themselves with the ideas of the ultra-Right parties, are analysed as well. Dina Siegel, M.A.- Faculty of Social Stu.dies, Vr ije Uniuersiteit, De Boeleloan 7105, NL-1081 HVAmsterdam, The Ne therlands. Introduction about the social and political needs of those who The wave of Jewish immigration fr om the CIS create them, than about the new immigrants since the late 80s has created various groups, themselves. ideological trends and political movements, Though the policy of "kli ta yeshara" (direct about which little is known. Though it is consid­ absorption), was accepted a few years ago with ered to be the biggest "aliya"' in the history of the aim to avoid the isolation of new immi­ Israel, and though the problems of absorption of grants from Israeli society (previously they new "olim"2 occupied one of the most important were concentrated in Centres of Absorption), places in Israeli inner politics and everyday life the new immigrants fo und their own ways and of the society, it remains a neglected area in mechanisms to remain together in their "Rus­ anthropological research. Knowledge about this sian circles", in the environment, where the immigration is restricted to common gloomy language and information sources for their ori­ associations with "professors with brooms", entation in Israel is available and convenient. "girls-prostitutes in massage saloons", "hungry The term "the ethnic community of Russian people, collecting rotten tomatoes at night at Jews" in Israel became one of the strongest the market", or "playing the accordion in rainy categories of group-identity. This situation led streets". These images, especially when fe a­ to the raise of a class-hierarchy among the tured in the Israeli press and used at the ros­ immigrants, to the emergence of a Russian­ trum of the Knesset3, could teach one more Jewish elite and leadership, and to the creation 45 of new ideological ::;tre<:un::;. But on the other try to ::;how how the "olim" form their ethnic side, rernaining i::;olated from other J::;raeliH, identity in l::;rueli society and how they :;etup developing a dependency on governmenta l and their organizations, by making usc of sym bols public organiwtions (Huch as the Ministry of and meanings of these identities. Symbols and Absorption, the M inistry of Science, the Jewish their interpretation play one ofthc most impor­ Agency, etc.), the new immigrants showed little tant roles in the fi>rging of the political and iniere::;i in public afl�tirs and politics . They ethnic identity ofRussian-Jcwish "olim". I shall declared thai "their purpose is to survive eco­ try to show how different forms of"olim" organ­ nomically and culturally". The few very half� ization represent various ways of shapi ng iden­ hearted attempts of new immigrants to form tity. On the other hand, I shall dwell on the political parties on an ethnic basis, initiated by means, used by the "aliya" leaders for the polit­ "vaiikim" (immigrant-veterans, who arrived in ical mobilization of new i mmigrants, one of Israel during the previous waves of "aliya', in which is the interpretation of the "aliya" sym­ the 70s and 80s), !�tiled in the elections ofl992. bols for their own political purposes. Conclud­ Tn the course of time, the "ol im" learned i ng, I shall sum up the findings ofthis study. Hebrew, the principles of politics and the pol it­ ica I culture of th e Israeli society, which led them Key fa cts and theoretical background to change their own identity and to find their way in different political and public organiza­ To understand the chain of events in Israel and tions. This paper presents some empirical find­ in the fo rmer Soviet Union, which led to the new ings of a field-work conducted in Israel at the political developments among the Russian Jews, end of 1993 - beginning of 1994, about political one needs some background information on tendencies among new immigrants, the activi­ immigration in Israel in general, and on the ties of"aliya" leaders and involvement of"olim" Russian-Jewish immigration in the 90s in par­ in the political life of the country. ticular. The central theme of this study is the dy­ The Law of Return (passed by the Israeli namics of the involvement of new immigrants Knesset in 1949) recognizes the right of all Jews in Israel's political life. The purpose is twofold: in the world to settle in Israel. Immigration 1) to present two specificpolitical movements of embodied the most important issue of Zionism: Russian Jews; 2) to explain why the use of Jews constitute a national group, which seeks symbols plays an important role in the relation­ self-determination in Israel, which is consid­ ship between new immigrants and Israeli poli­ ered to be their historical land. ticians. The first Jewish immigrants to Palestine The two organizations, which I intend to mostly came fromEa stern Europe and Russia. describe in this paper belong to the "Right" wing But after the establishment of Israel in 1948, oflsraeli politics. I shall ask why many Russian the majority of Jewish immigrants came from Jews sympathize with andjo in Right-wing move­ the Middle East and North Africa. The ethnic ments. This question is particularly relevant gap between Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews, because it was precisely the support ofRussian­ together with differences in economic and edu­ Jewish "olim" that tipped the balance of power cational opportunities, led to tensions between in favour of the Labour Party in the 1992 elec­ these two groups of the population. The trau­ tions. The recent setting up of Right-oriented matic experiences of Sephardic Jews during organizations of new immigrants could be the their absorption in a new country led to wide outcome of a number of reasons: disappoint­ debates on how new immigrants should be ment of the "olim" with the policy of the "Left" treated and even questioning the necessity of government, wide propaganda of the "Right" mass "aliya" in general. A contribution to this opposition and constant tensions between Jews debate was also made by Israeli Arabs - anoth­ and Arabs, either living in the occupied territo­ er ethnic group, mostly hostile to any new wave ries or in Israel itself. In this paper I shall seek of Jewish "aliya". to analyze these aspects more explicitly. I shall In the 60s-70s the immigration ofJews fr om 46 the former Soviet Union begun; approximately "ethnic identity" of Russian Jews. Wherever· a 230.000 "olim" arrived during Lhc two decades. movement of people occurs fr om one country to In the 80s immigration ceased altogether. In another the main problem they have to fa ce is the period between 1989 and l 993, however, their economic ::;urvival in the new place. Thai more than 550.000 Russian Jew::; arrived to is why dealing with the concept of "ethniciiy" Israel. one has to take into account that one is dealing One of the reasons fu r th is increase in the with "varying expressions of ethnic identity... immigration in nux was the rcsuliufthc rad ical which is the matter of perception, but thai chango in the emigration policy of the Soviet perception is shaped and coloured by its ::;ucial government in l 986, which was continued by environment" (Epstein 1978: 27). the present leadership ofRus::;ia, and the deci­ Barth gives emphasis to the fact, thai "eih­ sion of the United States not to grant entry n ic groups arc categories of ascription and iden­ permission to Russian Jews, who had received tification by the actors themselves" (Barth l 969: an Israeli entry visa. 10). To the extent thai "these actors usc ethnic The Russian Jewish "aliya" generated a dras­ identity to categorize themselves and others for tic increase in the housing budget. A lot of poor purposes of interaction" (Barth 1969: 13f.),they small towns in the Negev and in the North of shape "ethnic" organizations.
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