The young women in question are from families that came from ex-Soviet Union, and especially from its Central Asian republics. These women face tripple stereotyping, if not discrimination. First of all, they are women, and they, as well as their families, are in the process of redefinition what it means to be a woman in Israel - their new home. Second, they are ex-Soviet, a not very welcome identity in Israel in general (although the population is gradually recognising its huge contribution), due to the fact that there were so many in the 90s. Most experienced depressing downward class mobility, since their skills were or were believed to be inapplicable in Israel, and competition in the labour market was harsh. See recent Israeli public opinion about immigration.. Third, within the ex-Soviet group, they are also often not as welcome as highly educated people from Moscow or St.Petersburg. Of course, these are broad generalisations, and there are many success and mobility stories. The point is, however, that for these women it is harder to fit into the society that for some other groups. As the blog entry linked to before shows, many also live in rather disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

The Israeli government welcomes and financially supports Jewish immigrants from all over the world in their first stages of entering the Israeli society. Like most countries, it expects something in return, i.e., adoption and internalisation of the country's dominant values, or, in this case, some kind of Zionist commitment. Immigrants are given free or cheap Hebrew classes, counselling and, as mentioned before, financial assistance. However, in less than a year, when the assistance evaporates, new immigrants usually find that being Jewish doesn't help living in Israel anymore. In fact, they are immediately attributed a new identity: 'Russian', 'Ethiopian', etc. The mainstream Israeli population expects them to learn the 'Israeli ways', whatever it means, but at the same time it often sticks to its own stereotypes about the immigrants. For example, research by Prof. Dafna Lemish and Prof. Nelly Elias shows how Israeli media portrays ex-Soviet immigrant women as having loose morality and doubtful Jewish identity (due to intermarriage rates in the FSU). Earlier sociological researches have also shown that 'veteran' Israeli children often avoid making friends with FSU immigrant children, saying that first they should learn the Israeli culture. As of 2007, less than 13% of FSU immigrants (slightly over 30% among 25-34-year-olds) had ever had a relationship outside their 'ethnic' (=FSU) group, and only 2% had a permanent Hebrew-speaking partner (data from an article by Larissa Remennick in the book "Every seventh Israeli").

The municipality sources quoted in the blog above claim these women are also [construed as] 'unattractive' and hence even more at risk. Yet it seems to me that their relationships with Arab men are not only a result of the ability of the latter to 'notice gold in ashes', or some kind of solidarity of the groups living on the margins of the society, but also of their strive to belong in the Israeli society and attach themselves to the group that is just there for them - to listen to their worries, to empathise with their troubles, to help them find their way through... A relationship can serve as exactly that, and these Arabs speak Hebrew, know how to find their way around, and are probably less full of machist pride (that doesn't exclude machism as such though). One of the cutest sight ever was seeing an Arab helping my new Jewish immigrant (ola) friend with her Hebrew homework. After four months in Israel, I think I already understand how it feels for these women :)

However, the gender trap does not vanish just from the fact that one marginalised group understands another. As the author of the blog linked to admits, Arab families can be very racist and exclusive, and rural communities even more so. Domestic violence may be a problem as harsh as in the... errm... Soviet Union? Also, I would add that, although not universally true, unfortunately, there are many cases when non-Muslim women fall prey to stereotyping patriarchalist attitudes, when they are viewed as more sexually available than Muslim women and hence 'worth' exploitative behaviour. Therefore there are certain worrying trends, and the municipality has a right to worry.

Yet this is only a part of the picture, that sheds light on identities rather on the real ('basic' in a Marxist sense) problems that produce all these behaviours. First of all, it is a fact that domestic violence is widespread in many Israeli families, including religious, ex-Soviet, and even the most mainstream. Shelters for battered women are always full. Next, it is often the combination of identity and class position (marginalisation, discrimination, failed dreams) that fuel such problems as domestic violence, or even hurrying into relationships and marriages without much consideration. Finally, I totally aggree with the blog author that it's the families and the communities that need treatment. Instead of identifying 'women at risk' in such a humiliating way and interfering in their personal choices, the municipality could set up a inter-cultural communication centre where couples and families could learn how to cope with cultural differences and community pressure, and a hotline for people already facing problems. It is not only unfair to assume that women dating Muslims will by definition have problems such as ostracism and domestic violence. It is equally unfair to ignore the same problems faced by Arab women dating Arab men, and Jewish women dating Jewish men, and not treat them on equal grounds.

My mother used to say half-jokingly, that women and men are already different enough to find it hard to build a life together, and when culture messes in, it's even harder. While true in many cases, Richard Rorty has said something more optimistic: intermarriage is the best way of 'natural' cultural translation, because it leaves no other choice. Public institutions in Israel should start really focusing on help in inter-cultural communication, rather than deterrence thereof. If an Arab village learns to accept a Jewish girl and recognise her as a welcome member of the community, there's nothing that would gain more from it than the State of Israel.