Q&A: Racism
Racism
Question
Hello and blessings,
The high-tech professional Amir Carmeli took part in a Knesset committee and said that “50% of the people in high-tech came from the immigration from Russia, and not the whiners from Iraq and Morocco.” The committee chair, Lazimi, cut him off at that very moment and condemned his remarks, and from what I saw he was denounced across the board.
My question to you is: do you think this is a racist statement? (In the negative sense of the term.)
Answer
There are several columns here about racism, and there you will see that there is no good definition of the concept, especially in its negative sense.
If he really thinks that, and especially if it is true, then there is no racism here (but perhaps a lack of tact). If it is not true but he thinks so, he can be blamed for negligence in not checking carefully. But as long as he does not draw practical conclusions from it, I do not see any flaw here beyond a negligent mistake.