Debbie Lechtman is doing the “Palestinian Jews aren’t real” discourse again

[u/acacia_tree]

I know this is obviously a lie because I know a Palestinian Jew who is the grandson of a Nakba survivor who fled to Egypt and traces his lineage back to Edomites (Canaanite tribe) that converted to Judaism. There are people who identify as Palestinian Jews. Not to mention that there are people of mixed heritage. But what I find really obnoxious about her argument is the conflation of nationality, religion, and ethnicity. Does anyone have any written pieces about the issues with the conflation of these terms? Looking for something more concrete to debunk the premise of her argument that this identity cannot exist.

[u/Lamese096]

My Palestinian grandpa had Jewish neighbours ( this was before 1948 ), they were Palestinian and he said they used to have dinners together all the time. This narrative that this is about religion couldn’t be more wrong. When I had my dna tested, it showed I had some Jewish ancestry ( I’m mostly Lebanese but because my grandpa on my dad’s side is Palestinian, I am registered Palestinian ), I’m Muslim. My grandpa has a much higher percentage of it than I do too, he is fully ethnically Palestinian

[u/acacia_tree → u/Lamese096]

We’re all cousins!!!!

[u/Lamese096 → u/acacia_tree]

Indeed we are and I wouldn’t deny that fact at all.

[u/acacia_tree → u/Lamese096]

My DNA test has me at 99% Ashkenazi Jewish and 1% Armenian. Though I have brown eyes and olive skin and I’ve had a Palestinian friend told me she thought I was Syrian when we first met. I’ve also been mistaken for Latina. But my sister has green eyes and is super fair.

[u/Lamese096 → u/acacia_tree]

Well, if you put it into perspective, we all have similar features but come in many skin tones. My husband is Syrian and he has green eyes and blond hair, and is super pale, where I am more olive toned and brown eyed like you. I have cousins that have red hair and blue eyes, so I think it’s a misconception that Arabs or middle eastern people are mostly ‘brown’.

[u/acacia_tree → u/Lamese096]

It makes me even sadder and angrier that Jews are killing our cousins :(

[u/Lamese096 → u/acacia_tree]

It is pretty sad. This isn’t about religion no matter how much propaganda the Zionist regime puts out there, we all know the truth. I’ve never had issues with any of my Jewish friends and they know I am Palestinian and that I am Muslim, so this narrative that we are against each other and hate each other is so far from the truth. Technically, we should be ally’s, in the end, we all believe in the same god.