Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons^™

The Intersections Of Queerness And The Arab Jew, Julianne Zala

Student Symposium

The term Arab Jew (also referred to as Mizrahim) is extremely fraught, because they seem to have two contrasting identities. This group is not Arab or Jewish. They are not accepted by Palestinians, Arabs, or Israelis. Mizrahim are caught between two identities. In addition, not all Arab Jews want to define as such. Instead, some Arab Jews identify as either Arab or Jewish. I am using queer as an umbrella term for the LGBTIQA+ community. My project specifically looks at the intersections of these identities and the stories that exist in this community. Mizrahim are a heterogeneous group with different …