Guy Chet__what do Israelis look like?

American Jews hail from Yiddish-speaking communities in Eastern Europe. They exhibit great uniformity in sociological profile, skin color, cultural and political sensibilities, and religious habits. By contrast, Israel is a mix of Jewish identities and cultures – most Israeli Jews hail from Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, the Middle East, or central Asia. Israel therefore exhibits great diversity in cultural and linguistic background, religious tradition, skin color, and cultural and political sensibilities.
These differences between American and Israeli Jews breed misconceptions American society about Israel. In short, Americans generally assume that Israelis look, think, and act like the Jews they know from their American neighborhoods, classrooms, workplaces, and television shows. Unaware of other kinds of Jewish identities, Americans assume a level of understanding about Israel that they do not presume with regard to other foreign countries/cultures.
Israel represents a useful and accessible case study for how Americans perceive foreign cultures through the prism of the American experience. This talk illustrates how cultural bias can shape foreign relations.