One of my more controversial takes is that the conflict between Arabs and Jews, at least in part, is purely cultural. Which is to say, should all history be erased, and a room was filled with memory-wiped Arabs and Jews, they would quickly and inevitably return to a state of conflict. Strangely, I believe there may be (though to a lesser extent) a similar dynamic with Jews all over the world.
This is something like the story of Joseph - and crucially, the fact that the story of Joseph is one told and held so central by the Jewish people, may be the very cause of it.
On the face of it, the moral of the story is clear. Joseph is the favorite of 11 sons. He receives lavish gifts from his father (a coat of many colors), but he also has vivid dreams about his family bowing down to him. His brothers, jealous, sell him into slavery. Through a God-given ability to interpret dreams, Joseph rises to great power and eventually saves the region from famine. He forgives his brothers, reuniting his family and declaring, “what you meant for evil, God meant for good.”
But perhaps the beginning of the story deserves greater scrutiny. Joseph is the favored son - a favor that likely already caused tension among the siblings. Here is perhaps another lesson: parents, you do a disservice to all your children when you show clear favoritism. But even worse, Joseph stokes this fire by loudly proclaiming the dreams he has, of ruling over his whole family. The crime of the brothers, though not justified, is certainly caused by the combination of these two factors.
One might imagine the story ending after Joseph is sold into slavery, with a lesson on favoritism and hubris. Instead, Joseph’s mistake is not only brushed over, he is greatly made into the hero of the story. His hubris, or at least the lack of politic in his brotherly relationships, is almost rewarded as his lofty dreams are made real.
Consider now the Jewish people. They are called ‘God’s chosen people,’ the tribe hand-selected by God from the very beginning of time, to be the showcase of God’s character. It is not that God does not love the other peoples (his love is immense, infinite, in all cases), but it certainly does appear that He has a favorite, one that is not like the others. Immediately the first link is clear: the appearance of a father’s favoritism will undoubtedly cause tension between the siblings.
Even more, though, is the unchecked manner in which this is portrayed, spoken, advertised. Naturally, given the ending of Joseph’s story, there is no voice to say, ‘if you think you are the favorite, you must be especially careful with how you talk to your brothers, lest they try to cast you out.’ Instead, one might see how the modus operandi becomes, ‘we are special, and we do not need to hide it, because eventually everyone will come to see it and agree.’ Even further, ‘those who do cast us out are to blame, they are criminals, the perpetrators of unjustified violence. We, innocent, are not just victims, we are heroes.’
As I write this, the nation of Israel is far ahead of all of its neighbors, by most metrics that seem to matter. Their economic engine, rate of innovation, education levels, and long-standing government are all objects of envy by the Arab nations. Meanwhile, the Jewish population of Europe and the United States continually outperforms when it comes to academic contribution, socio-economic status, and positions of power. There have been and will maybe always be conspiracy theories about the power of the Jews and the way in which it manifests, but even the continued existence of these theories is evidence of the fact that the Jewish people, barring persecution, seem to do very well for themselves. In this sense, they are ‘blessed,’ although this blessing, like Joseph’s coat of many colors, is also a curse for the resentful attention it draws from others.