''Ars'' ( he, ערס '), or ''Arsim'' (the plural in Hebrew) is a derogatory

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

slang term derived from the Arabic word for pimp. It is usually used to denote a certain

ethnic stereotype An ethnic stereotype, racial stereotype or cultural stereotype involves part of a system of beliefs about typical characteristics of members of a given ethnic group, their status, societal and cultural norms. A national stereotype, or nationa ...

: low-class men of

Mizrahi ''Mizrachi'' or ''Mizrahi'' ( he, מזרחי) has two meanings. In the literal Hebrew meaning ''Eastern'', it may refer to: *Mizrahi Jews, Jews from the Middle East * Mizrahi (surname), a Sephardic surname, given to Jews who got to the Iberian P ...

origin who associate with a certain

macho Machismo (; ; ; ) is the sense of being " manly" and self-reliant, a concept associated with "a strong sense of masculine pride: an exaggerated masculinity". Machismo is a term originating in the early 1930s and 1940s best defined as hav ...

subculture. An ''ars'' is typically crude, uses vulgar language, hangs out with criminal types and wears flashy clothing and jewelry.

Etymology

The origin of the term is from Arabic word ''Arts'' ( ar, عرص, ') – which means shepherd, and is used colloquially to refer to pimps (who "shepherd" prostitutes).

History

While ''ars'' originated as a derogatory term for Mizrahim, it is also used for members of other ethnicities in Israeli society, such as Russian-speaking immigrants or young men of

Ethiopian Ethiopians are the native inhabitants of Ethiopia, as well as the global diaspora of Ethiopia. Ethiopians constitute several component ethnic groups, many of which are closely related to ethnic groups in neighboring Eritrea and other parts of ...

origin. In 2013, an Israeli labor court ruled that a prospective employer discriminated against a Mizrahi applicant by calling him an ''ars''. This case set the precedent for recognizing the term ''ars'' as a racial epithet. In 2014, a documentary series called ''Arsim uFrekhot'' (frekha is a feminine equivalent epithet aimed at Mizrahi women) was broadcast on Israeli television. The series examines the history of discrimination against Mizrahim and the social norms of white privilege versus Mizrahi marginalization as they appear in Israeli society. The mannerisms associated with pimps in the early days of the State of Israel, which formed the basis of the stereotypical ars: lack of education, associating with criminals, being prone to violence, hailing from low class neighborhoods, dressing in loud clothing, wearing gold chain necklaces or bracelets and using vulgar speech. Related terms used by the Ashkenazi majority were "pushtak" (vacuous) and "tchakh-chakh" (riffraff). Sometimes the word ars is "feminized" by adding a feminine suffix (''arsit''), although it is not commonly used for women. The word frekha is the closest feminine epithet that is applied to Mizrahi women. A "''frekha''" is the implied partner, neighbor, or relative of the ''ars'', but the characteristics ascribed to her are different – the ''frekha'' is low-class, dresses gaudily, wears too much makeup, has long and brightly colored nails; she is flighty, shallow, a slave to fashion, and uneducated.

References

{{reflist Arabic words and phrases Class-related slurs Hebrew slang Mizrahi Jewish culture in Israel Ethnic and religious slurs Racism in Israel Slang terms for men Stereotypes of working-class men Working class in Asia

Etymology

History

See also

References