Israelis Aren't White
False Assumption: Israelis belong in a distinct non-white MENA racial category rather than the white category.
Written by FARAgent on February 10, 2026
California classified Middle Eastern ethnicities as white for decades. Arab, Armenian, and Somali organizations pushed for a separate category. The U.S. Census Bureau proposed a MENA designation in 2023 and approved it in March 2024. Obama created it in 2017, but the first Trump administration reversed it before 2020.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 91 on Oct. 6, 2025. The law requires state agencies to use MENA for demographic data. It lists Israel among countries included, distinct from white. Armenian Assemblymember John Harabedian introduced the bill for better representation.
The change splits Jewish identity by origin, with Israeli Jews potentially marking MENA while Polish Jews stay white. Critics note self-identification allows access to minority benefits like low-interest loans. Pasadena once gave Armenians affirmative action for government jobs, but a survey later revealed issues. Debates grow over uses of fluid categories.
People Involved
- In California, Gavin Newsom signed AB 91 into law on October 6, 2025. The bill placed Israelis in a new MENA category, separate from white. [1]
- John Harabedian, a Democrat assemblymember from Pasadena and of Armenian descent, had introduced the measure. He aimed to improve representation in demographic data. [1]
- Lila Corwin Berman, a professor of Jewish history at New York University, weighed in on the matter. She noted that how categories get used often matters more than their definitions. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (3)
“On Oct. 6, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 91 into law, creating a new racial or ethnic category to be used when California agencies collect demographic data.”— Flight from White
“The bill was introduced by Assemblymember John Harabedian, a Democrat from Pasadena who is Armenian. He said he did so in an effort to ensure proper representation in demographic data.”— Flight from White
““The thing about these categories is the definitions of them matter, in a sense, far less than what the uses of them are meant to be,” said Lila Corwin Berman, a professor of Jewish history at New York University.”— Flight from White
Organizations Involved
State agencies in California began collecting data under the new MENA category. This move enforced a reclassification that kept Israelis distinct from white. [1] The U.S. Census Bureau had set the stage earlier. In 2023, it approved a MENA policy change that shaped state laws like AB 91. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (2)
“creating a new racial or ethnic category to be used when California agencies collect demographic data. Middle East and North African, or MENA, is a new demographic designation”— Flight from White
“AB 91 is in line with a policy change at the U.S. Census Bureau that was proposed in 2023 and approved in March of this year.”— Flight from White
The Foundation
The foundation for this assumption rested on ethnic advocacy. AB 91 defined MENA to include ancestry from Israel and other Middle Eastern countries. Until recently, white had encompassed such ethnicities. [1] This seemed credible amid pushes from various groups, yet it sparked questions about splitting ethnic identities like those of Jews by national origin. Critics argue that such divisions overlook shared histories. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (1)
“MENA ... explicitly includes those with “ancestry or ethnic origin” from Israel, as well as other countries in the Middle East. It is distinct from the “white” category, which until recently encompassed Middle Eastern ethnicities.”— Flight from White
How It Spread
The idea gained traction through persistent efforts. Arab, Armenian, and Somali organizations pushed for years. Their advocacy led to Census Bureau approval. [1] This momentum carried into California, resulting in AB 91. Growing questions surround whether these campaigns fully accounted for the complexities of identity. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (1)
“It’s the culmination of a long push by Arab, Armenian and Somali organizations to create a new category that is distinct from white.”— Flight from White
Resulting Policies
California enacted AB 91 on October 6, 2025. The law created a MENA category that included Israeli ancestry. It stood separate from white for state demographic purposes. [1] Federally, the Obama Administration introduced a MENA category in January 2017 for the census. The first Trump Administration reversed it before 2020. The Biden Administration revived the effort for 2030. [1] Mounting evidence challenges the consistency of these shifts, as reversals highlight policy instability. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (2)
“On Oct. 6, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 91 into law, creating a new racial or ethnic category to be used when California agencies collect demographic data.”— Flight from White
“The Obama Administration also created a MENA category in January 2017, but the first Trump Administration reversed it before the 2020 Census. The Biden Administration made a similar change for the upcoming 2030 Census”— Flight from White
Harm Caused
In Pasadena, an affirmative action program targeted Armenians. It assumed they were underrepresented in government jobs. A later survey revealed otherwise. [1] This outcome raised doubts about the broader impacts of such categorizations. Critics argue that misaligned assumptions can lead to inefficient policies. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (1)
“Decades ago, Pasadena started an affirmative action program for Armenians on the grounds that not enough Armenians in Pasadena had government jobs. Eventually, a survey was done and it was discovered …”— Flight from White
Downfall
The assumption faced setbacks. The first Trump Administration reversed the Obama-era MENA category before the 2020 Census. This action exposed how policies could flip with changing leadership. [1] Growing questions surround the durability of these classifications, as reversals invite scrutiny from dissenting voices. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (1)
“the first Trump Administration reversed it before the 2020 Census.”— Flight from White
Sources
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[1]
Flight from Whiteopinion