Even co-opted Mizrahi movements can challenge the dominant ideology through rejection of secular identity.

Evidence

To a large extent, Shas represents accommodation to, and co-option by, the dominant ideology. Nonetheless, it is important to recognize the challenge posed by the movement, particularly by Arieh Deri, its exconvict leader, whose activism and beliefs have clearly subverted current definitions of the Jewish collectivity. Shas is a phenomenon that embodies a myriad of contradictions and a number of dangers, but also one critical feature that should not be overlooked: its absolute rejection of the identity of “secular” Israel, as the symbol of evil in present Israeli politics, is a manifestation of the orientalist core. — Ivan Davidson Kalmar, Derek Penslar, Orientalism and the Jews, 667

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to earlier material on Shas as political accommodation; the ‘orientalist core’ framing ties to the book’s overall thesis.