Sabra (person)

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Sabra (Hebrew: צבר) is the word used to describe a native-born Israeli.^[1]. The word is derived from the Hebrew word tzabar, the name of the "prickly pear" cactus (also known as the "cactus pear"), Opuntia ficus-indica. The allusion is to a tenacious, thorny desert plant with a thick hide that conceals a sweet, softer interior i.e., tough on the outside, sweet and tender on the inside.

This terminology, however, has a deep political meaning, and a practical use: The practical use is a friendly way for non-native Israeli Jews to distinguish themselves from the native Israeli Jews (and doing this without using some politically incorrect terminology). For example if an Oleh Hadash (a new immigrant) wants to express negative feelings towards the Israeli culture, he can do it in a more friendly way, by speaking of the "vulgar behavior of the sabras" rather than speaking against the culture of his new homeland. Moreover, spoken Hebrew, like all other spoken languages, is looking for "shortcuts". While saying "I've been dating few native Israeli girls in the last year" is accurate but long, saying "I've been dating few sabras in the last year" is much shorter and as accurate.

This terminology was politically used by the Zionist movement, to glorify the "new Jew" the Zionist movement had created. Unlike the "old Jew" that was born in the Jewish Diaspora, who is stereotypically bourgeois, the "new Jew" is stereotypically a kibbutznic (or moshavnic for that matter). Unlike the "old Jew" who didn't take actions for his self-defense, the Sabras are serving in the IDF.