Whether I m an Israeli Jew or Palestinian is irrelevant to my mind Suffice it to say that I m perfectly willing to make or hear jokes about my ethnic group s I am partially Scottish and presently have a joke on the Ref Desk about me being thrifty since this is a supposed characteristic of the Scots I could refrain from making such jokes and accuse anyone who does of being a racist who propagates ethnic stereotypes or could only do that if those who make the jokes aren t partially Scottish themselves But how would that help to increase understanding between groups The world would still think we Scots were cheap and then would think we were humorless too