A nice Sefardi article
Sephardi (Sephardim in theplural) is one of the most debatable terms in Israeli sociology. The term's meaning is literally "Jews who came originally from Spain." In the Israeli context nowadays, there is a difference between what Shas and its supporters understand by Sephardi and what the rest of the secular public understands. When the leaders of Shas speak of the Sephardim, they intend to emphasize the importance of Spanish Jewish customs (minhag) as opposed to the Ashkenazi customs as the authentic one for all Jews in Israel. From the point of view of Ashkenazi Israelis, Sephardim means Jews who came from Spain and from Arab and Muslim countries. The Jews of Spanish origin called themselves "pure-bred Sephardi" (Sephardi tahor). The "pure Sephardim" considered themselves a separate population, distinct from and above Jews who had arrived in the Holy Land from Arab and Muslim countries. In this treatise I prefer to use the term Sephardim instead of others such as Mizrahim or oriental Jews simply because it is the term with which Shas identifies itself. See Haaretz 31 August 2000; Daniel J. Elazar, The Other Jews: The Sephardim Today (New York: Basic Books, 1989), 15.
The Hebrew term Sephardim (in singular, Sephardi) is used for descendants of Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula-Spain and Portugal-before the expulsion. But this view is mistaken in a number of ways. For instance, the Jews of Africa, Iraq, and Iran are often described as Sephardic but in fact have a unique history of their own.
Some Sephardim like to call themselves “Sephardi tahor”, or “pure sephardi”, when they claim a Spanish heritage from the time of the Inquisition, as opposed to all other (so-called) Sephardim, Jews coming mostly from the Arab countries, who are conveniently labeled as “Sephardim” ex negativo, because they are not Ashkenazim.
The Hebrew term Sephardim (in singular, Sephardi) is used for descendants of Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula-Spain and Portugal-before the expulsion. But this view is mistaken in a number of ways. For instance, the Jews of Africa, Iraq, and Iran are often described as Sephardic but in fact have a unique history of their own.
Some Sephardim like to call themselves “Sephardi tahor”, or “pure sephardi”, when they claim a Spanish heritage from the time of the Inquisition, as opposed to all other (so-called) Sephardim, Jews coming mostly from the Arab countries, who are conveniently labeled as “Sephardim” ex negativo, because they are not Ashkenazim.