Does Israeli Society Need a Reformation?
Since the events of October 7, 2023, Israeli society has been in the midst of a firestorm. With implications of a genocide in Gaza, abuse of Palestinian prisoners, and critics blaming the majority of the transgressions to the concept and application of “Greater Israel,” there seems to be only two courses of action.
One, is to deny all accountability of these things, pointing to anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic propaganda coming from the Left and Right both in the United States and internationally.
Second, is self-reflection.
Every society, if it is to remain healthy and vibrant, must have times of self-reflection and a mea culpa moment.
Has Israeli society come to this point? Is it even willing to consider missteps and national sins?
There are indeed elements in Israel who think so.
Yair Golan, an outspoken critic of Netanyahu, has called Israeli actions in Gaza as “Fighting against civilians…and expelling a population,” echoing terms like “Nakba.”
And he has suffered for it by verbal abuse and threats on his life.
Yashar!, Together, Yisrael Beytenu parties have called for major changes in Israel’s approach to the Palestinian question, preferring diplomatic outreaches rather than bombs.
B’Tselem has even called the actions in Gaza a “genocide”—probably the first Israeli organization to actually use the term.
These organizations and the people in them do not constitute a “5th Column” in Israeli society. Rather, they are concerned Jews who want their country to return to the moral high ground.
Beyond the borders of Israel are the untold numbers of Jews around the world who have suffered verbal and physical abuse because of the way that Israel is perceived. Namely, as an out-of-control nation persecuting and killing innocents.
Certainly, Israel had to answer the attacks of 10/7/23 with force; over 1000 Israelis were slaughtered in cold blood. Those that committed this crime had to face the cold hand of justice, which the IDF did with aplomb.
However, the world at large recoils when they watch on the news a video of a 2000 lbs. JDAM hit a civilian building. Indeed, Hamas fighters love to hide in soft places where innocent people live. But even if several terrorists are taken out, what of the women and children that are taken with them?
Sure, one may reason that Hamas was not a little terrorist group hanging out in Gaza, but rather the duly elected government of Gaza. Thus, the concept of “group punishment” would certainly be in order. Correct?
There is much truth in this.
Yet, Gaza combined with the perception (there’s that word again) of Israel’s undue influence on the US to attack Iran has seemingly turned world opinion against the Jewish State.
There is no doubt that Iran, a country that has called for the annihilation of the “Zionist entity” again and again, is an existential threat to Israel. Of this there can be no doubt.
The question is how much influence Israel has over American foreign policies and is the US fighting a proxy war for Israel. After all, Netanyahu has appeared at the UN over the last couple of decades, complete with charts and graphs, claiming that Iran is only “months away” from having a nuclear weapon.
The world remembers this and wonders.
Then there are reports about the atrocious conditions in Israeli prisons, the mental, physical and sexual abuse of prisoners, and the refusal to admit that something in the moral standard is amiss.
When you wrap all of this in the old tropes of “Jewish control” of the media and the expansive influence of AIPAC, which has played nicely into the hands of real anti-Semites, it becomes a witch’s brew of hate that spills into Jewish communities around the world.
Perhaps Israel has not really acted so poorly. Perhaps the reality of a tiny country surrounded by those who wish to destroy it has caused Israel to act decisively and without mercy for self-preservation.
Right after October 7, Netanyahu appeared on Israeli TV to address the outrageous events. In closing, he wagged his finger at the camera and said, “Remember Amalek!” referring to the first nation to attack the Jews after the Exodus. Torah proclaims, “blot out Amalek!”—and yet the Jews of the time failed to totally destroy them.
Self-reflection does not necessarily mean one has totally crumbled morally. It simply means to make a full-stop and look at where you came from and where you might be going.
All those that want to see Israel survive and thrive could do nothing more than to desire this.
Joseph M Bianchi is an independent journalist whose works have appeared in national and international publications. He has written on the rise of the “new anti-Semitism” as well as Middle Eastern events. He is based in Greenville, SC.