The Fatal Silencing of Right Wing Voices

The horrific murder of Charlie Kirk needs to set alarm bells ringing in Israel.

As Israelis come to terms with the tragic death of one of our most prominent supporters, everyone from the left to the right of the political spectrum needs to take a good look at themselves and ask – are we contributing to an atmosphere in which the next political assassination is just around the corner?

Charlie Kirk was a proud conservative, and since the age of 18, he built an incredible following through his Turning Point organization. While societal norms have changed, he stood up for his conservative values and would defend them against anyone willing to speak to him.

Whether marriage, gun rights, transgender issues, religion, politics or Israel, he debated all the hot-button topics – and stirred up a lot of anger and hatred towards him along the way.

Charlie Kirk didn’t just broadcast his conservative opinions from his studio. He stepped out into an openly hostile environment, often on University Campuses, and then gave the audience an open microphone with which to discuss any topic they pleased.

Time and again, he exposed their bias and distorted opinions, especially when it came to Israel. He was fully aware of the charged atmosphere, which could lead to violence against him.

When you stop having a human connection with someone you disagree with, it becomes a lot easier to want to commit violence against that group. 

It was important for Charlie Kirk to defend not just his views, but also to support the young conservatives who were often in the minority on University Campuses. He would bring private security wherever he would go, a sad testament to the threat against him, one shared by fellow conservative commentators, such as Ben Shapiro.

In America, the murder of Charlie Kirk is just the latest in a long line of acts of political violence and murder, aimed not just at Republicans but also at Democrats.

As of now, no suspect has been caught, so no motive has been revealed. Don’t be surprised, though, if it turns out the murderer was someone who believed Charlie Kirk was a ‘threat’ to society that needed to be silenced and eliminated.

This brings us to Israel.

There has been political violence on both sides. However, in the last few years, the vast majority of violence has come from one side of the political spectrum. The left.

Whether it was the the results of the election which saw Benjamin Netanyahu democratically elected, judicial reform or the war against Hamas, a toxic atmosphere in Israel has been created, perpetuated by politicians in the opposition, the media, which is mostly dominated by those opposed to the goverement, and the wealthy elite who throw their money at protests and campaigns to reach their goal of bringing down the governement.

The results are anarchy on Israel’s streets. The blocking of roads, desecration and vandalism of public property, intimidation against security forces and reporters from Channel 14, whose audience identifies with the political right, have led to several attempts on the life of the Prime Minister.

Flares were fired directly at his home, and one plot saw a grandmother in her 70s, a prominent member of the protest movement, attempting to acquire a rocket-propelled grenade launcher to assassinate the Prime Minister.

When you call the Prime Minister a Nazi. When you accuse him of being a dictator and a traitor. Don’t be surprised when someone thinks that the only solution is to murder him.

There is no doubt that the same atmosphere led to the murder of Charlie Kirk.

Israel has many problems, the war, saving our precious hostages, rampant arab crime, the Haredi draft, the cost of living, religion and so on.

Each issue stirs up emotions. And that’s why we have elections. That’s why we TALK.

While Charlie Kirk may have been murdered for expressing and standing up for his conservative views, there is no doubt that many of those opposed to him are grieving today, because they would have had the chance to debate with him, and while disagreeing, still understood that he was an intelligent and wonderful person dedicated to making a better society for all.

Rosh Hashanah is nearing, the day on which the Jewish people are judged.

Now is the perfect time for introspection, and even if we strongly disagree with each other, let’s talk and see what we can do to lower the temperature and channel our energies into fighting our true enemies. Not the government, but the murderous terrorist organisations and their sponsors around the world.

Charlie Kirk may not be with us today, but his legacy is going to live on, and he will now reach an even bigger audience than before. May his wife and children only know peace and comfort.

I truly hope that finally we will wake up and realise before it’s too late. We need to talk.