Israel - something that really bothered me

[Blasphemy]

Hello my brothers,

I know this is something you probably didn't hear about, but i want to share with you something that really bothered me in my country.

A few weeks ago, and very well respected israeli singer - Yafa Yarkoni - gave an interview in which she repudiated israel's occupation of the palestinian territories, and encouraged soldiers to refuse to serve in the occupied territories.

The israeli youth movement, which consider themselves to be socialists and some even communists, decided to ban the singer's songs and to not sing them in ceremonies like Memorial Day and the Holocaust Memorial Day.

I was shocked to hear that the so-called socialists movements would ban a singer just because she has different opinions than them. They say they ecourage individualism where they actually advoate conformism. And they're supposed to be socialists leftists.

I'll be glad to hear what you have to say on the subject. Peace my brothers.

[BOZG]

That is an absolute disgrace. How can they call themselves Socialists/Communists if they refuse to help their common brothers and sisters.

[Angie]

I guess it depends on where you live and what the issues are.

Personally I advocate the singer's actions, considering them honourable. I can also understand that the socialist groups within Israel may not be functioning in the same sort of way as what they do in most western nations, due to what is currently happening there (and for the record, I abhor the actions of suicide bombers, though can understand why they do it, and are for the most part in support of the Palestinians over the Israeli military.)

I can see how wartime situations such as theirs may warp the way they view what is socialist and what is not.

I think what the groups did was unfortunate, but not actually coming from Israel, I cannot say that it is horrible - I haven't enough information on what they support.

We really do have to accept that situations are different the world over, and that even forms of socialism may risk buckling and curbing, depending on those individual situations.

We need more information before we can come to any real conclusions.

[Blasphemy]

Angie, i live in israel, and what they did is condemn an opinion that is different from theirs. you also can't comprehend the issue fully because you don't know the singer, who contributed so much to Israel. in my opinion, what they did is horrible. the youth in the movements learn that you can condemn someone just because of their opinion! what kind of an education is that. these movement are also "independant", meaning that are sponsored by individuals, and have nothing to do with the state. and yet, they act like agents of the state just like teachers in school. instead of raising the youth on values of free speech and tolerance, they teach them to be intolerant! I was active in one of these movements, but after this affair their true face was exposed and i left the movement.

[Reuben]

welcome blasphemy really good to hear what your saying . From what I know, although the traditional "Left" such as peace now are a bunch of sell outs who fall into line with the establishment, there are some really good groups such as gush shalom although they are quite small.

WWhat is it like to live in Israel with your opinions etc? My mother lived in Israel for a bit and didnt like it at all.

BTW, comrades, I am going to have an intersting protest experience on Monday. My grandmother is going to attend a huge pro-israel pro-sharon rally on monday while me and my parentss will be attending a counter rally of jews opposed to the occupation. Ill try not to throw a brick at her though if im provoked,..

[ArgueEverything]

welcome to the board, blasphemy.

the actions of the group you mentioned are thoroughly despicable, though understandable as well, to a degree. nationalism is something very hard to get rid of once it is deeply embedded into a culture.

[Reuben]

i agree with argue everything. the problems nationalism

[ArgueEverything]

yup....and the saddest part is that if there is any group of ppl who should be averse to racism, its the jews.

i heard a jewish professor on TV say that jews are the most assimilationist race in the world - they have historically had the most inter-racial relationships.

[Blasphemy]

Reube, you seem to know your way around the convoluted israeli political map. i agree with you on peace now being sell-outs, but they do organize huge rallies all over israel.
Gush Shalom are the most serious and extreme peace organization - breaking into Jenin with trucks loaded with medications and food.
It seems that lately, the israeli left has gotten significantly smaller than it was 7 years ago, when Rabin was Prime Minister. But what is left of us is still active, and organizations like Gush Shalom definitely lead the left. I hope that when the war ends, some of the leftists who turned right will come back to their senses and return to the left.

[Xvall]

Oh yeah! They're Socialists!
Just like Hitler!

Yeah.. Right...
Socialist don't do that sort of thing.. By the way, I would like to know more about that singer.. Does the singer speak english, and can I write to her?

[Blasphemy]

well Drake, she is quite an old woman, well over 70. lately she confined herself to her home because she is afraid to go out. the media made such a fiasco about it that she was attacked in the middle of the street, phsically attacked. the papers say she doesn't even aswer the phone and she hardly communicates with her own family. she's been through quite a traumatic experience lately. i feel so bad for her. with the beginning of the intifada, israeli nationalism has raised its ugly head.

[BOZG]

Oh yeah! They're Socialists!
Just like Hitler!

Everytime when I think Hitler called himself a socialist, I just have to sit back and laugh.

[I Will Deny You]

Welcome, Blasphemy. I like what you have to say.

I'm not sure about what's going on with Israeli socialist groups, but this is really disgusting. It's good that someone was willing to stand up against the occupation . . . we need more people like that. Is it possible, though, that these groups condemned what she said because, as you pointed out, the Israeli Left is shrinking? I don't have nearly enough information, but I'm guessing that they might have said that to get more favorable coverage in the mainstream papers. Whether that was the rationale or not, I still disagree with them though.

The good news related to Israelis speaking out against the occupation is that becoming a "refusenik" is a more and more common thing among Israeli soldiers, according to the papers. At least there is some hope.

Shabbat Shalom,
Lindsay