Last week, the right-wing network raged around a forum of intellectuals who meet every Friday afternoon for a discussion in the living room of the philosopher Prof. Yosef Agassi.
Some time ago, Prof. Moshe Burnett, who taught in sociology, political science and communication at the Open University, was invited to speak at the forum.
The lecture was filmed and uploaded to the Internet and drew many reactions, because like Daniel in the Lion's Den, Prof. Burnett was not afraid to speak in front of the cream of the Israeli intellectual - and leftist - elite about her "betrayal" of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and especially the public behind it.
The instructive lecture did not innovate much for those who follow Netanyahu's trial and the media discourse around it, and in any case, Brent's remarks were not directed at the right - wing camp.
It was a novelty both in the forum where the things were said and in the systematic way in which Prof. Burnett laid out argument after argument, accusation after accusation.
But above all, the reactions of the intellectuals, who sat in the lecture and opened their eyes in astonishment at Brent's "boldness", taught us a chapter in the detachment of the elite from the Israeli public and democratic values.
Shocked that someone "of their own" declares his appreciation for Netanyahu, the elite also proved to us that the level of arguments against the opposition leader, even if they are allegedly made by learned and uplifted people, is no higher or deeper than the arguments that can be heard in parliament My neighborhood.
There are people who studied for a day or two at university, wrote a book or two, and what they slap at their Plugata bar is that "my uncle Amsalem is a baboon." Shhh, needless to say, a supreme academic argument. And it continues: "Speaking of Amsalem, I wrote on Facebook that there is a problem of secretions for adults through the mouth as well ... and that Amsalem comes to the Knesset without a diaper and sometimes runs away from him," one of the "intellectuals" sang to the laughter of the other participants. Mr. Doctor, for such profanity and such sublime tongue sharpening, need a PhD? I am doubtful.
Want more?
Accept: "People like you (Moshe Burnett) and Avishai Ben-Haim, who lead these people, this is the culprit of the country, this is what makes our country unacceptable."
In what exclusive club our country is "unacceptable", Mr. Scholar?
In what narrow and monotonous world do different opinions "from the conventional" qualify for a boycott and expulsion?
Until when will people who are sure they have a monopoly on freedom of expression call people who do not think like them "sick"?
And while the camera is on, Dr. Yigal Ben-Nun sits down and says: "The critical question is the relationship between the elite and the people.
The claim that the people are more important is wrong, dangerous, and that is what is happening today.
Democracy is dangerous in the basic sense of the word.
The wisdom of the masses is the most horrible thing that can happen. "Someone apparently moved Dr. Ben-Nun's cheese, and this person is called" the people. "
Such a brat ...
And it goes on and on, for an hour or more of grotesque arguments, and mostly not deep ones.
And this is the tragedy: Are these your intellectuals, Israel?
Those who see democracy as a "danger"?
In ideological opponents "sick"?
How did the creators turn around - or were they always the opposite - and the so-called "democratic" camp favors a totalitarian regime in which an elite rules the ignorant people?
The intellectuals can quote until tomorrow the principles of the French Revolution and the philosophers who initiated it and grew out of it.
Freedom, equality, fraternity are not here, but condescension which is not based on anything substantial except belonging to the "normal camp" and the right word.
There is no right-winger or right-winger who has not been asked at least once: how can an intelligent woman like you, how a wise and prudent man like you, support Bibi?
As if the left is the ultimate estimate of wisdom, morality and values.
In light of Prof. Burnett's lecture and the responses of the forum that listened to it, let me chuckle.
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
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