Franco-Israeli, Julien Bahloul was a journalist at I24 News. In the past, the author also served as a reservist in the IDF Spokesman's Unit. Now business development manager in an Israeli high-tech company in Tel Aviv, he regularly analyzes Israeli news on Twitter and in several French media.
“Can you explain to me what is happening in Israel?”
.
How many times have I received this message in the last twelve weeks.
Twelve weeks during which Israeli society was deeply divided.
Not this time because of a territorial concession, as in the 1970s with Egypt, or in the 1990s with the Palestinian Authority.
This time the Israelis are torn on a question that concerns the future of their society: the place of justice in the balance of powers, so crucial in a democracy, between executive, judicial and legislative.
Shabbat meals with the family ignite in a second, the tone rises around the coffee machine at the office, the words fuse in the two camps: traitors, anarchists, fascists, elitists, racists... The demonstrations are linked, sometimes several times a week.
Israelis, so unaccustomed to social movements, who do not protest when the retirement age is pushed back, take to the streets by the tens of thousands, Israeli flags in their hands.
Day or night, rain or shine.
For most of them, this is the first time they have demonstrated.
As time passes, everyone is asked, even summoned, to take a stand.
Artists who remain silent are taken to task.
And the world is watching us, dumbfounded, speechless in the face of an Israeli society that has gone through so many hardships and that has always impressed with its resilience.
These Israelis hit by so many wars and attacks but who have amazed many countries with their ability to resume a normal life, so quickly, to continue living no matter what, these same Israelis today would be on the brink of abyss according to some.
The racist and homophobic escapades of certain far-right Israeli elected officials as well as the first version of the justice reform project force us to speak out, to express our attachment to the State of Israel and our concern for its future.
Julien Bahloul
Beyond journalists and observers, Israel's friends feel deep unease.
Jews or not, those who have always admired this strong democracy, those who have a relative in the country, those who have a spiritual, cultural, political or simply affectionate connection for the State of Israel do not know what to think.
And some ask themselves this question: should we talk?
Are we legitimate to express ourselves?
For these people living abroad, the rule that was in order was the following: do not wash dirty linen in public.
Especially during times of war.
Outside friends must support this State whose security is systematically threatened.
Only those living on the spot are legitimate to express their disagreements and their criticisms.
They live the reality, they do their military service, they suffer the attacks, they alone have the right to speak.
I myself have followed this line for a very long time.
Apart from a few subjects, I kept my opinions on domestic politics for the debates in Hebrew…and for the voting booth on election day (so many here…).
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One of the reasons is simple to understand: by exposing our critical opinions to the rest of the world, we fear that they will be taken over by certain ill-intentioned politicians.
None of us want to give water to the mill of the grotesque anti-Israeli propaganda of elected officials like the LFI deputy Ersilia Soudais who speaks of deportation to designate the expulsion of Salah Hamouri, or of Louis Boyard who uses the word
"massacre"
in connection with a raid by Tsahal against Islamic Jihad (recognized as terrorist by the EU)...and who does not say a word of solidarity when, a few days later, seven Israeli civilians are assassinated leaving a synagogue in Jerusalem.
But the current situation has changed and forced many of us, myself included, to come out of our silence.
The racist and homophobic escapades of certain far-right Israeli elected officials (who in no way represent the essence of Israeli society) as well as the first version of the justice reform project (described as a "danger to democracy"
by
the President of the State) require us to speak, to express our attachment to the State of Israel and our concern for its future.
The model of the demonstrations in Israel can serve as inspiration: everything is done to show that this is a mobilization of proud patriots.
Julien Bahloul
Recently, I received a private message on Twitter from a Jewish community leader accusing me of writing against Finance Minister Smotrich's racist and homophobic remarks.
His words were:
“See for yourself how much and how this type of tweet generates hatred of Israel”
.
I understand his sincere concern, but we can no longer accept this type of blackmail.
There will always be extremist voices, left and right, religious or not.
Blaming those who speak for stirring up hatred of Israel is an erroneous and dangerous statement.
Those who damage the image of the country are those elected officials who make unbearable remarks, not those who condemn them.
The fire alarm siren is not blamed for being the cause of the fire.
What credibility do we have in the fight against anti-Semitism, for example, if we remain silent when inadmissible remarks are made before our eyes?
I refuse to let them have the monopoly of speech.
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The friends of Israel all over the world, Jews or not, are wondering today if they should react on the question of the reform of justice.
The question is legitimate, they feel that the future of the country also engages them, in their link to the country.
They also wonder, above all, how to do it without their position being taken up by anti-Israeli propaganda.
The model of the demonstrations in Israel can serve as inspiration: everything is done to show that this is a mobilization of proud patriots.
The blue and white flags are distributed by the thousands, the speakers on the platform are former army officers, the songs sung are patriotic... If the movement continues to spread abroad (as it is already case in certain cities), he must take his inspiration from what is happening in the streets of Israel and above all take care to keep his distance from ill-intentioned false friends in search of political payback.
Don't get the wrong allies.
Do not forget that for some, the problem will never be the policy of the Israeli government, but rather the existence of the country and its flag.
To the true friends of Israel, Jews and non-Jews, sincerely worried about the divisions in Israeli society, the answer to their questions may be found in the Bible, in the Book of Isaiah: "For the love of
Zion I will not be silent.
For Jerusalem's sake I will not rest”
(Isaiah 62:1-5).
The divisions will eventually pass, the Israelis will come together.