Today, Eitan Bronstein has an oped on Ynet (hebrew site only) responding to the proposed legislation in the Knesset to ban commemorations of the Nakba. Bronstein is Director of Zochrot, a Tel Aviv-based organization which directs education and advocacy campaigns to build knowledge about the Nakba among Jewish Israelis.
A Response to the Proposal to Ban Commemoration of the Nakba on Independence Day
The proposal to legally bar the commemoration of the Nakba on Israel's Independence Day reflects growing trepidation in Israel about the inevitable encounter with the Palestinian Nakba and the understanding that the Nakba is a foundational part of Israeli identity. Until recently, the threat of exposing the Nakba was barely felt. There was no need to fight this repressed demon, which might suddenly reveal itself and disrupt the seeming calm of a harmonious Jewish democracy. But the Nakba is not a demon, not the fruit of deceptive imagination, and therefore we should not underestimate the challenge facing Israeli society: to recognize Israel's part in the expulsion of most of the Palestinian inhabitants of the land in 1948, the destruction of most of their localities (upwards of five hundred), the annihilation of urban Palestinian culture, and tens of massacres, rapes, incidents of looting, and dispossession. Looking into so dark a mirror takes courage and maturity, demonstrated in the research of such scholars as Morris, Gelber, Milstein, Khalidi, Pappe, and others, as well as in the diaries of Netiva Ben Yehuda and Yosef Nahmani.
It is not surprising that the "appropriate Zionist response," to inscribe the forgetting of this human horror into law, comes from the circles of the political right-wing. They have always been more sincere in their racist attitudes toward Arabs in Israel, compared to the Left, which marketed to the world and to us its honest (yet illusory) longing for peace.
More than eighty years ago, it was clear to Jabotinsky, the leader of the historic Right and perhaps the most realistic Zionist thinker, that the establishment of the Jewish state required citizens to be forever soldiers under the protection of the "Iron Wall." Jabotinsky understood that Jewish existence depended upon violent strength, on killing and being killed in a predominantly Arab region that would never accept them. A year ago his student, Tzipi Livni, suggested that Palestinians remove the word ‘Nakba’ from their lexicon as part of a comprehensive peace deal. Our current Prime Minister announced during his recent campaign that he would expunge the Nakba from educational curricula (since when has the Nakba been taught anyway?) and would order the teaching of Jabotinsky’s legacy.
The Greek philosopher Thrasymachus taught us that "the law is what is good for the stronger," but no law, not even that of the democratic Jewish Knesset, can erase the horrors of history. Traces of these horrors will always be visible, in both personal and collective memory and forgetfulness. In Israel, the sabras, prickly cactus bushes, have become vivid and thorny monuments of the Palestinian Nakba. This obstinate plant was brought by the Palestinians from Mexico to mark and defend their territory. The sabra not only persists in the landscape long after Israel expelled those who planted it, it also grows wild despite attempts to eradicate it. Perhaps, in response, the Israeli government should make it unlawful to eat its fruit?
At the same time, remembrance of the Nakba is growing and takes root in the deepening fissures in the Iron Wall. The Palestinian refugees – the majority of Palestinians are, indeed, refugees – have mourned the Nakba from the moment it occurred and demand justice. After the Oslo Accords, when they realized their concerns would be pushed aside indefinitely, they began to struggle effectively against the worldwide disregard for their tragedy. However, the proposed law to forget the Nakba is in actuality a response to cultural shifts in Jewish-Israeli society to coping with this disaster. The real threat to the colonialist Iron Wall occurs as the majority of its soldiers refuse to obey the commandment not to remember. In the last few years, hundreds of Jews in Israel (and around the world) have participated in events commemorating the Nakba during Israel's Independence Day. In recent years hundreds of Israelis have turned to Zochrot – an organization working to bring the Nakba to the consciousness of Jews in Israel – to request information on the topic. Journalists, writers, architects, as well as people in film, television, and theater who grew up on the good old stories of Israel seek to discover their repressed past. Educators are requesting the educational packet on the Nakba developed by Zochrot. Soldiers from the Palmach are turning to Zochrot towards the end of their lives to share stories of what they did and saw in 1948.
Who knows, maybe the day is not far off when the choice at the center of the political debate will be the State of Israel as it is today versus recognition of the Nakba and the right of return of the Palestinian refugees. When this day comes, the citizens of Israel will be able to choose between two clear visions: separation and perpetual violence versus a life of equality for all the country's residents and refugees. To hurry this day forward, maybe we should make up another Hebrew word: “de-colonization.”
Eitan Bronstein
Zochrot
Translation: Yuval Orr (and Talia Fried)
Tel Aviv, May 2009
Interesting post. But um… where is Phil?? We're all waiting for word from Rafah!
Translations from the Hebrew-only editions of the major Israeli newspapers are extremely welcome and valuable. There used to be a Canadian-Arab website that did a great deal of this, but alas it vanished several years ago.
The more information available regarding activities by Israelis protesting against state policies, and why, the more people in the US will understand that this isn't a situation where one side is good and the other bad. Such an understanding is essential to changing US acceptance of Israel's discriminatory practices. Thanks for keeping the home front engaged, Adam.
Hope all is well with Phil.
It is refreshing to hear these honest words come from an Israeli, I just wish that more Israelis would be learn to be honest with themselves …
Adam, thanks for this — I presume you're the translator? It's an important resource; if MondoW was able to offer regular translations from some of the Hebrew press, that'd be very helpful. Some of the readers might be able to help as well. And maybe with Arabic/Persian and other sources, why not? Zochorot is doing important work and it's good to see them speaking out on this. I also hope that Phil's doing Ok. Looking forward to an update when you have a chance…
The Iron Wall is yesterday's story. It is much more important to the understanding of Zionist policy, the financial meltdown, and the behavior of both the Zionist plutocracy and intelligentsia to look at Jabotinsky and Achimeir's ideas of ethnonational fiancial warfare, which is directed against all non-Jews and not only at Palestinians or Arabs:
Hi everyone, First, I wasn't the translator of the Ynet piece, it was Yuval Orr and Talia Fried (listed at the end). I agree it would be great to get a source of translated Hebrew press, unfortunately I don't have those skills. Second, I'm trying to get an update on Phil and promise to post one as soon as I do. The last I heard from him was on Tuesday when I posted this – http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/05/mos...
When I have the time, I will try to do more translating. I have to point out that it is not sufficient for Jews to develop more Nakba awareness. They must come to an understanding that their only connection to Palestine is mythological and that Zionist Jews in Palestine are racist murderous genocidal invaders, interlopers and thieves. Jews have to begin to start showing acknowledgment, remorse, contrition, and atonement for the crimes that have grown out of Jewish politics since the 1840s just as Jews expect non-Jews to show acknowledgment, remorse, contrition, and atonement for the anti-Jewish crimes that have grown out of non-Jewish politics. American Jews must start agitating for the designation of the IDF as a terrorist organization so that the US government can begin wholesale arrest of Zionists and seizure of Zionist assets.
One thing I discovered early on in studying Israel and the Jews is their "rewritting" of history. I don't know of any other culture or peoples or country whose history is 90% myth. That is why so many Jews are totally ignorant of their own 'real' history as understod by the rest of the world. Now it appears they had gone from rewritting history to trying to 'delete" history. But Ithink their rewritting and deleting days are almost over. Too much knowledge and access to objective historians is available at the click of a mouse these days.
I am concerned about Phil. I read a post on TPM by a US Jew who was actually a supporter of Israel and planned to move there. He wrote a very scary account of his treatment upon entering Israel on his last trip. He was held and questioned because of his postings on the net , in which he was arguing for a two state solution..for Palestines to have their country. Not surprising that Israeli immigration uses the net to plug in names to see if people entering the country have any opinions on Israel. And as shown in this guy's case it does 't matter if you area jew or arab. If you have made any statement contrary to the official zionist line you are gonna be shaken up. I amsure the Israelis know who Mondoweiss is.
One of the reasons I started taking hebrew lessons was that I wanted to be able to read, and when I felt it appropriate translate, the hebrew-language press. That is also probably one of the reasons I was kicked off those lessons. However, I have a complete course in basic modern hebrew on my hard drive. I doubt whether I shall pursue it unless I find myself with a hebrew-speaking girlfriend or something of that sort. One needs a concrete motivation, doesn't one?
Maybe his shiksa wife will have an accident? That would make the hasbara agents here very happy.
Well if we go by past events the Israelis could shoot both Phil and his wife in the head, call them Palestine sympathizing terriers and the US would do nothing about it.
Eitan Bronstein isn't helping his cause when he links the recognition of the Nakba to the Palestinian right of return and the one state solution. If Israelis think that recognizing the Nakba would come together with the end of Israel, they'll never recognize it. The message that would be more broadly and easily accepted would be that Israel and Zionism (which I know this blog opposes) can co-exist with recognition of Palestinian suffering. The creation of the State of Israel was undoubtedly a Nakba for the Palestinians. That's a fact. Speaking as an Israeli, I think we should recognize Israel's responsibility for the Nakba and the refugee problem (though not sole responsibility). We should also recognize the Palestinians' right to mourn their losses and we should fight the fascist proposal to ban Nakba commemoration. Let private citizens commemorate it. Don't expect us to apologize for existing, though, or to agree to anything like the right of return or a one-state solution.
The Israeli government considers Phil to be a joke.
Shoot them and then call them terriers? Is there some type of significance to that specific breed of dog? Why not shoot them and call them German Shepherds or Doberman Pinchers instead?
Phil should go out demonstrating with his pals at ISM. That would be interesting. Unfortunately Phil is going to let the professional demonstrators do the work. He will continue along with his friend Martillo push the Palaprop.
Why should the Palestinians agree to a Jewish right of return at their expense? That would amount to the Palestinians apologizing for their mere existence, as a practical matter, no? We are talking about the same land here, so how can one group who came a few centuries later be entitled to a right of return, even if their families have lived in Europe or the USA for multiple decades, while the other group with roots going back for centuries, at least to the Ottoman Empire, not be entitled to a right of return, or least full reparations?
Because Jews are the Chosen Ones and the rest of us are not. Some Jews really take that seriously and believe it as it is the 11th commandment: Thou art special and chosen above all
I don't oppose reparations. That would come together with a recognition of our responsibility for the Nakba. Compensating Palestinians for their losses and suffering isn't the same as recognizing their right to come back into Israel proper. Neither side has to recognize the other side's right of return, which in both sides' cases isn't a natural right but a politically created right. Israel and Palestine can each grant a right of return to their own territroy to whichever groups they wish. Israel won't be able to bar the return of refugees into the Palestinian state and Palestine won't be able to bar the return of Jews to Israel. Each country would democratically determine its own immigration policy.