Netta Barzilai takes an old Israeli Mizrachi love song and turns it into a haunting cri de cœur. Plus a Purim photo that, in retrospect, is no less haunting.
When the international women's groups refused to acknowledge the rape, the torture, the dismemberment, etc. of Israeli women, that was a monumental betrayal, but it happened because the "Jews are the white oppressors who run the world and Israel is the greatest oppressor nation and the cause of all international misery" trope dehumanized these women. They didn't have human rights because they weren't human. But that was not the first dehumanization.
The fact that Israeli men didn't listen to the women, didn't care if their warnings were evidence-based, came from the same kind of dehumanization. "Calm down, sweetheart," because nothing a woman says really needs to be taken seriously. This is a huge problem in our culture. Not just the Jews, but almost every culture on the face of the earth disrespects women. The war we're in right now is the direct cost of this disrespect. The Israeli leadership betrayed the women first, and all the deaths are the consequence.
Of course Hamas and its entire messed-up value system and narrative are who committed the atrocities, but there have been so many enablers. The international condemnation Israel has suffered for having been the victim of genocide, for the DARVO gaslighting that Israelis are the committers of genocide, we can kind of expect that. But among our own, you'd think we'd find allies. Those women never had allies. Even our own never really considered them human.
Regarding the heroic 'tatzpetaniyot' who were left to confront the barbarity of Hamas on October 7: Nothing less than heart wrenching. May the souls of those we lost receive an aliyah, and may the hostages be returned home soon. We need answers and I hope the families get them.
Haviv's presentations are amazing and helpful. Please share whatever he did at Shalem with the rest of us!
When the international women's groups refused to acknowledge the rape, the torture, the dismemberment, etc. of Israeli women, that was a monumental betrayal, but it happened because the "Jews are the white oppressors who run the world and Israel is the greatest oppressor nation and the cause of all international misery" trope dehumanized these women. They didn't have human rights because they weren't human. But that was not the first dehumanization.
The fact that Israeli men didn't listen to the women, didn't care if their warnings were evidence-based, came from the same kind of dehumanization. "Calm down, sweetheart," because nothing a woman says really needs to be taken seriously. This is a huge problem in our culture. Not just the Jews, but almost every culture on the face of the earth disrespects women. The war we're in right now is the direct cost of this disrespect. The Israeli leadership betrayed the women first, and all the deaths are the consequence.
Of course Hamas and its entire messed-up value system and narrative are who committed the atrocities, but there have been so many enablers. The international condemnation Israel has suffered for having been the victim of genocide, for the DARVO gaslighting that Israelis are the committers of genocide, we can kind of expect that. But among our own, you'd think we'd find allies. Those women never had allies. Even our own never really considered them human.
We should learn from that.
So haunting. I appreciate hearing and seeing your snippets of Israeli life.
Regarding the heroic 'tatzpetaniyot' who were left to confront the barbarity of Hamas on October 7: Nothing less than heart wrenching. May the souls of those we lost receive an aliyah, and may the hostages be returned home soon. We need answers and I hope the families get them.