As the IDF was clashing with pro-Palestinian militants in the flotilla off the coast, democracy was not-so-calmly being debated in the Suzanne Dalal Center in Tel Aviv. The divided, and vocal, audience, was at a 3-day Israel-France Forum organized by the French Institute and France's embassy in Tel Aviv, with a host of other partners from Israel and France.
The French love to talk. They were led by star orator-philosopher-journalist Bernard-Henri Levy, who has faced strong criticism by French Jews for helping to organize JCall, a left of center group along the lines of JStreet in the US, though he noted the latter has ignored its existence. In addition, mainstream French don’t like Levy either, with some saying he has become more Jewish than French, but they are probably jealous of his looks, money, and wife.
“The Israeli government is losing the battle of images on the international level, and the deaths and violence on the boats heading for Gaza are a disaster for Israel, whatever the real reasons,” said Levy. “It was a stupid action by the Israeli army.”
That brought a round of applause from many native Israelis in the audience, and continued catcalls from local residents originally from France. Many of the former French residents were wearing a kipa, and were a visibly more conservative group.
With him on stage was Minister of Culture and Sport Limor Livnat, who did not seem happy with his remarks.
On another touchy subject, Livnat said that Palestinians and Arab states had to accept Israel as a Jewish state. “If we don’t insist on that, the Palestinians will continue to demand the right of return of millions of refugees, and that would mean the end of Israel,” she said.
This brought applause from the many former residents of France among the hundreds of people gathered in the hall, while native Israelis remained silent. They have heard this many times before from the Netanyahu government.
Levy did not waste any time. “Nobody in the Arab world will ever recognize Israel as Jewish state,” he said. “In the past, it was always more important to gain recognition with safe and recognized borders.”
The French began yelling at him, “safe for whom, what about Jerusalem, go back to France, you’re dreaming….” and more, but Levy doesn’t give up so easily and cannot be out-argued, it seems.
“The dreamers are those who think that PA President Abbas will come to the Knesset and recognize a Jewish state,” he said, his voice rising. “It simply won’t happen. Why play the game of the Arab world? We won’t have peace with understanding, pathos and love. I want a dry peace. We’ll make love afterwards. We can’t wait forever.”
As most Israelis applauded energetically, the French public erupted. “Yes, we can wait - on va attendre, on va attendre,” they yelled.
As audience members turned around and asked them to be quiet, security men came over and repeated the request at close quarters. “But we are Israelis too,” yelled one man in French. “This is democracy. Who are you? You’re not Israeli.”
On opening night, Levy spoke alone on stage for more than one hour without notes as only he can do, about the foundations of democracy in the Talmud, and how Israel is one of the most vibrant democracies in the world. He explained the two currents of French foreign policy, one pro-Arab, although now President Sarkozy is a friend; and the other, earlier, one, in which the French helped build Israel’s most closely guarded non-secret, the nuclear center in Dimona.
“Israel must have Dimona,” he said. “Nuclear power in the hands of a democracy is not a threat to the world, but in the hands of an extremist madman like Ahmadinejad in Iran, it is a threat, and he must be stopped.” Everyone applauded that statement.
But the French were furious when he said, “holding onto the West Bank is a cancer for Israel on the democratic level.” Native Israelis applauded.
Then he defended the founding of JCall, signed by hundreds of European Jewish political and cultural figures, but strongly criticized by French Jewish community leaders as a threat to Israel.
“JCall is an expression of democracy between the diaspora - Galut - and Israel,” he said. Of course, native Israelis applauded while the French yelled remarks.
As people were leaving Sunday night, a bearded young man with a kipa, yelled from the balcony, “JCall is a threat to Israel. It should not exist. You don’t belong here.”
The crowd stopped. The lights were on. Levy looked up. “What a pity if dialogue among friends is censored,” he yelled back. “You want to censor us. That is a sign of regression.” The young man had nothing more to say.
There were round tables with Israeli and French journalists, cultural figures and the head of the elite state-run political science institute, on media, film and literature, including one on censorship. It became apparent that there was no comparison: Israeli journalists live with daily military censorship, while French journalists practice self-censorship.
Tel Aviv-Jaffa mayor Ron Huldai, one of the forum sponsors, opened with the statement, “the separation of religion and state has not yet been achieved in Israel. We must dialogue with others.” Then he promptly left.
Like many French movements, JCall may not be effective. One subject that was not discussed was where the Left is in Israel, and why it is so dispersed. While left-leaning Jews in the Diaspora are organizing, “smolanim” and the center-left in greater Tel Aviv are working during the day and going out to dinner at night. It is a “smolanim b’misada” or “restaurant Left” with no leaders, no charisma, and no force, albeit with many opinioned and frustrated individuals.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 2, 2010
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