Let me state at the outset that I am a Jew, an ardent Zionist and a former Israeli. I lived in Tel Aviv between 1968 - 1977. I speak, read and write fluent Hebrew and still have family and good friends in Tel Aviv. When I first visited the country with my parents in 1965, as a 12 year old, there wasn’t much to be impressed by. Israel was an agricultural and military powerhouse even then, but living standards were low, the country’s leadership was dedicated to socialism (the Labor Party had not lost a single election between 1948 and 1977) and the Prime Minister at the time, Levi Eshkol, expressed his view that The Beatles should not to tour the country, as their music might corrupt the martial spirit of Israeli youth! In the intervening years, Israel has become a cultural and a high-tech giant. The achievements of the Israeli computer industry are legendary, the artistic and music scene in Tel Aviv rivals that of London. The freedom of the Israeli press is - or at least has been - unbridled. Israeli democracy is vibrant and wild. There are speed trains and six lane highways, shopping malls and excellent restaurants such as you won’t find anywhere else in the Middle East. One other thing you will not find anywhere in the Middle East is a flourishing gay community. Tel Aviv has recently been voted the most gay friendly city in the world, even ahead of San Francisco. I love the country, I love its people, I love its language and poetry. Hebrew is the only language that allows you to read a 3 thousand year old text yet it modern form has managed to create hip street slang.
Israeli democracy has withstood wars, internal strife, Intifadas, the assassination of a Prime Minister and violent parliamentary bickering. And yet, when Covid hit in early 2020, Israel folded like a beach chair, just like every other western country. But there was more: via an exclusive contract with Pfizer (the details of which remain obscure, I believe), Israel undertook to vaccinate all of its population. The goal was - and remains - to administer the jab to every Israeli citizen. A huge battle is ongoing as we speak as to the efficacy and ethics of inoculating children. I believe the government is winning the battle and it fully intends to put needles in the arms of babes-in-arms.
As if that weren’t bad enough, a few months ago the government began their Green Passport program. I am told that this program has either been discontinued or soon will be. In the meantime, it has caused undue suffering and hardship to thousands. Under the scheme, only the fully vaccinated could obtain the Green Pass and only holders of the Green Pass were allowed entry to non-essential businesses and restaurants - in other words, without it, just about the only thing one could do is shop for food and household essentials and go for walks (masked, of course). There was a case earlier this spring when 95 year old Holocaust survivors were not permitted to board trains bound for a Holocaust Memorial ceremony if they did not have a Green Pass. The history of Jews and trains is profoundly tragic and the symbolism of needing “special papers” for a train journey is not lost on anyone. Old and frail men and women who had survived Hitler’s hell, now denied boarding a train in Israel. The irony is staggering.
I’ve been asked many times why I thought Israel had gone so far and so deep into Covidism in light of the very tragic history of the Jews in the 20th century. There is no easy answer but the country’s history offers some hints. While on the one hand Israeli military service (compulsory for both men and women) makes for strong, tough, determined people, it also engenders more “groupthink” than is common in other democracies. Military service is the backbone of Israeli society, its melting pot, its vast absorption center. You serve whether you are a sixth generation Sabra or a newly arrived immigrant (“oleh chadash”) from France. You learn strict military obedience early on and forge an powerful sense of community. In Israel the slogan “we’re all in it together” really means what it says. When Hamas rockets rain on kindergartens in Southern Israel, you’d better believe they’re all in it together and willing to strike back like one man. Therefore, uniformity of action is common and goes unquestioned.
Israel, of course, has a long war history, during which civil obedience is not questioned. I was in Israel during the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and saw the civil obedience in action: the silence, the blackouts, the curfews, the massive civil and military sacrifices. The loss of young men in battle when the country mourns as one. During the Yom Kippur war, my then girlfriend lost her brother. Dudu was 23 and died during the Sinai tank campaign. We were all united in purpose at that time, and the united purpose gave us meaning when all seemed lost and meaningless. When it comes to the government saying “you must do this, it’s the only way out”, there will be far fewer questions than there would be in the United States. You trust your community, you trust your government. There is no other way in time of war.
When the Government decided that Green Passports were the way to go, there was very little pushback. I’ll admit - I was, and remain, severely disappointed in this idiotic move. How could a Jewish country, home to millions of formerly persecuted individuals, allow this approach - a “hygiene fascism” in the words of Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben? It’s illogical, it’s useless, it’s criminal. It’s truly shameful. No society should ever divide its citizens into the clean and the clean, the worthy and the unworthy - no matter what the excuse. A Jewish society taking such a step is even a bigger travesty. Perhaps my analysis of how Israeli society has been conditioned to work lock-step with its government throughout a seemingly endless series of crises will at least partially illuminate the mystery.
This makes a lot of sense. You explained it well. It's still hard to believe and so sad to me. On the one hand, it would seem terrifying for peooke with such a history, yet perhaps enough time has passed and there aren't many left sadly who lived through the horrors of the Holocaust. The young people are doing what they are told for the good of all. I wonder if there is much resistance as we have seen in other countries? I haven't heard much about it in Israel.
This was very informative and makes a lot of sense. I’ve been struggling with trying to understand Israel’s awful pandemic response and this helps.