Naomi Chazan: "Can one be overly critical of a country one loves?"
Naomi Chazan, Former Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, as well as a previous president of the NIF, was interviewed by Libby Lenkinski.
I had previously heard Chazan speak, via streamed events. A staunch
feminist who doesn't mince words, Chazan has addressed "the rise of
gender segregation in public spaces," and the need to "rehabilitate the
basic norms of Israeli democracy."
Naomi Chazan (R) Interviewed by Libby Lenkinski
With dynamism and humor ("I've always been astounded that a bunch of Polish chicken farmers started a state."), Chazan delivered a blueprint of what needs to be done. Much of what she said about Israel and Netanyahu was equally applicable to the America/Trump situation. She prefaced her comments with the rhetorical question, "Can one be overly critical of a country one loves?"
On the threat to Israeli democracy, Chazan underscored, "We are at a crossroads." Drawing a picture of global illiberalism, neo-authoritarianism and populism, Chazan voiced her alarm concerning "democratic erosion." This covered the degradation of civil and human rights (legislated inequality with the Nation-State Law), governmental checks and balances being undermined; weakening institutions with attacks on the media and the judiciary.
"This leads to the centralization of power," said Chazan, "and creates hegemonic authority." Qualifying that the backslide has been going on in Israel for a decade, Chazan signaled Netanyahu as the leader of that trajectory.
"It's being done incrementally," Chazan stated. "It's meant to numb you. And when you finally wake and realize - it's hard to reverse." Chazan's was adamant that the foundation of Israeli democracy had to be strengthened. "Polarization is the cancer of democratic society. We must find avenues to a shared society"while respecting separate identities."
Chazan was unambiguous about the Occupation: "Jews should not rule over another people." Attacked for her views by others with regularity, Chazan dismissed it with, "Just plough ahead. Don't give up for a minute. If you don't succeed, try another course."
Presidential Candidates
There were 5 contenders at the conference. Others delivered videostatements. Bernie Sanders was clearly the crowd favorite. He began by announcing, "I am a Jew. I will be the first Jewish president of the United States." He was unequivocal in his opinions. He warned against conflating criticism of Netanyahu's Israeli government with antisemitism. He stated flatly, "What's going on in Gaza is inhumane." On the current American and Israeli leadership, Trump and Netanyahu, he received laugher and applause on the sentence: "One who's going to be impeached, the other who's going to jail." Sanders also put forth the concept of a "global progressive movement."
Pete Buttigieg was clear-cut on his views. He supports a two-state solution and no annexation; all funding must be compatible with U.S. law and policy. "You can be committed to a U.S.-Israel alliance without supporting a right-wing government," he said. He wants to see America reestablish its role as an "honest broker." On Gaza: "It cannot continue without an explosion." He commented wryly, "The United States has to be engaging with nuance and good faith  ¾ which is not a hallmark of the Trump administration."
Other points delivered by candidates:
- No annexation or new settlement building.
- Reestablish the Iran nuclear deal.
- Reopen the Palestinian consulate in Washington, D.C.
- Reopen the American consulate in East Jerusalem.
- Restart the funding of programs that have been cut by Trump.
- Restart financial support to UNRA.
- No more demolitions of Palestinian homes.
"Our Boys" -Art as Activism
The three creators (Hagai Levi, Joseph Cedar, Tawfik Abu Wael) of the HBO film, "Our Boys," were present to discuss their movie, which dealt with the brutal revenge murder of a 16-year-old Palestinian boy in the aftermath of the tragic kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers in the summer of 2014. A gut-wrenching and nuanced look at the different elements of Israeli society, the movie was slammed by Netanyahu. In a quest to understand the hows and whys of the "price-tag" killing, Cedar affirmed that for him, the search was, "most importantly, to find the murderers in ourselves."
Top Quotes
Fida Nara, Co-Director of Mahapach-Taghir. An Arab-Palestinian, Nara was pressured not to take part in the conference. "Can Israel be just [fair] for the [Palestinian] 20 percent of the population? We need each other to make this change."
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