The genocidal war in Gaza continues with the documented deaths of more than 30,000 Palestinians, while an untold number of civilians lie buried in the rubble. As the war claims the lives of Israeli soldiers and Israel’s standing in the world has dramatically fallen, most Israelis — or at least most Jewish Israelis — continue to support the war.
Underscoring the pro-war sentiment, a public opinion poll published by Israel’s Channel 12 on Jan. 31 found that 72 percent of Israeli voters agreed that all humanitarian aid to Gaza should be halted until the 134 Israeli hostages believed to be still held by Hamas are released.
Ofer Neiman is a Jewish Israeli anti-apartheid activist and member of Boycott from Within, a group of Israeli citizens who support the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (or BDS) campaign. Between The Lines’ Melinda Tuhus spoke with Neiman about the current political climate in Israel and how the war is affecting both Israeli and Palestinian citizens and Palestinians living under occupation.
OFER NEIMAN: Overall, yes, Jewish Israeli citizens are quite privileged here. I can say that this is a genocide. I can post that on social media, and I’m not going to be arrested for doing so. There was more repression during the first weeks of the war and the genocide, but I think now I think we’re pretty much back to normal levels of extensive freedom that we as Jewish Israeli citizens have and we must use. So I can post stuff on social media. But of course, going to demonstrations may not be safe. We face police brutality also some attacks by fascists. And of course, some people have problems in their workplace, may be isolated from their with friends and families; so for some people it’s very hard.
MELINDA TUHUS: You mentioned freedom of speech that Jewish Israelis have. What about Palestinian citizens of Israel?
OFER NEIMAN: No, Palestinian citizens of Israel have to be very careful or else they may be detained for organizing a demonstration, for posting something on Facebook, and of course, Palestinians living under occupation in the West Bank, even less so. They can easily be detained without trial for months for speaking out against occupation and apartheid and genocide.
MELINDA TUHUS: Things in the West Bank have gotten much worse and of course, things in Gaza are apocalyptic. You mentioned that demonstrations might not be safe, and you mentioned that you attended a demonstration today. What do those look like? Are they very large, and do they have people from across the spectrum participating – both Jewish Israelis and Palestinian Israelis?
OFER NEIMAN: There was a fairly large demonstration yesterday in Tel Aviv, especially after the recent massacre in Gaza. Overall, these demonstrations are not large – hundreds of people, perhaps. Not mass demonstrations. There are demonstrations by families of the captives held in Gaza for a ceasefire and an exchange deal. But when it comes to demonstrations that focus on the crimes being committed in our name in Gaza, these demonstrations are small. The demonstration I went to in Jerusalem today – around 100 people, perhaps. There was some police brutality. The police tore and snatched some signs for example, calling this a massacre, calling it a genocide.
MELINDA TUHUS: I know that the protests by the families of the hostages who remain in Gaza have been pretty big and they want a ceasefire and you all want a ceasefire. Even though your politics are probably different, is there any room for collaboration on that issue? Is there any chance of having a bigger demonstration with people who have different politics, but both want a ceasefire?
OFER NEIMAN: Well, it’s interesting, because we were demonstrating today in central Jerusalem, and that was 50 yards from a small encampment, which the families of Israeli captives in Gaza have set up next to the prime minister’s residence. But they were doing their own thing and we were doing our own thing. There is some overlap. For example, there is a group of mothers of soldiers currently serving in Gaza who are calling for a ceasefire and an exchange deal and for getting soldiers out of Gaza.
Overall, I can see why the families of the captives would stay away from a protest that focuses on the genocide and the massacres in Gaza; their message is bring them home. And I sympathize with this message as long as it’s clear that the only way to do so is by a ceasefire and an exchange deal rather than prolonging the war.
MELINDA TUHUS: Is there anything else going on in Israel right now that has changed because of the war?
OFER NEIMAN: I think that politically, the future here belongs to the more liberal part of Israeli society, and it’s going to be up to the world, especially the Americans, to hold these liberal Israelis accountable as well, because there is this tendency to regard only Netanyahu and the hardline settlers as the problem here in Israel.
I think the problem is also the mainstream. But the mainstream is more malleable. So the question is, what’s going to happen? If we see strong international sanctions on Israel, I think it will signal to Israeli liberals that they must work harder to end the occupation, also in the West Bank to remove the settlements and it will also boost the general struggle to decolonize this place.
So, overall, my message would be the Israeli right-wing is, of course, the brutal enemy of anyone who wants peace and human rights. But pay close attention to the Israeli mainstream and hold all Israeli institutions accountable for occupation, apartheid and genocide.
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