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Last update - 10:02 04/05/2008
You have to be sad, then happy
By Gideon Levy
Tags: Naqba, Israel, Memorial Day 

In a short period of seven days the State of Israel dictates three times what its citizens should feel: They should grieve twice - on Holocaust Remembrance Day and on Memorial Day, and to be happy once - on Independence Day. These three days are commemorated in Israel with near zealous totality, a sort of missionary sanctity that appears to be intensifying over the years, including the issuing of fines to anyone violating the holiday's laws.

The inspectors who check up on feelings fined thousands of people who opened their coffee shops and restaurants on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, including in Arab Jaffa. There is no democracy that mobilizes its forces to such an extent as to dictate to its citizens what they should feel and how they should behave on Memorial Day. Similarly, no other media like the Israeli media, rallies with such absolute commitment to the task, dedicating most of its print pages and hours of broadcasting to these three customs.

This missionary activity has lately also taken on a character of persecution: Had Avram Grant not worn a black arm band with a yellow Star of David on his arm while he coached his English team on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, a ridiculous sight in the eyes of many, and exemplary for others, and rushed the next day to his Champions match at Auschwitz, one can only imagine that he would have been denounced and ostracized in Israel, at least like a singer who did not serve in the Israel Defense Forces. These are troubling signs that only undermine the essence of our sacred national holidays.
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The Holocaust must be remembered, and it is imperative that we honor the memory of sons lost in battle, but not by coercion and persecution. It is unfortunately true that without state intervention these dates would not be observed. Were Israelis given the freedom to decide, some of the centers of entertainment would be open on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day and on Memorial Day, and the special character of these dates would quickly dissipate. It is of course legitimate to also ask: So what? If this is the wish of some Israelis, what is wrong with it? But the wish of the state to shape a national heritage is understandable - to establish national holidays and to maintain a tradition, in a society that is relatively young and made up mostly of immigrants. There is a huge difference from this approach to the totalitarianism in place.

The problem is that these dates are not really part of the tradition of a not insignificant portion of Israelis. Holocaust Memorial Day is perceived by some of the Mizrahi Jews as a memorial day for Ashkenazis; the Memorial Day for the IDF fallen is alien to at least part of the ultra-Orhodox; as for the Arab citizens, who constitute a fifth of our country, not only are they estranged from two thirds of these dates, but they are also hostile. Not only are the dates of our catastrophes not the days of their catastrophes, but the day of our celebration is the day of their great national disaster. No amendment and no law will alter these eternal facts.

But the state does not only make do with imposing these dates on that same community that feels alienated or hostile to them. It also uses oppressive methods when it tries to prevent them from freely expressing their genuine feelings. If the national decree on the memorial days of the majority is to be sad and to be happy during their days of celebration is acceptable, it is not acceptable to bar the minority to also express its unique national feelings. A siren during the Memorial Day for the IDF fallen? Then why not a similar siren for the Nakba (the Palestinian term for what happened to them after 1948) in the Arab towns and villages in memory of their casualties and displaced persons?

Late last week the Nazareth District Court had to intervene to allow the Islamic Movement to hold a memorial for the Palestinian Nakba in Kafr Kana. Ilan Gabrieli, the head of the local council appointed by the Interior Ministry, argued that this constitutes a "political event," which should not be allowed in the community. Why is commemorating the Nakba "political" and celebrating Independence Day is not?

No less ridiculous are- the right-wing spokesmen who are railing against the court's decision - Gideon Sa'ar, who established that the ruling is "morally bankrupt," no less, and Zevulun Orlev, who said that it "belittles the Declaration of Independence." That same declaration that established the state "will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture... ." Remember?

After 60 years it is now time to be mature. There is no longer a need to forcefully impose or to prevent national sentiments. Israel is sufficiently mature to commemorate with the majority what is relevant to the majority, and to allow the minority the freedom to express its feelings. The Jewish National Fund, which recently rescinded its promise to Zochrot, a non-government organization, to commemorate the names of lost Palestinian villages on the historic sign posts it puts up, only highlights our weaknesses: The land is still burning under our feet. The local council head who tried to prevent the memorial for the Nakba ("The Catastrophe"), failed to prevent the Arab citizens from feeling that Independence Day is the day of their catastrophe - it really is. Must there be happiness on Independence Day? Only to those who really feel it.
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  1.   Our Bittersweet 60th 10:32  |  Tzfonit 04/05/08
  2.   Gideon Levy, it is not a question of maturity 10:33  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 04/05/08
  3.   A great line from Gideon Levy 10:34  |  Clickfool 04/05/08
  4.   Levy as usual ... 10:35  |  Jamie 04/05/08
  5.   ...and a siren for Jews killed in Syria, Libya, 10:39  |  DC 04/05/08
  6.   Evidently Levy is not one who is happy on Independence Day... 10:42  |  McQueen 04/05/08
  7.   If only the land WOULD burn under Levy 10:43  |  McQueen 04/05/08
  8.   Gideon, that surely would be a "nice gesture"...... 10:47  |  Swiss (Dino) 04/05/08
  9.   Another Day in Paradise 10:48  |  Ronnie Wolman 04/05/08
  10.   Why respond to such crap? 10:49  |  Dror 04/05/08
  11.   The day the monstrous genie was released from the bottle 10:53  |  Clickfool 04/05/08
  12.   this man requires psychological help 10:59  |  sz 04/05/08
  13.   I`ve read innumerable silly articles 11:12  |  Linichka 04/05/08
  14.   Sad... then happy 11:14  |  David 04/05/08
  15.   What independence though? 11:22  |  Marilyn 04/05/08
  16.   If Gideon Levy were an American 11:31  |  Yonatan 04/05/08
  17.   What if things were different? 11:42  |  Oddvark 04/05/08
  18.   Levy lacks soul 11:51  |  FOX 04/05/08
  19.   sz 10 12:11  |  potobac 04/05/08
  20.   gideon Levy - once a capable mind 12:13  |  hms 04/05/08
  21.   LEvi Placing the cart before the horse as usual 12:15  |  Tzfonit 04/05/08
  22.   Why NOT a siren on Memorial Day in Arab towns to grieve for Naqba 12:20  |  ARA 04/05/08
  23.   NAQBA Commemorate how they tried to block ALL food &water 12:36  |  PETER SM 04/05/08
  24.   MARYLIN IT WAS the Arabs that refused borders & started the war!! 12:53  |  PETER SM 04/05/08
  25.   Because not everyone is a sicko like you Levy 12:54  |  Steven 04/05/08
  26.   Let those who mourn-mourn in private ! 12:57  |  Eli 04/05/08
  27.   Gideon Levy 13:02  |  Ralph 04/05/08
  28.   levy 13:07  |  JaN 04/05/08
  29.   Kudos to sz (no.12)! 13:08  |  ARA 04/05/08
  30.   Kapo Levy ,how about crying for the German Naqba,end of the WW2? 13:35  |  Absolute Sweden 04/05/08
  31.   Kaffiyeh fitting ! 13:43  |  BOET 04/05/08
  32.   Is there any hope for Israel? 14:06  |  Clickfool 04/05/08
  33.   Gideon, where`s the punch line? 14:11  |  Seth Greenberg 04/05/08
  34.   siren 14:13  |  Rab Burns 04/05/08
  35.   We should be sad for those who would murder us 14:16  |  Millie 04/05/08
  36.   Israel needs a Constitution 14:34  |  Lynn 04/05/08
  37.   and ha`aretz employs this man 14:38  |  rich 04/05/08
  38.   #19 Potobac 14:44  |  Holiday 04/05/08
  39.   Boring 14:47  |  Sarah 04/05/08
  40.   LYNN they are working on it.No simplistic magic wand available 14:47  |  PETER SM 04/05/08
  41.   this is sooo funny!!! 14:53  |  Jenna 04/05/08
  42.   GIDEON obviously censoring any references to:- 15:01  |  PETER SM 04/05/08
  43.   # 40 PETER SM.....glad to hear it 15:02  |  Lynn 04/05/08
  44.   Israel has the right and deserves to celebreate... 15:16  |  Fortuna Benmayor 04/05/08
  45.   THERE IS NO ASHKENASI TRADGEDY 15:20  |  Allon 04/05/08
  46.   # 19 potobac 15:20  |  Lynn 04/05/08
  47.   How they`re all beastly towards Levy... 15:30  |  christoph 04/05/08
  48.   Why doesnt Levy celebrate Hitler`s birthday 15:36  |  Herbert Kaine 04/05/08
  49.   No Nabka for Israeli Arabs 15:49  |  KUTW 04/05/08
  50.   Remembranceand Holocaust Day, and Arabs 15:52  |  KUTW 04/05/08
  51.   Nudnik who craves attention. Simple high school text 15:55  |  17 04/05/08
  52.   " The missionary activity" 15:55  |  KUTW 04/05/08
  53.   Arabs annoyed? 15:59  |  KUTW 04/05/08
  54.   The Israeli Arabs "Nabka" 16:01  |  KUTW 04/05/08
  55.   Clickfool 16:01  |  Avi 04/05/08
  56.   Is that so? 16:05  |  monostor 04/05/08
  57.   " That community feels alienated or hostile " 16:06  |  KUTW 04/05/08
  58.   Only the Ashkenazis? 16:19  |  KUTW 04/05/08
  59.   gideon levy 16:20  |  Diane cohen 04/05/08
  60.   56.monostor: " The claim of dispossesion, inverse of the truth " 16:25  |  KUTW 04/05/08
  61.   PROBLEMS WITH NAMES 16:25  |  B 04/05/08
  62.   #2 Cipora, It is the mature thing to do 16:25  |  Dutch 04/05/08
  63.   The US Gideon Levy would celebrate 16:28  |  Aphemia 04/05/08
  64.   Who says everyone celebrates 16:30  |  Chris Linthwaite 04/05/08
  65.   #30 Absolute Sweden 16:32  |  Chris Linthwaite 04/05/08
  66.   KUTW (#50) 16:37  |  christoph 04/05/08
  67.   How to incorporate the Naqba 16:39  |  Tosefta 04/05/08
  68.   Dutch 16:40  |  Linichka 04/05/08
  69.   For Avi, labouring under a misapprehension # 55 16:41  |  Clickfool 04/05/08
  70.   Chis Lightwaithe #64 16:47  |  FOX