NIF's Naomi Chazan Speaks: "We Can't be Silent"

DAN VERBIN problems there was one obligation I had funds Arab civil society in Is- and that is to fix them. I’ve been fixing all rael (along with human rights, On Sunday, May 9, Toronto Reconstruc- my life.” women’s rights, Ethiopian tionist synagogue Darchei Noam hosted the The dilemma Chazan believes Israel cur- rights and other civil society president of the New Israel Fund, Naomi rently faces? Sixty-two years after Israel’s causes). Chazan, as part of a lecture series dealing creation, one of its most important achieve- “Behind all of this is the key with Israel, its domestic challenges and its ments is its “capacity to maintain its boister- target and that is the justice relations with its neighbours and with the ous democracy.” She quoted a remarkable system of the state of Israel,” Diaspora. figure – of the over 150 countries created she said, explaining that the Born In Jerusalem in 1946, Chazan, who after WWII, Israel and India are only two that court system, the last resort described herself as the “mother of civil society have survived as democracies. A “tremendous of Israeli citizens, is “being in Israel,” ironically addressed the packed achievement,” she remarked. attacked as being too leftists audience in flawless English on Mother’s Day; However: “Democracies are like gardens. because it is protecting the hu- a fact that she lamented by mentioning with If you don’t water them, they whither. They man and civil rights of Israeli Naomi Chazan a tinge of sadness that in Israel Mother’s Day begin to flounder. They can disappear. And citizens.” has been replaced with Family Day. The country is in the middle a fellow Jew. Why is this happening?” Never one to shy away from debate or “(My parents) taught me that if of a “process” that should worry everybody She gave three reasons. One: We live in her mission to “fix” social woes, she spoke at there were problems there was one who cares about Israel, she said, adding that a time of great uncertainly, which scares “we can’t be silent.” length on the subject of the “Achievements obligation I had and that is to fix them. people to do things they wouldn’t otherwise and Challenges of Israel’s Democracy.” What are characteristics of this process? do. Two: We distrust ourselves due to fear Chazan began by saying that while she I’ve been fixing all my life.” One: An attempt to circumscribe democratic and paranoia and a “very deep-seated sense was initially concerned about how to get the discourse, with watchdog groups attempting of victimhood.” Three: “You cannot continue Canadian community involved in the conver- today, more than any time in my memory, to silence others by saying there is only one to be democratic when you rule over another sation that is taking place now inside Israel, a there are serious challenges to Israel’s democ- truth about what is good for Israel. people against their will.” protest by the Jewish Defence League (JDL) racy. It’s beyond boisterous and uncivilized. Two: An attempt to undermine demo- “The inability to end the occupation and outside the building made her immediately It may be going further.” cratic values. to create a Palestinian state alongside Israel feel at home because “obviously people care. She then went on to examine the charac- Three: An attempt to undermine democratic is not only deeply hurting the Palestinians People’s concerns burn them up inside.” teristics of the recent challenges, stating,“If institutions, including the most democratic and Israel’s relations with Arab states but it is Raised in Jerusalem, she recalled how you do not remember a word of what I said of all: civil society. now eating away at the core of Israeli society her parents came to Palestine in late ‘30s in next half hour, there is one sentence that Four: The “scariest of them all.” and therefore has to be resolved.” from London – “a place from where very few is crucial. Anybody who is concerned about “There are now conversations in Israel Where do we go from here? She said the Jews actually came voluntarily” ¬– because Israel’s existence must first and foremost that say, ‘Democracy, what do we need it for? first thing needed is to protect civil society they were “true Zionists in the full sense of protect Israel’s democracy.” If it’s a question of the Jewish existence of to fortify engines of changes, social justice, the term.” According to Chazan, we are at a stage Israel or its democratic existence, let’s give and decency in Israel. “They believed strongly that political self- where we are “fighting for the soul of Israel” up the democracy.’” She feels a personal obligation because of determination was the root to individual and we need to combat “very pernicious” Chazan told the audience that she has been her stature. “Every time I see something that self-determination and freedom and justice. trends overtaking the country, which in large living with this battle “very intensively” for the needs correcton, there are organizations to In other words, they linked in their mind the part stem from disagreements over the future last four months. In January and February do it and they have to be supported.” creation of the state of Israel with the creation boundaries of the State of Israel. of this year, Chazan was attacked by a group Furthermore, democracy needs to be pro- of a just society in Israel.” “In the last five years, in a very concerted called Im Tirtzu in posters that depicted her tected and improved: “If we don’t succeed, At home, Chazan was brought up on one way, there have been attacks virtually on every with a horn jutting from her forehead as there won’t be an Israel.” document: the Israeli Declaration of Indepen- aspect of Israel’s democracy,” she said. “Goldstone Chazan” (in Hebrew, the word Lastly, the conflict has to be resolved. dence. She noted how it talks not only about It started with attacks on peace movements for “fund” and the word for “horn” is the “There’s not much time and we know what creation of Israel, but about essential values and leftist political parties, as these are “easy same). She said the accusation stemmed the solution is. If we don’t do it now, that that the state should entrench; equality for targets.” The process continued systemati- from the fact that “human rights organisa- solution will dissipate.” all citizens, regardless of race, nationality, cally to Arab citizens of Israel then to human tions posted findings which were then used “Undermine our democracy, undermine gender, religion; extending a hand of peace rights and civil rights groups. by the Goldstone commission.” ourselves, and we will be totally isolated. But, to your neighbours; the creation of social “Democracies are measured by how they Since then, the self-described “middle respect our democracy, respect the other, justice. treat their minorities,” she said. aged, rather boring, professorial type” has we will be able to find respect worldwide,” “(My parents) taught me that if there were In Chazan’s view, the New Israel Fund is been trying to understand why people are she said. a current target because she said it heavily “troubled to write outrageous things against Comments on Prof. Chazan Speech – May 9, 2010

MICHAEL DOBNER democracy is under very serious taken by Israel in any of its wars. tential threat. I do not think that happening in enlightened Europe threat and to support her argument The US and the UK did similar any serious expert including Prof. and not in dark Israel). The ultra In her speech on Sunday May 9, she pointed out to the following things during that war. Some of Chazan would claim that the de- orthodox Jews in Israel belong to 2010 in Toronto (Darchai Noam) facts, amongst other: you might say this happened a long mocracies of these countries are a group that does not believe in Prof. Naomi Chazan eloquently 1. The 15 seats won by Yisrael time ago, but in 1970, Mr Trudeau in serious danger. Western culture values and they are expressed the desires of many Is- Beiteinu, (the most beloved prime minister Her claim regarding schools the one who want to see their men raelis for a two state solution and 2. Schools in Israel put a wall by the left in Canada) suspended in Israel putting a wall between and women separated in busses a more just society in Israel that between Ashkenazi and Sephardic civil rights in Quebec in order to Ashkenazi and Sephardic girls and and girls of different background would be a light to all nations. But girls break the separatist movement in women being put at the back of the (according to them the Sephardic Prof Chazan has taken her mes- 3. Women in many bus lines have that province. bus, amounts to storming into an girls are not orthodox enough). sage a step further which raises to go to the back of the bus. It is true that Yisrael Beitenu open door. These acts are done by What is the moral justification of serious questions regarding her Prof. Chazan maybe is a bril- won 12.5% of the vote in Israel. a group of ultra orthodox and the the left to impose western culture true motives. liant political science professor but Prof. Chazan failed to mention that large majority of Israelis are against on this group and not on Muslim Prof. Chazan went out of her way she probably skipped her history a significant portion of its voters them. Moreover, Prof. Chazan group for example. to depict Israel as an “odd ball” classes. Her supportive audience were non Jews that were looking as part of the left movement that The way I see it, Israelis believe among mature democratic states. made mainly of Canadian Jews to rectify a human right violation believes in moral relativism (i.e. (for good reasons) that they are She claimed (with a lot of authority probably also forgot that when against them in relation to their we should not enforce our western under existential threat and as such in her voice) that she does not know Canada was last involved in a marriage rights. Moreover, Prof. culture on other groups) should their ability to maintain democratic any mature democratic country serious war (World War II) the Chazan demonstrated that she is know better. For example, the values when compared to other that took the steps that Israel takes government rounded up Cana- not aware of the increasing support left is very careful of condemning democracies that were tested dur- against fellow citizens (i.e. Arabs). dian citizens of Japanese, Italian for pure Nazi parties in Europe some Islamic customs that dis- ing distress times is exemplary, She emphasised that being in war and German origin and sent many including Switzerland (29% of the criminate against women. For although admittedly there is lots is no excuse for a true democratic of them to internment camps. voters), Austria (30%), Holland example the left is against banning that can be done to improve it. society to violate civil rights. She Canada was not under existential (over 20%) France (23%), and burkas, although it is clear that they Prof. Chazan has at best shown ig- then made the claim that Israel’s threat comparable to Israel but Hungary (15%) to name a few, all are degrading women (ironically norance and at worst demonstrated took measures that have not been of whom are not under any exis- banning of burkas and minarets is intellectual dishonesty.

Issue 303, Thursday, 29 Iyar, 5770 • 13.5.2010 905-760-1888 38