Liat, an Israeli who has lived in Berlin for 15 years, is a Zionist who loves Israel with all her heart. Whenever the security situation in Israel becomes tense, she uploads numerous posts to her Facebook page and deals courageously with the negative comments made by her German acquaintances. “We’re always perceived as the aggressors,” she says. “They blame us for murdering children, and I have to defend Israel and explain that things are not like they say they are.”
Yesterday, Liat also uploaded a post in support of Israel, which said the following - “Israel is under attack – I stand with Israel” – after which she braced herself for a barrage of comments. One of her Israeli friends in Berlin had an unpleasant experience a couple of days ago while looking for a furnished apartment to rent. She spoke with the landlord in German, told him that she was interested in the apartment, and wanted to know if it was still available. The landlord checked out her name on Facebook, and when he discovered that she was from Israel, his reply was: “It’s not for rent to murderers of Palestinians.”
Israelis living in the Diaspora are, therefore, twice as stressed. Not only are they concerned about their family and friends in Israel, but they also have to contend with an abundance of criticism, as we heard from Liat. It happens whenever they are determined to defend Israel and its policies towards the Palestinians to an audience that doesn’t necessarily want to understand the Israeli reality. As such, they unwillingly become Israel’s spokespersons around the world, which is a challenging position they didn’t ask for. As such, they themselves become the State of Israel - even though they are physically distant from the country.
Israelis in the Diaspora are simultaneously fed by the Israeli media and the local media – and the conflicting reports can be confusing. When Liat’s German life partner, who hears from her in detail about what is happening in Israel, came home last night, he showed her an article from the German press, according to which the situation in Israel is the result of a provocation by ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Who is he supposed to believe? As we all know, the reporting of every media outlet is consistent with the political agenda of its owners – and does not necessarily reflect the reality in Israel. When a Hollywood star with hundreds of thousands of followers shares a picture on Instagram of the blaze on the Temple Mount and blames Israel for it, he is fueling the hate for our country without giving us a chance to explain.
The situation in Israel is far from simple right now. Innocent citizens around the country are dealing with fires, rock-throwing, and damage to their property just because they are Jews. Israelis living in Greater Tel Aviv, the coastal plain and the Sharon area had a night last night that the people who live near the Gaza Strip, in what is called the Gaza Envelope, have been experiencing now for 20 years: hundreds of rockets that take lives, destroy property and leave an open wound in the souls of children.
The foreign media networks fail to show all of that when it suits their aforementioned political agenda. We must also not forget the new wind that is blowing on Capitol Hill. After four years during which Israel enjoyed the unqualified support of the U.S. government, we are now hearing other voices. In an effort to respond in a so-called more balanced manner, the accusatory finger is now being pointed at Israel.
The situation that Israelis now find themselves in, which was forced upon them, has aggravated an already stressful situation. The coronavirus pandemic is not entirely behind us. We have not yet recovered from the Mount Meron tragedy, the political crisis is getting worse, and it’s not clear who will be running the government in the coming weeks.
It is important to us to say the following to Israelis in the Diaspora: an inseverable bond connects us. We are aware of the stress and anxiety you are feeling right now, on top of which you have been given another task – to represent the State of Israel, whether you chose to do so or not. You have to shatter the lies that are being spread about Israel on social media and present the complex Israeli reality as it actually is.
At the same time, please tell your friends at work or in the neighborhood about the sleepless nights, about the toddlers who are dragged to a shelter in the middle of the night, and about those who have killed for no fault of their own. We need each other in the Gaza Envelope and also in the Israel Envelope.
The author heads the Department of Organization and Connection with Israelis Abroad at the World Zionist Organization.