Do you see what we see? (from your “bubble of denial”)
JVL Introduction
The claim is that people in Israel do not see what we see in other parts of the world; that they do not see what is happening in Gaza and even that the opprobrium leveled against Israel is motivated by antisemitism. Indeed the article does claim that some demonstrations are marked by antisemitism, it also goes on to say: “looking at this movement from the outside also makes it clear that antisemitism has been a sideshow alongside the genuine revulsion stirred by Israel’s indiscriminate massacre of civilians in Gaza. It’s clear why this is difficult to contemplate for many Israelis, but blindness to an unpleasant fact doesn’t make it go away.”
I would contend that the failure to see is wilful since there are Israelis who do see and who protest not only against this government but against its actions in Gaza and the occupation itself. Furthermore most families will have members who have been in Gaza or the West Bank supporting violent settlers; added to this Ha’aretz itself shows at least some of what is happening so there is surely no excuse.
This article was originally published by Ha'aretz on Tue 1 Sep 2026. Read the original here.
Diaspora Jews Must Understand: Israelis Are Living in a Bubble of Denial
Most Israelis simply don’t see what we, Jews in the diaspora, see every day. The result is a growing disconnect between Jews inside and outside the country ahead of the October 27 election
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The author claims that “some of the protests we’ve seen since October 7 clearly crossed the line and adopted shameless antisemitism” well not that I’ve witnessed, could someone enlighten me on where and when this happened, for me this unevidenced assertion taints the whole article
My father revealed to me that he had turned down lucrative work in Latin America and the Middle East. Keen on travel, I felt let down, and asked him why. He said if you end up somehow on the side of projects, of people , that steal land – and expel people and worse, to take the resources – one night you can wake up in the middle of the night with a knife to your throat and your family are already dead. Oh of course these unseen people suddenly exist – as savages. It’s what happens. They won’t all do but some will. Everybody else foes. Funny how “our” revenge is somehow understandable. He protected his family. Supremacists are jerks.
This excuse that Israelis don’t know what’s happening is a whitewash.. Israelis not only know but support & vote on it.. Every Politician has the expulsion of Palestinians in their manifesto. Their media create Celebrities from IOF members. The latest big celebrity was the IOF accused of raping Palestinians to death with broom handles.. the Whistleblower was arrested & vilified & the Rapist did the rounds on Talk shows . Israelis know EXACTLY what’s going on..
Further to my comment I must point out that the Israeli “Opposition” is attempting to distance & whitewash itself from Netanyahu while in fact was just as bad ( it was hidden better from the world).. Under Naftali Bennett they dropped White Phosphorus gas on schools in Gaza & tightened the blockade of all necessities of life into Gaza. The Genocide didn’t start with Netanyahu & won’t end with him.. Israel has been committing Genocidal ethnic cleansing land theft since its creation in 1947 & Zionists were killing Palestinians as far back as 1920s..