Israeli protestors seek dialogue
Photo: Yaron Brener
No Tahrir Square in Israel
Op-ed: Arab protesters seek leaders' head, while Israeli demonstrators want dialogue
Protests that take place in city squares serve as a type of societal therapy, allowing a society to release tension and voice concerns, just as the individual patient does, while lying on the sofa of his psychotherapist. However, today we see, within the context of various "Tahrir Square" protests across the region, that there are different types of protests.
Since the onset of the "Arab Spring," there has been little sense that the protests are leading to a positive solution that will result in a more egalitarian, prosperous, and just society. Instead we find violence, crime, lack of solidarity, inter-ethnic strife, and terrorism, which endanger not only these countries' futures, but goals that were achieved in the past, despite difficult economic circumstances.
The Tahrir squares of Cairo, Tunisia, Yemen, and Syria speak of blood, fire, and violence – as the feelings expressed in these places reflect deep-seated anger and a desire for revenge over a bitter past. These protests seek to label enemies and attribute guilt, while the regimes respond often with unprecedented violence.
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The current "tent protest" occurring in Israel is different. When we look at the tent cities, which have sprung up in various cities across Israel, we are reminded of the Biblical verse, in which Bil'am blessed Israel with the verse, "How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel!" The tent protest, aside from enabling a release of frustration and tension and expressing public solidarity for social justice, has, within a couple of weeks put forth a list of needs and proposed solutions for the government and the public.
Thus, the protesters are expressing a desire to realize practical solutions through dialogue with decision-makers. As Israel finds a way to deal with a social protest that encompasses several branches of society and present reasonable solutions, its neighbors, it appears, will be stuck in a mode of perpetual upheaval and instability, due to a lack of desire to find peaceful solutions and compromise.
While the protesters of Tahrir Square seek the head of their former president, Israel's tent protest seeks the derriere of Israel's Prime Minister – that is, to sit down with him and engage in negotiations. The stark different is that in Israel, society desires a solution through practical means, while the Arab world does not.
Historically, leaders in the Arab world have attempted to ignite emotions of their publics against Israel as a distraction from difficult social and economic situations. The current protests in Israel illustrate the opposite trend – the public and decision-makers are shifting the public agenda from the ongoing conflict to internal social issues, in order to deal with domestic concerns and advance society.
It has been claimed that social networks, such as Facebook, have been that which ignited social protest. However, the world must understand that social networks are simply instruments that enable people to organize and express unified messages to decision-makers and to the public. However, social networks are a mere tool – the possibility for real, productive, solution-oriented change is determined by the culture, education, and social responsibility of the relevant society.
Dr. David Altman is Senior Vice President of Netanya Academic College and Vice-Chair of the College's Strategic Dialogue Center
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