The PC pendulum
Op-ed: Harassment and abuse of women is an important problem, and most complainants are telling the truth; that said, censoring satire in the name of political correctness can only lead to a Trumpian backlash.
After the last two weeks, I have come to the conclusion that before anything else, I am apparently a reservist. I am comfortable in uniform than in a suit at a formal dinner.
The rifle sling looks better on my shoulder than the shoulder strap of a laptop case, the coffee tastes better, and I meet the best people we have in the country. Even the environment is more comfortable without the kids making noise at night - just the snoring of those who sleep next to you.
Since I ended my service the age of 24, I have been in the reserves. One day, probably, I will be let go on the grounds that I am too old (as my wife says), but in the meantime I find there a sense of happiness and the essence of Israeliness.
Another thing I have in the reserves that I don’t have anywhere else: the ability to speak without political correctness, the jokes that can be told through the night, the masculine environment were no one argues that it's not honorable or appropriate that there are no women in front-line units.
The Israel of 2016 has more equitable relations between men and women but is also more purist. The reserves is the only place left as it was before. Behind this reality is the process of protecting women against politicians, unrestrained commanders and especially physically abusive husbands. Authority figures are not immune if they cross the line. We are in a better place, but just like always, there are side effects. In particular, blurring the definition of harming women up to the point that everything becomes fuzzy.
A female politician whom I respect explained to me this week that is a pendulum. Once, hurting women was routine. Women did not complain about anything and severe cases were covered up.
Now we are on the other side of the pendulum, and it is decimating everything that moves. This is a sensitive issue that some people advised me in advance not to get into, but because it accompanies our lives with a new incident almost every week, it is impossible to ignore.
Here's what bothers me in a few examples: The first is Roni Ritman, Lahav 443’s commander, who was suspended for a few weeks because he told a female officer to "move your ass." It was unwise on his part, inelegant, but not sexual assault or crossing a red line. At the end of the suspension, he was returned to office. The public security minister and chief of police could have decided differently for fear of being accused of contempt for women.
Another example was seen this week when Channel 20’s Erel Segal impersonated MK Stav Shaffir (Zionist Unin). One can argue to what extent this kind of satire has to do with this kind of channe. I too have criticized the attitude of this channel towards the president or Reform Jews. It is also possible to argue to what extent it is funny -- for me, personally it was funny to see him in a red-haired wig. The content less so, but then they let the sexual genie out of the bottle.
An unsuccessful chauvinist joke spoken in the first person became sexual harassment for MK Ksenia Svetlova, who turns out to be responsible precisely for a certain committee dedicated to the freedom of expression. Stav Shaffir considered contacting the police. The compass lost its bearing. On the day on which there was discussion of whether a senior officer was suspected of rape, a joke became theoretical hrrassment. I saw the commotion in the media from afar and thanked God that all the major critics didn't hear all the reservists’ jokes I heard whenever we turned on the gas burner.
By the way, it's not about the political side of the map. There is also vulgar satire on the left. In the previous elections, for example, Eretz Nehederet presented Ayelet Shaked, Tzipi Livni and Miri Regev as nymphomaniacs who want to be sacrificed on the altar of the Temple. It made me laugh and still makes me laugh even today (I rewatched it to refresh my memory). If these jokes are sexual harassment, there will not be satire left in Israel, Monty Python won’t be approved for screening, and modesty patrols will have a permanent place in the media.
None of these jokes is my style, as they are too vulgar for my taste, but they arehumor. Whether it's Channel 2, Channel 20, or just according to the heritage of Jewish humor. I hope they don't censor satire in the name of purity from the Right or the Left. An excess of political correctness leads to a rebound with phenomena such as Donald Trump. For that not to happen here, normal people need to have their own reserves corners.
Red lines
According to the Association of Rape Crisis Centers, a small percentage of complaints about sexual abuse are determined to be spurious. Most of the complainants are telling the truth. The problem with the current trend is the unhealthy porridge that is created between permitted and forbidden. One cannot miss it when harassment happens, regardless of one’s military rank or the status of the infringer. There is no need for legal knowledge, just common sense. Regarding Katsav, there were too many people who were silent. There are those who choose to ignore, but they know what they see or hear, and prefer not to pay the price. And there is a price.
On the other hand, when everything is turned into something that hurts women, it is dangerous. The struggle against harassment is too important to become political demagoguery. Every joke is not sexual harassment. Sometimes these are statements with a bad taste. Just like old times.
You can find a similar phenomenon regarding complaints from women in divorce cases in Israel. Another hot potato that nobody wants to touch it because of the pendulum theory of the relationship between men and women. In divorce cases, the percentage of false complaints is much greater. Lawyers advise women to complain about any injury, even if it did not happen. Some court hearings include restraining orders and opening police files. This does not happen on the flip side. No one believes that a woman hit her husband or her children. There are innocents whose lives are destroyed.
Women are, fortunately, better protected today, but it is not a zero sum game. A man who sexually harasses or harms a woman should be investigated and punished, no matter who he is. In the same manner, enforcement should but put in place against false complaints, regardless of their number. Red lines are not a philosophical discussion. They stand out from afar.
