#Palestine / Emotional politics and the silencing of dissent in post-October 7th Israel
Great read by Amalia Sa’ar on the surge of emotional discourse in #Israel following the October 7, 2023 attacks, which is primarily framed around the concept of national trauma, and has permeated Israeli political discussions. Sa’ar argues that this emotionalization of the political is a sophisticated mechanism for silencing criticism and maintaining the status quo, further entrenched by the integration of national security concerns within familial and community relationships.
What Sa’ar is calling "emotionalization of the political" silences critical analysis of Israel's military actions and the Israeli-Palestinian “conflict”. [*] While public protests against the government and calls for investigations exist, critiques of the occupation, the siege of Gaza, and the excessive violence of the Israeli Defense Forces are marginalized or condemned as treasonous.
The prevalence of "national trauma" discourse, fueled by the October 7th attacks and historical narratives linking Jewish suffering to #Zionism, is argued to serve as a tool for silencing dissent. This framing of Israel as perpetually vulnerable, post-traumatic, and thus beyond reproach, prevents objective assessment of Israel's role in the conflict and its disproportionate power.
Furthermore, this emotional discourse creates a climate of self-censorship and even explicit repression, particularly for Palestinian citizens of Israel who face repercussions for expressing solidarity with Gazans.
Hebrew https://hazmanhazeh.org.il/emotion_politics
[*] The characterization of the Israeli occupation of Palestine as a mere "conflict" is a misnomer; it obscures the inherent asymmetry of the situation. There are not two equal sides, and to conflate the Arab world's involvement with the plight of the occupied Palestinian population under Israeli occupation is misleading. Supported and financed by the U.S., Israel acts with impunity, disregarding international law and norms.
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