Walking through my neighborhood in south Tel Aviv today, I couldn’t help but notice the extravaganza of Israeli flags and nationalist paraphernalia being sold in the run up to Independence Day celebrations, to take place from sundown on Wednesday this week. My personal favorite is the hammer.
This shop sign assures all passersby that they carry all types of flags, including those that stick to the window, flag necklaces and flags for the car.
The amount of garbage it leaves behind, literally.
One can only hope that Israelis would put as much effort into examining their government’s and army’s behavior as they do in honoring them. Happy Independence Day.
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TLA
Your hatred makes you blind. Can’t you just wish the Israelis happy holidays and not being blown up for once?
caden
Good God, I know that you think that Israel was conceived in sin and is resolutely evil. But can’t you give it a rest on one lousy day, independence day. It’s actually a fun day, in Israel and the United States.
XYZ
I have been following various Leftist-Progressive Jewish and non-Jewish blogs for years. I try to avoid overreaching generalizations, but I do see a deep continual PERSONAL unhappiness and even rage in many of these bloggers and commentators. Everything that happens, and I mean everything, is weighed against the supposed “suffering of the Palestinians” and endless, ENDLESS obsessions with real and imagined flaws in Israel society. Add this to an inability to enjoy anything connected with Israel, such as this piece shows. They do have my sympathy.
Mitchell Cohen
יום הולדת שמח ה-64 למדינת ישראל….:-)
אני מצדיע לכל החיילים שהקריבו את חייהם כדי שנוכל לחיות יותר בשקט
First Timer
Your independence is our catastrophe, dear Mairav. I hope you remember that while you’re celebrating!
caden
XYZ, I noticed that too. Its like she is generally pissed off and can’t enjoy even one day without contemplating the “nakba”.
max
@Caden, I think that keeping a spot to remember, while celebrating, that one’s joy is associated with someone else’s sorrow (regardless of justice) is a humane aspect deeply rooted in the Jewish philosophy.
However, referring to ‘nationalist paraphernalia’ instead of ‘national’ seems revealing. Is it the colors that bother? The amount? The shouting that come with it? The stark difference with all other countries Israel should aspire to be like?
No. It’s Mairav’s view that on that day Israelis don’t celebrate their independence but honor their government and army.
caden
The whole thing just permeates a nauseating intellectual superiority complex. Its like people on the upper west side or San Francisco who looke down on the unwashed masses who enlist in the army or marines and actually stand up when the flag goes by in a parade.
Palestinian
independence ?how come a bunch of immigrants and terrorists got what they call “independence” when they officially occupied others’land ?!
XYZ
In not a single photo presented here did I see anything “honoring the army and government” (as if that is bad).
Roy Bronson
The hasbarists are on the comment section spraying insults and personal attacks as they are taught to do. I liked the article. i thought it was balanced and factual. Why should we celebrate the day when the occupiers stole the land of the people they murdered and imprisoned and are still imprisoning in open air concentration camps. No amount of perfume can mask the stink of this nation because its based on lies and crime. The sad thing is, the people that will now hurl their insults at me, know better than most the truth of the situation and yet they choose to follow zionist protocol.
PS: the last time, world Jewry blindly followed zionism, the jews took the fall (in europe). even thought the zionists were the masterminds, the Jews were killed and locked up. But yet they do the same again. iif only jews had the courage to stand u and dissassociate themselves from zionism, when zionism causes problems, the jews wont be held accountable. There hasn’t been one mizrahi jewish prime minister of isreal nor a sephardi. In all these years, not one. it has always been an ashkenazi. If Isreal is so good for the jews, then why has there not even been one true jewish prime minister?? Because zionism has hijacked my faith. i just wish people will see it before its too late.
BOOZ
Palestinian :
Nothing new, really, since the chant of 1929″ Al bil’ad bladn’a wa al yahud klabn’a”?
This times are over.
Forever.
Tal
Dear Mairav, I totally identify with your words here. I love my country and my people but I stopped hanging flags a couple of years ago. I decided that I will go back doing it when Israel will no longer occupy the Palestinian people.
It doesn’t involve “deep continual PERSONAL unhappiness” as @XYZ suggested. I enjoy whatever life has to offer including raising a child here and hiking in the beautiful Israeli nature.
BOOZ
Tal :
Let me specify in the first place I that concur with your wish that the Palestinian people get their independence -just as the Jewish people have obtained it but , mark my words, not instead.
Question is, how far do the palestinian expectations extend , especially when one reads the posts from” Palestinian” ?
I am afraid that the only thing that would find grace in his eyes is that you would take a one-way ticket out of ( Ra’anana, Givatayim, wherever….) “Occupied Palestine” .
Palestinian
Booz ,what does your comment have to do with mine ?or is it just you wanted to show that you memorized few Arabic words !you didnt even get it right,next time finish the sentence ,you missed the last part.If “Al Yahud” accepted that the beautiful bride is already married you wouldnt hear that chant nor “death to Arabs”.
Tal
Booz, As an Israeli I am only responsible to what my country is doing in my name. Facts are that since Israel signed the Oslo accords almost 20 years ago, the number of settlers has doubled, racist and anti-democratic laws are adopted and thousands of Palestinian civilians have been killed by Israeli armed forces.
All of the above are our responsibly and no one else’s.
Vicky
Being happy and celebrating your identity and your culture could mean something as simple as cooking a meal, visitng a friend, playing a particular piece of music, taking a walk.
.
There are several reasons why some people are uncomfortable with this particular national celebration – the historic bloodshed, the ongoing violence, even just the way the celebration seems to get more nationalist by the year. Mairav’s post is about nationalistic kitsch – and her refusal to be overjoyed at the sight of a blue and white inflatable hammer is taken as a sign that she is a deeply unhappy person, or incapable of enjoying anything she finds in her society. But why? Why should a flag-bedecked inflatable hammer and a glittery blue and white hat be used as the litmus test for happiness and community spirit?
.
“Its like people on the upper west side or San Francisco who looke down on the unwashed masses who enlist in the army or marines and actually stand up when the flag goes by in a parade.”
.
Army recruiters have a track record of targeting deprived areas. Finding that procedure unsavoury is not the same as looking down on those who enlist. As for not wanting to stand when the flag goes by…well, what does standing even mean? What is it you’re honouring? I will do my best to respect every individual I ever meet, but I can’t accord that same respect to a design on a piece of fabric. Especially not if that same design is stamped on tanks and flying above airbases.
BOOZ
Tal,
This does not answer my question.
How far your feeling of being axccountable would take your to ?
Palestinian :
I have never chanted “Death to….” anyone.
I have the feeling that your posts express this sort of feelings.
And if your expect the “Jews living in Palestine” to live in an everlasting penance to the Palestinian Arabs… you’d better not hold your breath.
Palestinian
Boozy ,I didnt know you take comments here personally,I didnt accuse you…and my advice dont trust your feelings.
caden
So Vicky, people are uncomfortable with Israeli independence day for all the usual reasons. Are there any other countries that you are uncomfortable with its existence. Or is it jsut Israel
AYLA
Vicky and Tal, thanks to you both as always. Nationalism is it’s own thing; many people, myself included, are uncomfortable with it, not only in Israel, and especially here given the state (small ‘s’) of Israel today. I’ll be with good friends, good food, and good music, sans flags, in the desert I love, laying as low as possible til this week is over. My heart, however, will be with all parents who have lost children to this conflict tomorrow, and even though the day is for Israelis, my heart will be with ALL parents everywhere who have lost children to this conflict.
AYLA
Mairav–thanks for the photos; they’re hilarious.
caden
Roy, now I’m interested. So, the “Zionists” were the people pulling the strings behind Nazi Germany. Do I have that right? How did they do that?
ezequiel kopel
The hebrew Hammer!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx0WauS9Sus
Haya
There is no problem in printing flags on pots, panties, ties, carpets, anything! flags are not sacred. Sovereignty matters!
XYZ
Haya-
I would not say that flags are not sacred at least in some sense. In the US there are laws in force saying how the US flag should be flown, and laws against its desecration, and mind you, the US has no state religion and has separation of church and state, so this is not based on any pre-existing religious sentiments.
Kubbeh
This is the laziest thing I’ve seen posted on this website. You guys really have chutzpah asking people to donate money to fund this garbage.
palestinian
Ya Mr.Kubbeh ,what are you talking about ?