Israeli Activist Eliah Levin on how the “Standing Together” Movement is keeping up the pressure to end the Gaza war, on feeling abandoned by the international Left, and confronting far-right politicians.
zenith: On August 10th, you and other members of the Israeli movement “Standing Together” made headlines with a protest during the “Big Brother” finale. Why did you jump onto the stage during the live broadcast?
Eliah Levin: We spoke about adapting our protest because we felt that we needed to break the routine and normalcy in Israel. We wanted people to reflect on which side they are on. Are you one of those who look at what is happening in Gaza, or are you one of those who look away? »Big Brother« is a very popular show in Israel — it serves as an escape for many from their everyday lives. That’s why we planned an intervention right there. I knew that I was going to give a speech and I had planned exactly what I was going to say. I am very happy that I managed to get on stage and deliver the speech. But I don’t remember the first seconds of how I got on stage, as my adrenaline was so high.
And what did that intervention achieve?
Although the broadcast was cut off after the first few seconds, the action was overall very successful because it attracted significant media coverage — even internationally. A lot of people saw it on social media. So we reached a broad audience in Israel. We showed that the Israeli public can’t just continue as if everything is normal while a genocide is taking place in Gaza.
“Why do we feel abandoned by the Left? Because they make us feel like they don't see us as partners”
Such views are not necessarily mainstream in Israel and are often labelled as radical. Has this perception changed in recent weeks?
On the following Sunday, 400,000 Israelis took to the streets calling for an agreement on the release of the hostages. At one of the rallies, people came up to me, recognized me, and gave me positive feedback. It was really encouraging. I believe we shook up the public debate, created a sense of urgency, and gave hope to many who were feeling desperate. But from the perspective of the political center in Israel, such actions are still seen as too radical. At the same time, I think many of these people are grateful that we exist and address things that they might be too afraid to confront. Whether or not they’re able to speak about Palestinian lives has a lot to do with their community and upbringing. But I do think that many Israelis on the political left are grateful that we’re here.
Some on the left outside Israel find it difficult to identify with the Israeli left. Why do you think that is?
We are not fundamentally different from the Left in Europe or America. So why do we feel abandoned by them? Because they make us feel like they don't see us as partners. That’s the most painful part for me. We’re the ones on the ground doing the work. We have to confront our far-right government directly, dealing with the complex situation that we, as Israelis, are being labeled traitors for fighting for peace and justice. Many on the Left in Europe don’t see that — quite the opposite: Because Jews and Palestinians are working together, for example, representatives of the BDS movement accuse us of normalizing the occupation. It often feels like the international Left expects Palestinians to one day wake up magically free from the occupation, while we are already fighting for improvements in all our lives.
How did you come to your political education, which doesn’t seem to be a given in Israel?
I spent part of my childhood and youth in New York, and that had a huge impact on me. Just being exposed to many people from around the world made me really detest the Israeli racism and not understand it. My parents, especially my father, took me to demonstrations. I’ve been interested in the lives of my Palestinian neighbours in Haifa from an early age and participated in dialogue programs. It was important for me to expose myself to Palestinian realities.
Don’t Jews and Arabs live side by side in Haifa?
I first need to acknowledge that my neighbours see something entirely different when they open Instagram. They see images of dead children from Gaza all day long, simply because they speak Arabic and I don’t. But even when people grow up together in utopian model villages, learning Hebrew and Arabic, going to school together, and being friends, at some point, one group gets their military service notice and the other doesn’t. That’s where many paths diverge. That’s why most Israelis have no idea what it’s like to live as a Palestinian in Israel. Palestinians in Israel naturally sympathize with the people in Gaza, some even have family there. Israelis, on the other hand, tend to identify more with the soldiers in Gaza.
“In that sense, the insult was a compliment because I am a force to be reckoned with. She should know that”
What needs to change in Israeli society for the suffering of Palestinians to no longer be tolerated so passively?
It’s about understanding that Palestinians are human beings, even though their experiences are different from our own. This may sound obvious, but I believe many Israelis have dehumanized Palestinians and Arabs as a coping mechanism. We Israelis have been brainwashed in that regard. I’m aware of how heavy this accusation is because we see ourselves as this liberal, modern nation in the Middle East. But once your eyes are open and you see others as human beings, you can’t go back to the status quo. And it’s not about altruistically fighting for Palestinians, it’s about making Israel truly safe. And for that, we don’t need more bombs and higher walls, but a vision that offers a future of peace for all people.
The Netanyahu government clearly doesn’t share that vision, nor do many of its members. A few weeks ago, you were invited to a hearing in the Knesset where you faced someone like this...
… During the hearing in the Committee on Education, Culture, and Sports, where I spoke, it was about a law that would criminalize Arab students easier as supporters of terrorism. It was introduced by Knesset member Limor Son Har-Melech of the ruling Otzma Yehudit party...
… Which is the far-right party of Interior Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir...
… It was terrifying and somewhat depressing. The politicians present were extremely rude. Limor Son Har-Melech looked me in the eye and called me the enemy of Israel. That’s a common accusation. Just mid-August, the government labeled families of those calling for a release deal as traitors. Sometimes, you want to explain yourself, to say that you’re doing all this out of love for your country and its people. But when Limor Son Har-Melech insulted me in the Knesset, I agreed with her. Yes, I am the enemy of the Israel they want to create. In that sense, the insult was a compliment because I am a force they will have to reckon with. She should know that.
Eliah Levin,
