“It Is Time We Understood the Reality We Live In and Protect Ourselves and Our Beliefs”

In the ceremony that took place yesterday (December 23rd ‘24) in Tzavta Hall in Tel Aviv, a prize named for professor Yeshayahu Leibowitz was awarded to Guy Hirschfeld and Nisreen Morqus. The prize is awarded yearly by the “Yesh Gvul” movement for activism against the occupation and for active persistence in striving for peace in the spirit of professor Leibowitz’ teachings. Guy Hirschfeld, one of the founders of “Looking the Occupation in the Eye,” was awarded the prize for his years-long struggle against the occupation. Nisreen Morqus received the prize for her activism advancing peace by bringing hearts closer together.

In 1988, Professor Yeshayahu Leibowitz wrote: “If the existing situation continues (with the key word being if) then the hooliganization – perhaps we even have to say Nazification – of the Israeli people and society is inevitable.” In the ceremony Hirschfeld noted that we were not able to stop the first part of Leibowitz’ prophecy. According to him, “Fascism and the doctrine of the pure Jewish race has long reigned here already, and besides the occupation, which from our point of view is the source of all evil, the gaps in and polarization of Israeli society have reached a boiling point.

Hirschfeld further reminded us that Professor Leibowitz’ “in his gentle way” said we should form platoons that will “break the bones” of the bandit gangs that swarm our streets these days.” Hirschfeld stated “Though all my life I have objected to violence, and I still do today, I really think that it is time we understood the reality we live in and protect ourselves and our beliefs."

Following is the full speech of Guy Hirschfeld:

Good evening,

Let’s start with some calming breaths, because I really do not feel comfortable here. Since I have been allotted 15 minutes, I have enough time to tell you about the first time I got to Tzavta and how it ended.

I was born and raised in Jerusalem. By the end of junior high, no normal school would enroll me.  That happened because among other things, as a 15 year old boy, I arrived at school a bit drunk one day. It was after a night vigil in the encampment set in memory of Emil Grunzweig, who was murdered on that cursed Saturday in February of ‘83. I think it was the last straw, and they decided to throw me out. I do not know how and why, but immediately afterwards, I decided out of nowhere, to move to a kibbutz on my own as a “Yeled Hutz.” I managed to hold on for another year in the educational institute “Bik’at Kinrot”  and then our ways parted and I transitioned to the dairy farming pathway.

And then I was invited to the yearly reunion of all soldiers of the “Kibbutz Arzi” movement. Today, I would of course be willing to pay the price and would have probably refused to serve.  Even then, way back in the first Intifada, I did not agree to take part in the crimes of the occupation, which relative to today’s crimes, seem like summer camp. In short, that evening, we were all invited to see the rock opera “Mami” here in Tzavta.  To the young people here: “Mami” was written in 1986 and held up, in front of our faces, a shocking mirror that reflected the Israeli quagmire of occupation, militarism and racism. The truth is that I do not completely remember how that evening ended. It seems however that after 2-3 bottles of vodka we were not the nicest or most polite. What is certain is that even then I had difficulties with the reality that “Mami” reflected.  “Mami” entered my heart and stayed with me ever since, and was without doubt a defining moment in my life. To think that more than 30 years have passed since, and sadly, Mami has remained perhaps more relevant than ever.

Probably, there were quite a few events, incidents and people that brought me to this ceremony today. It seems that there are also some minor features of my personality that cause me to be here. But, first and foremost, I am here because of the good people that decided to leave their comfort zone, wake up before dawn or return after sunset and stand 24/7 against the evil of those that see themselves as the “pure race.”  It doesn't get any easier, day after day, but it is the right thing to do.  So thank you - I know that, on more than one occasion, it may not have been easy or simple to deal with me and I truly thank the partners that share this path with me.

But all of this would not have happened without that Friday in 2009 when I returned to the streets. It was in a demonstration in Sheikh Jarrah, a demonstration where I found myself almost instantly on the front line, confronting a row of masked Israeli police SWAT members.  It took Ro’i, who was in charge of the protest, about 2 to 3 minutes to catch me, throw me out and explain to me that he does not want to ever see me there again. It turns out, and in hindsight I can understand why, that they thought I was a “plant” or provocateur or simply a hothead. Ashamed, embarrassed and offended, I found myself standing on the side leaning against the security fence attached to Al-Kurdi’s house (to the best of my memory.) And then, the person who would become my teacher and mentor in activism, Ezra Nawi, volunteered to find out who this messed up person was and came by. The rest is history, but this encounter and the connection that followed between us - the two uneducated and coarse men - turned out great especially when working with the intellectuals of Ta’ayush. In truth, Ezra and I were mischievous and engaged in some nonsense, but we also did some not so bad work. The truth is that I feel that I am here also for him, because if we are honest with ourselves, the “system” did not appreciate and even neglected him, in my opinion.

And to end the chapter of “thank you”s: Thank you to everybody that came today, thank you to the prize committee and congratulations to Nisreen Morqus for receiving the prize. Last thanks go to my mother, my daughters and Ya’el - In the end they are the ones that pay the real price for my activism.

* * *

For 15 years now I have accompanied Palestinian shepherd communities in the occupied territories. As was already said, it does not get any easier day by day; not for us, the activists, and much much more so for the Palestinian shepherd communities themselves. We have partially experienced together with them the escalation, abuse and suffering through the years, especially as it rapidly worsened during the “Change Government,” and shifted to turbo mode with the installation of this blood stained government and the black Sabbath of last October. We saw and were there with shepherd communities that were expelled from their homes. Whole communities of elders, women and children, that had to collect their few possessions and run away from the pureblooded masters of the land and the uniformed terror assistants, whose moral deterioration we have all witnessed in the last few years. (The occupation was never moral, but as a wise man once said “everything is relative…”) We also see, all the time, the hundreds of thousands of acres that underwent and undergo ethnic purification and are cleansed of non-jews.

And still today, the activists of “Looking the Occupation in the Eye”, and other activist groups, provide 24/7 protective presence to shepherd communities that are being attacked by Jewish terror gangs in the areas of the Jordan Valley regional council and the rest of the occupied territories, with the assistance and protection of the occupation forces. That is the basis of our everyday work, and as always you are more than welcome to join. This also reminds me of the shame I feel every time I am asked, especially by people from abroad, how many Israelis take part in this work, and every time I feel ashamed when I answer that we are too few.

One more note: It is true that I am here because of my activity among the shepherd communities. However, it goes back to the day in 2020 I joined with Amir Haskel in the Balfur protests. In that context, I remember how my friends in the radical left did not understand what happened to me, and how come I am going to sit with the Zionists, under the flag and the Tikvah. I still believe that it was the right decision, and it stood the test of time because that is where “Looking the Occupation in Eye” sprouted and grew, which is the best proof of it. We brought to the protest within Israel, a less polite and less compromising new voice that was so sorely missing. And this is another opportunity to thank the partners from “Looking the Occupation in the Eye.” Today, as I did then, I still believe that the best way to help the Palestinians and end the occupation is to topple this blood-stained government. Yet today, the significance of bringing down the government is not just to help them but also to help ourselves, and at this point it’s actually to save ourselves. It is time we grasp that we are in an existential war. Only the enemy is not Iran, Hamas or Hezbollah, as they try to scare us; the enemy is here within, exactly as Professor Yeshayahu Leibowitz warned.

I do not purport to know all of Professor Leibowitz's body of work, but I do know well his prophecy regarding what would happen here if we were to rule over another people and also his words regarding civil war. We are already past the first stage of his prophecy: We did not succeed in halting the process; the fascism and the doctrine of the purity of the Jewish race has long reigned here. Along with the occupation, which we believe is the root of all evil, the gaps and polarization in Israeli society are already at a boiling point. The threats coming from the other side, regarding a civil war, should make us understand and internalize as soon as possible that we are already there or at least entering that stage. Personally, I’d prefer we do not get there but we are being dragged by them. Here, I will again mention Leibowitz, who in his gentle way said we should form platoons that will “break the bones” of the “bandit gangs swarming in our streets.” So even though I have been opposed to violence all my life, I definitely think that the time has come that we understand the reality we live in and defend ourselves and our beliefs.

When the organizers talked with me about this speech, they asked for two things. First, that it will not end with a police investigation as it did in the previous ceremony. Second, that I will not use this podium to settle the score of my disputes with what I define as the “system.”

So, in part, I will respect these two requests. But I do ask you to think for a moment what Yeshayahu Leibowitz would think of us, the liberal left camp, the camp that does not really exist anymore. I have a feeling he would be ashamed of us and would whip us with his remarks and admonishments. Additionally, I would ask of this “system” and of human rights organizations, to start paying attention to us, field activists. No matter what, we are the ones doing the tough work, so please give us the appropriate wraparound support system.  And.. you have to admit I am being gentle.

We must change our approach and understand and internalize that a war has been declared on us and our values - a war. And I was taught that “in war as in war..”  We are reaching the point where every Israeli, whether Jew or Arab in the ‘48 borders, will have to choose if they belong to the Ben Gvir, Smotrich, Levin, Goldknopf and some other pureblooded fascists, or understand we must build something new and real based on Jewish-Arab partnership. And though I am not a prophet, I still believe that most of the public is not of the Judeo-nazi sort. I still believe most of the public that is represented today by Ganz, Eizenkot, Lapid, and even some of those represented by Bennett, do not believe in the racial supremacy like the other side does and that they will side with us in the moment of truth.

For years I have waited for us to get to the pivotal moment, and it is almost here. We are now at the apex of the process. The masks are off and the other side has shown its cards, declared its intentions and is busily working to turn Israel into an apartheid state, while we, or at least most of us, are busy being right instead of being wise.

So now is the moment where every citizen will have to decide if we want to be a democratic and egalitarian state, or the kingdom of Judea that will end up collapsing unto itself, because it is a dead-end road. It is true, that in Gaza, ethnic cleansing, genocide and starvation are carried out and we should not ignore it. But same as it was in 2020, even today, the fastest way in my opinion to stop these horrors is to topple this government.

We will continue to be by the side of the shepherd communities in the occupied territories, but we also have to join forces with the DOFJ (Democracy Only For Jews) forces that are working to take down this blood stained government. We should join them as a real block that has one common denominator, which is ending of the occupation. In this campaign, which is likely the last one, there are only two options: we will win or we will lose, and a loss is inconceivable. I believe we will win, but it will happen only if we rise today, without delay, and join the “war” that was declared against us.

It is time we stopped being polite and start thinking in terms of civil disobedience for democracy.  The time has come to put aside values and ideals, partly because the other side is laughing at us and sees it (with some merit) as a weakness. The only rule we should have is non-violent resistance.

In these exact moments we, who have the blue identity cards, are at the pivotal moment for determination of the state’s future. It may not seem that way, but if we act a bit more Leibowitz-like, then next year’s ceremony and we can look completely different.

Again, thank you very much and we’ll meet again next year. But before that,  we will see each other in the streets and in the field.

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