Let’s Use All The Media To Say We’re Being Silenced

By Zehava Gal-On, Meretz Chairwoman

Israeli democracy is in danger as we speak. Liberal voices are being silenced, and the surest way to let the public know about it is to trumpet the fact that we’re being silenced, via every newspaper, news site, radio station, TV news program, and social media channel.

The danger is real. If we do not tell people the extremists are silencing our voices of equality and tolerance; if we refrain from asserting that appalling development in all the myriad radio interviews we grant the press, in all the Twitter and Facebook statuses that our followers and friends share with the world, they will never know. We must appear on record in all four major Israeli daily newspapers – yes, even Israel HaYom – and in their online equivalents to make sure everyone knows the right wing is suppressing our legitimate voices everywhere.

We must shout it in the committee meetings in the Knesset; we must proclaim it from the very lectern in the parliamentary plenum; we must leave no venue or avenue unexploited in our quest to raise awareness that we are not allowed to say anything. Our activists must yell it in the streets, plaster it all over the public space, and generally make sure it becomes common knowledge that the Right is shutting us off and we are therefore unable to communicate our message by any means.

If the Right truly valued democracy, as they claim, they would not be subjecting us to this treatment. We would not have to use all the media to tell people we are being silenced. But since all they wish to do is hold onto power, they do not let us say our piece anywhere except all the media, political forums, and meetings with all foreign government and NGO representatives.

Most damning of all, however, is the Right’s refusal to let us declare from a position of political control that we are targets of oppression. The last coalition to include Meretz – “the true Left,” as our election campaign slogan averred – fell apart more than a decade ago  – sure, we were happy to support the Gaza Disengagement from the Opposition, but let’s be honest: if the Right really cared about democracy, it would let the minority that is the Left control the government. Even better, as Alon Liel put it, would be to impose the views of the extreme left, the two percent – the most moral two percent – on the rest of the population. THAT would enhance our democracy.

But the Right disagrees, and that simple fact means they are silencing us.

Maybe we need a Safe Space.