Anarchists: The most important activists on the Jewish Israeli left
A lot of nonsensical accusations are leveled at Israel’s anarchist activists, a small group of citizens engaging in civil disobedience and nonviolent protest against the occupation. Most of them are lies. The fact is that the anarchists are the only group in Israel engaged in serious anti-occupation activism.
Anarchists: The most important activists on the Jewish Israeli left
July 8 2012
Noam Sheizaf
THE ISRAELI RIGHT has learned a new word: “Anarchists.” MK Miri Regev called the J14 protest leaders “anarchists who actively undermine the state”; Channel 10’s economic affairs reporter, Sharon Gal, said the protesters were a “type of anarchist”; online, Facebook status updates and comments on news sites reflected similar sentiments. This is all nonsense, of course. The social justice movement is led by the Israeli middle class; and there have always been far more average Israelis than professional revolutionaries at the demonstrations.
But let’s talk about the anarchists themselves. Over the past two or three years I have traveled with them many times to various demonstrations in the West Bank and I have come to know quite a few of them – primarily members of Anarchists Against the Wall. It would not be an exaggeration to say that my acquaintance with them fundamentally altered my political perception.
