The Labor/Tnuah combo has chosen to call itself the Zionist Camp.
Contrary to popular belief, this is not a boutique clothes shop in Tel Aviv, but a political party with serious intentions. Their first introduction to the Israeli public is in this short video that begins with Herzog challenging: “Zionism? Let’s talk about Zionism!”
Soon thereafter this very video was “altered” by the opponents of the Zionist Camp.
We present both videos for you, parsing them through the filter of 4HQ, the Four Hatikvah Questions –
I must emphasize before beginning that these are my personal readings of the videos, hence this blog is under my name not Makom in general. We’ll all be having a go at this game in the coming few weeks – and you are also invited to add your reading to the comments below!
First off, the original video from the Zionist Camp:
Click here to view the embedded video.
Tzipi Livi: Zionism is not just talking about how my parents fought to establish this country, but rather to fight over what kind of State to leave our children.
Not only about To Be in the sense of military security, but also To Be as a values-question.
Arel Margalit: To enable young people to succeed in the Negev, the Galilee. That is real Zionism.
Free (allowing people to succeed) in Our Land.
Stav Shafir: Real Zionism is making sure that no one passes our money around underneath the table. Zionism is to look after everyone. It is social justice.
Fighting for fiscal transparency, this is high on Free, and social justice speaks the language of solidarity with the People.
Amir Peretz: Zionism is independence. And independence is to make an honorable living, and to age honorably.
Freedom and solidarity – People/Free.
Shelly Yachimovich: Zionism is responsibility. It is the responsibility of the government to provide education, employment, health – of us all.
As Frankl said, with Freedom comes responsibility. They are two sides of the same coin.
Eitan Cabel: For me Zionism is to volunteer for reserve duty in the army, and to serve the country.
Army service – security (To Be), and solidarity (People)
Itzik Shmuli: Zionism is to spend long nights in the toughest places in society, and to bring about change from there too.
People
Merav Michaeli: For me Zionism is what is written in our Declaration of Independence. The natural right of the Jewish People to be as any other People – to stand on its own feet sovereign in its own country.
Pretty much covers all four bases in a vague way… Perhaps particularly vague in the People category – a more suspicious ear might fear that the emphasis on “as any other People” smacks of removing particularity.
Yitzhak Herzog: For me Zionism is Home – that offers security to all citizens of the State.
Full on To Be
Amar Bar Lev: I led fighters in the rescue at Entebbe. That is Zionism.
To Be – saving lives. People – Entebbe was a rescue of Jews, not just Israelis.
And now, the opposing video version:
Click here to view the embedded video.
Livni: I am Zionist, and so I opposed defining the State of Israel as Jewish.
I rejected the Jewish People aspect of Zionism
I am here instead of Zuhir Bahlul (Arab) and Yossi Yonah
A dig at an Arab candidate (fails Jewish People) and a Professor who ten years ago signed a letter in support of soldiers who refuse to serve in the West Bank/Judea and Samaria and was attacked for being anti-Zionist (fails Jewish People – lack of solidarity, and fails the Likud approach to Our Land). Yossi Yonah took exception to this, reminding us that he had left his post in the Yom Kippur war to man empty tanks in the Sinai and was injured in the process. (wins at To Be – security)
Stav Shafir: I didn’t have a problem with the flag, but with the National Anthem. What can you do – the Hatikvah is a racist song!
This would be a fail on People…
Shelly Yachimovich: Zionism is to vote for the Communist Arab-Jewish Party Hadash, and to march on May 1st.
Having been in the Labor Party for nigh on a decade, I imagine Yachimovich no longer votes Hadash, but certainly Hadash would remove the People bit in the Hatikvah questions, and perhaps the Communist version of Free is not the Likud version of Free…
Eitan Cabel: Zionism is to close down a newspaper in Israel!
Eitan Cabel led the call to close down the free newspaper Israel Today, because it was entirely funded by Netanyahu’s ally Sheldon Adelson, and destroying all competition. This was seen as a Free fail…
Merav Michaeli: When there has been an occupation for more than 40 years, we must stop sending our children to the army.
To be – security – fail. People – solidarity – fail. Our Land – calling Judea and Samaria “occupation” – fail!
Buji Herzog: I think the expression Jewish State is a complete mistake
Complete fail…
And there you have my take on these two videos in the light of 4HQ!
What changes would you make?